“Life itself is a Haphazard, Messy Affair” – Dorothy Day
Hi! I’m excited you’re here.
My name is Sarah Day Chess and I operate Diversion1st.org to help communities connect to information and resources to implement entry systems best practices in homeless and housing services.
I empower through training and coaching in Shelter Diversion, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution to integrate human-centered care. It is overwhelming to be at the cusp of homelessness. I train our communities of providers in deescalating from crisis to develop authentic relationships and leave no stone unturned in exploring options to avoid experiencing homelessness.
I work with providers to sit with people in their most challenging moments and practice compassion and radical honesty to see what we can do, as a community and system, to keep them housed.
I have worked with communities across the country, from Maine to California, to develop the right approach for their agency and system. I do this work because I have seen the impact it has on people experiencing homelessness, providers, and the community. When we empower providers to practice Diversion, we empower people to make housing options possible. These families avoid the trauma and risks of homelessness, and this influences the whole system. If we can divert 25% of individuals, that means a safe place to stay tonight for people below them on that shelter waitlist and the effect grows from there.
My name is Sarah Day Chess. I was named after Dorothy Day, a catholic anarchist organizer who founded the Catholic Worker Movement. I got my start in homeless and housing services with St. Josephs and St. Mary’s in New York. The Catholic Worker’s are an incredibly foundation for learning about service. The most influential lesson I took from working with them is that every person should be treated with love and empathy. My work is about building this value into all our communities serving people struggling with housing.
As an economist emerging from a community that doesn’t love systems (“Our Problems come from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system” – Day), I wrestled with why I believe in systems. There isn’t one system for every community. At the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, I worked with many regions of the state to organize and tackle big challenges, like instituting Diversion statewide. With the Cleveland Mediation Center, I’ve gotten to work with homeless and housing service providers across the country to improve each unique system. Well-built systems are a community and communities get things done.
“The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us?” – Day
Work with me to integrate and strengthen your community’s approach to serving people experiencing a housing crisis. Ending homelessness requires a revolution in our communities and I hope that we can start that revolution together.
Besides some of these lofty ideals, I find energy in playing piano, painting (only landscapes!), and walking my two dogs (Nora and Arlo). I’m the bossy sister of four motley siblings and a proud Native Nutmegger. I’ve got a neat trivia team and play way too many video games when I’m not rebuilding my parent’s house.