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Charma House

The Resident Journey

Intake & Move-In
How a woman comes in, and how we confirm Charma House is the right next step.

Not now

Yes

A woman enters Charma House
referral from a partner shelter,
or her own application

Application & intake screening
with the Case Manager

Right fit?
woman 40 to 65, a survivor,
past crisis, ready for 24 months

A warm referral
a better-fit resource,
or added to the waitlist

Move-in & orientation
her own private suite, Welcome Packet,
House Rules signed, matched with a
Case Manager and Entrepreneurship Coach

Begins Phase 1

Phase 1 · Stabilization
Months 1 to 4. Safety, healing, and a plan of her own, before anything is asked of her.

Not yet

Yes

PHASE 1 · STABILIZATION

Trauma-informed counseling
weekly individual and group therapy
with licensed counselors, at her pace

Building her safety plan
Personal Safety Plan, confidential
address, protective-order support

Goal setting
she co-creates her Personalized
Success Profile, revisited every phase

Settling into the house
daily rhythm, shared meals,
and a community she grows alongside

Within 60 days:
actively engaged
in her program?

Program review
a renewed support plan

On to Phase 2

Phase 2 · Skill & Identity
Months 4 to 10. Rebuilding capability, confidence, and the professional self.

Keep building

Yes

PHASE 2 · SKILL & IDENTITY

Learning Center & Library
digital skills, certifications,
foundational business knowledge

The Renewal Room
wardrobe, professional presence,
and confidence coaching

Wellness & grounding
Wellness Room and Reflection Room:
the routines that keep her steady

Financial literacy begins
her own bank account,
budgeting, and credit repair

Phase check-in:
ready to advance?

On to Phase 3

Phase 3 · Economic Activation
Months 8 to 20. Every resident builds a business of her own. What sets Charma House apart.

Keep building

Yes

PHASE 3 · ECONOMIC ACTIVATION
every resident builds a business of her own

THE SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR

THE CONTENT CREATION STUDIO

From idea to business plan
lean-startup curriculum, canvas

Build & produce
worktables, assembly, packaging

Open for business
QuickBooks, Shopify or Etsy

Coaching & connections
1:1 coaching, SCORE, SBDC, grants

Her brand & voice
personal brand, social content

On the mic
podcast and voice-over

On camera
video, product photography

Freelance income
editing suite, design work

Her venture takes shape
business plan, brand, storefront,
and systems ready to launch

Business foundation ready?
plan, skills, and setup in place

On to Phase 4

Phase 4 · Thrive
Months 18 to 24. She takes a corporate internship if she secures one, or goes straight to leading her own company; then her business goes live.

Yes

No

Not yet

Yes

PHASE 4 · THRIVE

Corporate internship secured?
an optional boost, not guaranteed
for every resident

Corporate internship
real-world experience, professional networks,
and operational know-how she brings back
to run her own company

Straight to her own company
she builds her business full-time
as founder and owner

Her business goes live
storefront open, first customers served,
reliable income she owns

A place of her own
secure, permanent housing,
safe from past harm

Financial strength
budget, credit, and an emergency
fund from $1k to $3k

Health that lasts
primary care, a therapist,
and insurance in place

Safety & belonging
updated safety plan and
a trusted support network

The road ahead
her 1, 3, and 5-year goals,
and further education

Exit-ready?
business running and every
dimension confirmed

Continue support
revisit every 60 days

To Graduation

Graduation & The Charma Chain
Exit is a beginning. She graduates a business owner, and the Chain keeps lifting her, and the next woman.

Graduation
a celebration of how far she has come

Exit Checklist complete
housing, income, savings, health,
and safety all confirmed

She leaves whole
her plan, her documents, and
her own business in hand

Alumni Network enrollment
a lifelong community of graduates

THE CHARMA CHAIN
asset-based empowerment that keeps working for her

Permanent-housing pathways
sponsored housing and a path
toward home ownership

Reliable transportation
vehicle-access and transit
partnerships

Asset building
savings, credit, and a
growing business

Ongoing mentorship & coaching
continued guidance as
her business grows

The give-back cycle
as her business grows, she returns to mentor,
and to hire women leaving shelters,
giving the next woman her first opportunity

Independent living & legacy
women lifting women, each
graduate a link for the next

Safety & Accountability
A constant standard from the House Rules that runs alongside all four phases.

No

Yes

Yes

No

Across every phase, House Rules & safety:
a serious safety violation or
repeated non-compliance?

She continues her program
the standard simply holds

Program review

Resolvable through
corrective action?

Corrective action
she resolves it and
resumes the program

Program exit
with a safe referral
and resources