About Us

Through our Family and Individual Supportive Services, our staff work diligently to connect individual and families with community resources and services. We utilize our many partnerships to streamline the process for clients, providing:

• Referrals to local organizations
• Resources needed to maintain stability
• Case advocacy to assist clients in navigating social services

ECHOS can help you navigate community resources, become more knowledgeable of current resources, and provide a direct connection to the help you need. These programs focus on connecting individuals and families in need to mainstream resources.

• Information and Referral (making connections with local community providers)
• Enrichment Services (navigation and direct assistance on site; education; computer lab; additional services)

ECHOS’ first steps when interacting with clients at risk of homelessness are Eviction Prevention and Diversion. Our trained staff take the necessary steps to help individuals and families obtain proper resources and care to keep them in their current residence. Designated prevention focused programs include:

• Eviction Prevention (supports to keep families in their homes)
• School’s First Initiative (assistance for EASD families experiencing a broader definition of homelessness)
• Penn Medicine/LGH medical referrals (direct referrals from local medical providers for community services)

ECHOS’ Emergency Shelter Programs provide clients an overnight stay in cases of urgent need. Clients enrolled have dedicated ECHOS staff to assist them until the family is stable, providing one-on-one goal planning, individualized counseling, and an array of other services to meet basic needs. Our staff provide the best, solution focused care, looking at the different domains of a person to draw upon natural supports and assist them through crisis. Emergency Shelter Programs include the following:

• Emergency Winter Shelter (seasonal shelter)
• Safe Parking

Clients enrolled in our Housing Stability Programs are offered longer-term supportive services, working diligently with a community social worker to obtain and maintain independent housing. Our staff use evidence-based practices and trauma-informed care to provide external supports such as advocacy and financial counseling. Clients also engage in goal planning, individualized counseling, and are provided community resource referrals. Programs included are:

• Pathways to MyHome
• Permanent Supportive Housing (long term transitional housing)
• Bridge House 90 (crisis housing)

At ECHOS, all clients and community members have access to our Job Readiness and Workforce Development assistance offered through case management and our Enrichment Center. While engaging with our professionally trained staff, clients and staff work one-on-one to complete and access:

• Budgeting workshops
• Job searches and mock interviews
• Skill Up Lancaster (free online trainings, certification courses, and workforce services)
• Bi-lingual career navigation
• Access to free, onsite computer lab

ECHOS partnered with the Elizabethtown Area School District (EASD) to provide on-call crisis counseling to middle and high school students with suicidal ideation and self-harm. When a student reports having suicidal thoughts or actions of self-harm, ECHOS’ licensed professional counselor immediately:

• Meets with the student
• Provides crisis counseling
• Engages in outreach to the student’s parent/guardian
• Ensures supportive services for long-term stability

At ECHOS, we see great value in maintaining and strengthening our community partnerships. Through Community Education and Collaboration, we believe that together, we can be the catalyst of change needed to create a stable, thriving community! As part of our Community Education and Collaboration, ECHOS:

• Is the spearhead agency of the Elizabethtown HUB
• Provides workshops and presentations on the prevalence of homelessness, mental health challenges, unemployment, and more