FrontLiner Profiles: Elaine Stephens

“You have to be a people’s person…I don’t just jump in and say 'You need to do this' and 'You need to do that.' I need to see what is going on with that person before I even think about doing anything.”

Elaine Stephens has been a Life Skills Specialist in the Safe Haven program since 2001.

What are your basic job responsibilities?  

I help people get back to where they were before they were homeless. Basic hygiene, how to keep their room clean, how to keep a house.

I show them how to cook. We don’t force anything on them, but we’ll ask them if they want to cook. We have a couple here who want to cook and they know how to cook, too. People who don’t want to cook, we find something else for them to do, maybe put the plates and silverware out, make the drink.

It’s a home away from home because I am here the majority of the time. I even know who is coming down the stairs by how they sound.

What is a hobby, interest, or routine you have that is not related to work? 

I sing gospel. I do karaoke. And I dance. I do hand dance and ballroom dance. And now I’m learning how to step.

Is there a memory that stands out from your years at the Safe Havens?

Delilah. She was really a confused young woman. I watched her be pregnant, she was pregnant when she was here. I saw her in a way that nobody else did. She was scared and afraid. She hid herself from a lot of people. She reminded me of someone who could have been my daughter. I remember showing her how to cook something in the kitchen. She liked to be real close and I used to nudge her. She passed. I hate to even think about it.

If you could make the whole community understand one thing about your work, what would it be? 

I would want them to understand that these people need their help.* They need their love, their attention. I want people to have understanding about what kind of population this is.

*The Safe Havens serve adults with severe and persistent mental illness who have experienced long-term homelessness.

What would you say to someone who is interested in working at FrontLine? 

I would tell them to come on. I’ll show you!