Emergency Shelter & Homeless Services

Compassionate Community: Comprehensive Support Services
Project FAIHR
First Step Inn

Steppingstone’s First Step Inn is the primary emergency shelter for homeless individuals in Fall River, Massachusetts. The shelter provides 20 beds year-round and an additional 30 beds in cold weather months. The First Step Inn is more than a place to sleep for many in need. Case management services offered at the First Step Inn connect consumers with housing, employment, mainstream resources, primary and behavioral healthcare, and an array of other services.

Consumers are assisted with locating and securing permanent housing and have access to wraparound supports to ensure continued stability. These comprehensive supportive services are offered in a safe, comfortable environment and enable guests to successfully transition into the community so they can experience housing stability and an improved quality of life.

Project FAIHR, Focused Achievements in Housing and Recovery, has been serving homeless individuals and families in Fall River and New Bedford Massachusetts since 2014. FAIHR provides an integrated team of case managers and mental health professionals who work with homeless persons with moderate to severe mental health disorders and co-occurring substance use disorders. Project FAIHR reaches approximately 100 people per year with the goal of helping them achieve recovery from substance use and assisting them with obtaining and retaining permanent housing.

FAIHR focuses on reducing homelessness through advocacy, education and coordination of treatment and services. The clinical team assists each consumer in developing an individualized service plan that aligns with his or her own goals and aspirations. As a result, consumers experience improved mental health and daily functioning. 

CSPECH, Community Support Program for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, began in 2017 and continues to meet the needs of the chronic homeless in Fall River and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Using Critical Time Intervention, an evidence-based model that mobilizes support for vulnerable individuals during critical periods of transition. CSPECH promotes integration and continuity of care within the community so consumers continue to function independently.