The team of coaches who work with participants at COTS Detroit.

A shared dedication to empowering low-income communities as they work to advance their economic mobility is the driving force behind EMPath’s global shared learning network, the Economic Mobility Exchange™. Within this almost ten-year-old network, significant strides are being made by organizations dedicated to transformative change.

Among these trailblazers stands COTS Detroit: an organization with a long history of providing shelter, housing, and support to individuals and families experiencing or overcoming homelessness in Detroit. COTS is one of the longest-serving members of the Exchange.

Recently, COTS achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first organization in the Exchange to receive certification in EMPath's research-backed economic mobility coaching method, Mobility Mentoring®. Members of the Exchange become certified by meeting the gold standard of the Mobility Mentoring model in their program, and COTS becoming the first member to receive certification comes as no small feat. This achievement signifies a pivotal moment not only for COTS, but also for the communities they serve in Detroit.

We had the privilege of hearing from Nikki Carbonari, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at COTS, who shared more about the organization's initiatives and the impact that obtaining certification in Mobility Mentoring has had and continues to have on their mission.

Nikki Carbonari, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at COTS.

In a nutshell, what is COTS’ mission? What influences your mission?

At the core of COTS’ mission is the belief that every family deserves the opportunity to succeed and thrive. We have served people experiencing homelessness in Detroit for over 40 years.

During that time, we noticed many families with children entering our emergency shelter only to see these children return years later as adults with children of their own. We realized that while COTS was providing vital housing, we were not addressing the root cause of homelessness, which was generational poverty.

Understanding poverty as the driver of homelessness and our need to address it is how we developed our theory of change for disrupting generational poverty: the Passport to Self-Sufficiency™. 

How has being a part of EMPath’s Economic Mobility Exchange™ shaped your work?

EMPath’s Economic Mobility Exchange has been an incredible guide and support in our development, implementation, and evaluation of Passport-Self-Sufficiency™ (PTS). The Exchange has provided a wealth of knowledge about how to provide services that will truly disrupt the cycle of poverty.

The Exchange’s webinars, subgroups, and message boards combined with member connections and EMPath’s staff’s support, have given us the tools to develop PTS into a transformative model that results in each family co-creating their pathway out of poverty. 

What made COTS decide to work towards earning a Mobility Mentoring® Certification?

COTS was one of the first members when the Exchange started, and for several years, we had thought about pursuing Mobility Mentoring Certification. When the opportunity arose to have financial support from Blue Meridian and technical assistance from EMPath, we knew it was the right time.

When we began the certification process in 2021, COTS was six years into implementing PTS. The PTS framework had developed and grown so much during that time so when we started the certification process, we were in a great place to effectively analyze and enhance our model. 

How has Mobility Mentoring® impacted the way you provide for families?

Mobility Mentoring has absolutely impacted the way we partner with families. Oftentimes services offered by human service organizations are very prescriptive, with little room for innovation or awareness of the unique needs of each individual. Using Mobility Mentoring, COTS was able to develop PTS into a strengths-based, two-generation model. It is a collaboration with an understanding that each parent knows what’s best for their family and what self-sufficiency looks like for them.

Mobility Mentoring also uses current research on poverty and brain science to understand that families in poverty may need specific support to grow their executive functioning skills. COTS has implemented much of EMPath’s research on poverty and the brain into how we coach families. Using the coaching relationship and goal setting as the vehicle for behavior change, we see families grow in their problem-solving and decision-making skills, which ultimately results in a more stabilized environment.

What parts of the Mobility Mentoring coaching approach do you see resonating most with the people you serve?

Relationships are the foundation for Passport to Self-Sufficiency™ and the Mobility Mentoring Coaching approach. The connection between the people in our organization, our strategic partners, and the families we partner with helps to create a positive social network of love and care. True connection and partnership with our families is what resonates with them and keeps them connected to COTS for years after they leave our shelter or housing programs.

What do you hope being Mobility Mentoring® Certified brings to the future of COTS?

We are so excited that COTS PTS framework is Mobility Mentoring certified. Currently, most of our coaching engagement is with families in COTS shelter and housing programs; however, we are looking forward to taking PTS services further into the Detroit community. Being an EMPath Certified Mobility Mentoring Organization®, we feel confident that our approach will have a tremendous impact on the community.

What has been your favorite aspect of being a part of the Economic Mobility Exchange™?

Our favorite part of the Exchange is connecting and learning from other Exchange members who have similar questions or are going through similar challenges. It is so reassuring to speak with others in the field who are experiencing the same successes and challenges. I personally have learned so much from the EMPath team and engaging with other Exchange members. It’s truly an invaluable resource.

What is something up and coming at COTS, or even just something you are working on professionally, that you are excited for?

As I mentioned earlier, we have big plans to implement PTS in the Detroit community. We are currently working on our first pilot with one of our partner organizations to coach their residents in a lease-to-homeownership program. We are really excited to grow this pilot as well as develop more partners who are eager to bring PTS services to their residents.

The team of coaches who work with participants at COTS Detroit. 

EMPath is grateful for the incredible work that COTS is doing, and we’re looking forward to continuing our long-standing partnership. Congrats, COTS!

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Want to learn more about how COTS in using Mobility Mentoring in their work in the housing sector? Check out this recent video featuring Delphia Simmons, Chief Impact & Learning Officer at COTS Detroit.

Want to learn more about the Economic Mobility Exchange? Check out our Global Network page.