2017-585-E Finance - Inter-Faith Council for Social Service - Outside Agency Performance Agreement

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DocuSign Envelope ID:64D61581-25C0-4408-84C2-991109E2DF4C XHIBIT A PROVIDER'S OUTSIDE AGENCY APPLICATION unemployment, low-paying jobs, mental illness, lack of support services, family break up and substance abuse are just some of the reasons HomeStart residents find themselves homeless. A range of services including meals, social work, job coaching, health and mental health care are provided. Intensive case management serves as the key tool for helping families to achieve their goals of earning their own income and finding affordable childcare and housing. With the current year's additional funding from CDBG we have doubled the amount of Case Management we provide. HomeStart, located on land provided by Orange County, began as a transitional housing program for homeless families that was a direct outcome of a 1994 Orange County Emergency Family Shelter Task Force. IFC has 2 full-time Social Workers and 7 volunteer case managers who meet with clients to come up with a service plan and then connect them to resources in our community. We have found that intensive case management is key to individuals and families overcoming homelessness. In the past, HomeStart had 1 full-time Social Worker to provide Case Management Services for 10 families. A dramatic cut in funding from the North Carolina Partnership for Young Children (Smart Start) resulted in a reduction in case management support to 15 hours a week for all of the women and families. Recent CDBG funding from 2016-17 has allowed IFC to double the amount of case management for families and reduce the time families need to live in a shelter. Each resident currently receives case management every week in order to set goals and review his/her progress in working towards his/her goals. This frequency is important, as a great deal can happen in the lives of individuals and families during a two-week period. Sometimes not making timely connections to resources such as mental health services or school resources can derail a client'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 them become more stable and end their homelessness. Case notes are written after each session. Once goals have been set, the case manager supports the client's work towards those goals by identifying and making contact with outside service providers such as Orange County Department of Social Services (Work First, Rapid Rehousing, etc.), Vocational Rehabilitation, Freedom House, UNC Horizons program , Durham Tech, and Community Empowerment Fund to name a few. The case manager facilitates the connection and advocates for the client if needed, to ensure timely and effective access. IFC's Residential Programs work towards the Town and County goals of affordable housing, including emergency & transitional housing, as well as the goal to create a place for everyone. Through our partnership with Piedmont Health Systems (PHS), we work toward the goal of affordable healthcare, including additional healthcare options and additional mental health service options. PHS has a satellite clinic in our facility for our residents to access medical, mental health, and dental care. We are also working toward the goal of additional substance abuse services through our participation in the Access to Recovery program; Our Case Managers work toward the goal of increasing access to services through coordination and communication, increasing communication of services and how to access them, and improving coordination of services. e) Describe the community need or problem to be addressed in relation to the Chapel Hill Human Services Needs Assessment, Orange County BOCC Goals and Priorities, Town of Chapel Hill Council Goals, Carrboro goals, or other community priorities (i.e. Council/Board Goals). Reference local data (using the provided links, i.e. Chapel Hill Human Services Needs Assessment) to support the need for this program. In accordance with the Towns' and County's goal of affordable housing and creating a space for everyone, Community House and HomeStart provide emergency shelter and PROGRAM INFORMATION 1/31/2017 11.43.55 AM P g o of 35