2016-673-E Finance - Inter-Faith Council for Social Service - Outside Agency Performance Agreement

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DocuSign Envelope ID:82431AC9-7F03-4084-815E-A2EFB34C92BB t A - continued ProvidersaithiAAyegyiNkilication request will allow IFC to double the amount of case management and reduce the time single women and women with children need to live in a shelter. Each resident currently receives case management about every two weeks in order to set goals and review her progress in working towards her goals. We would like to increase the frequency that a resident has access to the case manager, as a great deal can happen in the lives of mothers and children during a two-week period. Sometimes not making timely connections to resources such as mental health services or school resources can derail a family's entire plan for becoming self-sufficient. During a case management meeting the case manager and resident look at many different areas such as identifying/contacting local services, job search,job training or schooling, mental health, and housing, etc. They prioritize together how to navigate the confusing/frustrating situation of being homeless. Each resident identifies the next steps that would help her and her children become more stable and end their homelessness. Case notes are written after each session. Once goals have been set, the case manager supports the women's work towards those goals by identifying and making contact with outside service providers such as DSS (Work First, Rapid Rehousing, etc.), Vocational Rehabilitation, Freedom House, UNC Horizon's program , Durham Tech, and Community Empowerment Fund to name a few. The case manager advocates for the women when it seems they need extra assistance at these organizations. Program 3, Support Circles In accordance with the Consolidated Plan's Goal #2 Providing Housing and Services for Homeless Populations IFC coordinates Support Circles to Reduce Chronic Homelessness by providing the support formerly homeless individuals need in order to prevent a relapse into homelessness. Research shows that as homeless individuals and families transition out of shelters and other emergency housing into more independent living in the community, having support services is an essential component of successful stabilization. A much higher percentage of those who receive wrap-around services remain housed on a more permanent basis. In collaboration with social service agencies, the Support Circles Program contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness in Orange County by training and supporting community members (volunteers) to provide material, practical, financial and relational support to those who are transitioning. Each individual or family (called a Partner) is matched with a Support Circle for 12 months. Modeled in large part after the Raleigh/Wake Support Circles Program for Homeless Families. OCPEH Support Circles provides volunteers essential training to be able to foster relationships that are empowering and offer support with the end goal of enhancing the likelihood that the Partners will be able to sustain the positive changes in their lives, both on an individual level (addressing domestic violence, mental illness and addiction issues) and in facing the structural and systemic challenges that contributed to their homelessness (such as lack of affordable housing, poverty and lack of affordable health care). IFC has 7 Support Circles functioning this year so far. This program has grown large enough that an all-volunteer effort is no longer practical. Their success is encouraging other volunteers to come forward and want to form circles, but there is a great deal of training and coordinating that must happen in order to increase the number of circles going at the same time. We have a half-time Support Circles Coordinator position, which is partially funded by the Human Services grant. d) Describe the population to be served or the area to benefit and indicate how you will identify beneficiaries. Main Application 1/25/2016 12:58:53 PM Page 9 of 33