It’s March 2020. You know that COVID-19 is hitting the United States and businesses are closing their doors across the country, asking their employees to work from home. You’re going to have to do the same with thousands of staff members at shelters nationwide, including direct care staff who provide treatment for youth in person daily. So how do you do it?...
These are stressful and difficult times for all of us. We’ve not seen a pandemic like this, one that has moved so quickly and shut down so much of our country and the world. I’m so thankful for the way our team has responded to keep our staff safe and ensure the safety of those...
A Quinceañera is a young lady’s 15th birthday celebration – a coming of age tradition in many Latin cultures. In addition to signifying a young woman’s transition into adulthood, Quinceañeras provide a precious opportunity for family and friends to come together and make memories....
At each of our shelters, we provide a safe, temporary home for unaccompanied minors and work to efficiently determine a safe next step for the minor. Within 24-hours of arrival, a minor is assigned a case manager who collaborates with family members to identify a suitable sponsor for the minor. If a family member can’t...
At Southwest Key Programs, we are proud of our work and eager to discuss our experience providing essential care and services to unaccompanied minors who have fled their home countries to seek a better life in the United States. There is no substitute for seeing our work first hand and shelter tours provide important opportunities...
Minors in our care come from all over the world, but the vast majority are from what’s known as the Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Each of these countries has a consulate office that functions as a type of satellite office for the country’s main embassy. They handle tasks such as issuing visas,...
Brothers Samuel and Diego, 14 and 16 years old, came to the United States from Guatemala. While they were in the care of another shelter, they experienced two failed reunifications that left them both feeling hopeless and upset. They thought they were never going to be unified with a sponsor....
Sofia learned so much during her first field trip with Casa Campbell. She arrived at the shelter a few days before and had since been looking forward to the special outing with her peers to Ballet Arizona’s “The Nutcracker” at Symphony Hall. With the support and collaboration of Free Arts Arizona, 50 children in Southwest...
During the holidays, Southwest Key Programs works to ensure all of the youth in our care enjoy special celebrations, activities and traditional holiday meals. Staff at our shelters take extra care to celebrate various cultural traditions with the children during this time of year, such as La Posada, Noche Buena and Dia del Los Reyes....
At Casa Padre not all of the staff walk on two legs. Eight dogs make up the on-site Emotional Support Team. This program began with an idea from Jeissa Melendez. In addition to her work as a clinician at Southwest Key Programs, Jeissa also specializes in the human-animal bond and volunteers with her therapy dog,...