Founded in 1999, Ruth Ellis Center (REC) has established a national reputation for quality and innovation in providing trauma-informed services for lesbian, gay, bi-attractional, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth, and young adults, with an emphasis on young people of color, experiencing homelessness, involved in the child welfare system, and/or experiencing barriers to health and wellbeing.
It is our mission, to create opportunities with LGBTQ+ young people to build their vision for a positive future.
Our vision is a world where LGBTQ+ young people are safe and supported no matter where they go.
Support Our MissionJoin us this June for a PRIDE walk in support of LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness and other barriers to care. Where you ask? Anywhere. Everywhere.
Learn MoreThe Fillmore Detroit will again set the stage for Catfight for the Crown on Friday, June 14th. In its fifth year, witness a bold and heartfelt homage to ballroom culture from the drag community. We will crown the fiercest Miss Kitty and celebrate the most iconic Haus that Detroit has ever seen. Ready your glitter and sharpen your claws, kitties. It’s going to be an unmatched showdown!
Click the link to purchase tickets today!
Purchase Tickets Sponsorship OpportunitiesIt’s an exclusive look at 25 eponymous fashion masterpieces — from Halston to McQueen, Balenciaga to Dior — curated by Detroiter and creative entrepreneur Jeff Newsom.
Storied and timeless designs. Chosen specifically to celebrate the Ruth Ellis Center and the community it serves and kick off the Center's 25th anniversary year.
Every Frock is destined for the permanent fashion collection at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. You'll only get to see this capsule collection at FROCK.
Opening Night Thursday, May 9th6 to 9 pm
Drinks by Tin Can CocktailsSweet Snacks by Bombshell
NEXT STEP STUDIO & GALLERY
530 Hilton, Ferndale
Frock is on exhibit at the gallery 12 to 6 pmMay 9-12th and May 16-19th
Click the link to purchase tickets today!
Make a DonationVOICES of Ruth Ellis Center was created out of a desire to stay connected to our local, national, and global community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through candid interviews with REC staff, youth, community partners, funders, and thought leaders from around the country, VOICES of
Ruth Ellis Center provides a platform to explore topics in a new way.
Listen to VOICES of Ruth Ellis Center on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Breaker, Overcast, RadioPublic, or Pocket Casts.
Listen NowAs we’ve continued to grow and evolve, so have the ways we help our young people. At Ruth Ellis Center, we work toward our vision through a growing number of services and programs, that support the LGBTQ+ youth and young adult community.
From providing outreach and safety-net services, to skill-building workshops and HIV prevention programs, we are known for our unique approach.
For more information regarding our five core programs, see below or feel free to contact us directly.
Reach OutProvided in partnership with Henry Ford Health System
REC is contracted through Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network to provide behavioral health services.
This program is made possible in part by:
The Drop-in Center is a safe place for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans* and Questioning Young People ages 13-30 to simply be themselves and have a space to hang out with one another
Here Youth Have Access To:
REC will also help youth get connected to:
*Individual Case Management Services will be scheduled Monday-Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM (based on youth availability)
The Housing Department at Ruth Ellis Center exists to connect youth and their families to safe and stable housing. REC currently operates two housing programs, Rapid ReHousing and the Kelly Stough Project. Clairmount Center, the Center’s permanent supportive housing program, is anticipated to open in July of 2022.
Program Description: The Kelly Stough Project, named to honor the memory of a lost member of the Ruth Ellis Center community, serves survivors of human trafficking who identify as LGBTQ+. The program design and implementation was informed and led by transgender women of color with lived experience. Through the provision of safe and stable housing, the Kelly Stough Project offers economic justice to historically marginalized communities.
Core components:
Who is it for?
REC’s Rapid Re-Housing program helps LGBTQ+ youth (and eligible family members) quickly stabilize their housing so they can focus on pursuing their personal goals.
Core components:
Who is it for?
Individuals and families with a head of household 18+ experiencing homelessness.
The REC Center, opening in 2022, will be located on Clairmont Street in Detroit. The building will feature 43 apartment units, a café and beauty bar, shared community space, private resident common areas (lounges, patios, etc.), and a Health and Wellness Center where residents can access medical care, behavioral health services, and case management.
Core components:
Who is it for?
Individuals 18+ experiencing chronic homelessness for one year or more.
For more information on REC’s housing programs, please contact us at: housing@ruthellisenter.org
For emergency housing services, please contact CAM Detroit at (313) 305-0311
The Center for Lesbian and Queer Women and Girls (CLQ) takes the needs and desires of every young Lesbian/Queer person seriously so that we can provide programs and activities that create healthy, smart, strong and active girls and women!
The CLQ provides advocacy/outreach and case management services through an equity lens to empower girls and young women between 13-30 years old.
The types of services provided focus on the following 5 areas to support the health and well-being of Lesbian and Queer Women and Girls:
Creating a world where LGBTQ youth can be safe and supported in all systems of care
The Ruth Ellis Institute centers the experiences of LGBTQ youth to inform and change nation-wide systems of care through education and evaluation.
We do this by:
Are you interested in a training opportunity for your organization or group? To help us understand your specific needs, please complete a Training Request Form.
For more information on the work of the Ruth Ellis Institute, please contact:
Ruth Ellis Quarterly TrainingAre you interested in learning more about how Ruth Ellis Center executes its mission? Register for our Upcoming Training Here.
Our Principles of Work shape everything we do. They are the driving force behind our programs and what makes Ruth Ellis Center successful and meaningful for our youth, but also inform how we “show up” for our staff and community alike.
Built on the concept of racial and gender equity, they create a strategic and imperative base that informs our work (full racial equity statement linked below).
For a deeper dive into our four principles, see below.
Racial Equity StatementAccording to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) concept of a trauma-informed approach, “A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed: Realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; Recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; Responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices; Seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.”
A trauma-informed approach can be implemented in any type of service setting or organization and is distinct from trauma-specific interventions or treatments that are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma and to facilitate healing.
“Transformative Justice responds to the lack of- and the critical need for- a liberatory approach to violence. A liberatory approach seeks safety and accountability without relying on alienation, punishment, or State or systemic violence, including incarceration and policing”
Resist: https://www.resist.orgRestorative Justice, under the umbrella of Transformative Justice, is the primary tool used to implement this principle.
Harm Reduction refers to policies and practices that aim primarily to reduce adverse health, social, and economic consequences of high risk behaviors and benefits people engaging in high-risk behaviors as well as their families and communities.
RHYTTAC, Presenter, Cassidy, TC “Harm Reduction, Positive Youth Development, and Trauma Informed Care: What are they and How do they Operationalize in Youth Serving Programs” January, 2013. PowerPoint.
Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a comprehensive framework outlining the supports young people need in order to be successful. PYD emphasizes the importance of focusing on youths’ strengths instead of their risk factors to ensure that all youth grow up to become contributing adults.
Research shows that only four out of ten young people are doing well, and survey results from the Gallup Student Poll suggest that a majority of youth in the U.S. are not hopeful, engaged and thriving. Most often policymakers focus on the negative behaviors or risk factors that youth face and emphasize reducing statistics such as teen pregnancy or dropout rates.
Positive youth development focuses on building the positive attributes young people need in order to be successful. It emphasizes the supports and services necessary to help youth transition through various stages of their development. States and policymakers are beginning to use this framework to develop policies and programs that will ensure that all youth are ready for college, work and life.
National Conference of State Legislatures
http://www.ncsl.org