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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Services Group Chapter Outline 103020Human Services Group Chapter Outline 1 | P a g e COVID-19 RECOVERY & RESILIENCY PLAN CHAPTER OUTLINE LEAD SECTOR: Human Services Work Group SUPPORTING/OVERLAPPING SECTOR(S): The Human Services Work Group worked in collaboration with three other community work groups. All of these projects were funded through the CARES Act funding received in Jefferson County. First, we communicated our support to the Broadband Work Group. Many of our team members suggested and prioritized improving Broadband access that would aid with Human Services issues like assisting students and families with education or adult access to information about COVID-19. Members of the Human Services work group attended a Broadband Work Group meeting to help highlight areas of overlap and projects with mutual interest. The team also worked with the Food and Resiliency Work Group to submit two proposals to the BOCC. 1. Provide funding to create and distribute food boxes to families whose children are receiving free and reduced meals through the School Districts. Different School Districts have different approaches to delivering meals to youth during the pandemic. The requested funds would be used for organizational and distribution costs to provide additional food to families receiving aid for their children. 2. Some vulnerable City and County residents, particularly people who are seniors and/or immunocompromised, are currently experiencing profound food security challenges, exacerbated by COVID. Currently there are programs in Jefferson County that provide meal delivery to vulnerable seniors, but dietary restrictions and other barriers often mean these services do not work for everyone. OlyCap is uniquely positioned to have a greater impact on these individuals by administering a new program to address their unique needs. With the help of emergency COVID funds currently available, OlyCap could employ staff and/or volunteers to make grocery purchases (from a shopping list acquired by the client) and home deliveries to these individuals in a COVID-safe manner. Finally, the team worked with the Children & Families Work Group to develop two proposals: 1. A request for a Family Resources Navigator. Many residents and families of Jefferson County struggle with complex and urgent mental, physical, and substance-related health needs, which have only grown more urgent in the COVID era. An important need for these families is a centralized hub where they can access resources and have an advocacy system in place. It is no secret that these individuals/families often interact with the criminal justice system and are disproportionately likely to have frequent Human Services Group Chapter Outline 2 | P a g e contact with emergency services. These contacts cost county tax dollars and increase the potential for COVID exposure for both those seeking services and the service providers themselves. Currently, emergency services can’t be coordinated in a manner that follows-through to address ongoing needs of the individuals/families after an emergency has abated. 2. A request for Youth Tutoring and Support Facility Space. Provide a room and paid tutors for kids struggling with absenteeism for study and support. This is a way to reach kids that “dropped out of sight” when school went virtual. Proctor House and/or OlyCap are two agencies who could provide a structured space for these kids to participate in school activities, planning, tutoring, and support, and even potentially offer workshops and walk-in emergency rental assistance program location in addition. Expected ages approx. 13-17 but could consider college students up to 24 years of age. Kids, parents, school staff/teachers, probation counselors, truancy boards or courts can all refer students to this center. Schools are supportive and see the need, and 15-20 kids are already identified. Expected capacity approx. 20-25 kids. COMMUNITY GROUP MEMBERS: [identify members/participants] Name Affiliation Ariel Speser Port Townsend City Councilmember and ICC Liaison to Human Services Group Bob Wheeler Olympic Neighbors Board President and Co-Lead for Human Services Group John Nowak Co-Director Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) Co-Lead for Human Services Group Kathleen Kler Former Jefferson County Commissioner District 3 and Jefferson Community Foundation (JCF) COVID Relief Grant Team Member Catharine Robinson Former Port Townsend City Councilmember and Jumping Mouse Therapist Louise Huntingford Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Economic Services Administration, Community Services Division, Port Townsend Claire Roney Jefferson Clallam County Long-Term Care Ombuds Advisory Council and local Psychologist Human Services Group Chapter Outline 3 | P a g e Name Affiliation Cherish Cronmiller Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCap) Executive Director Anna McEnery Jefferson County Public Health Behavioral Health Committee, Mental Health Field Response Team, and Developmental Disabilities Program Staff Liaison Jaci Hoyle Olympic Area on Aging (OAAA) Direct Services Director Jim Novelli Discovery Behavioral Health Executive Director Celeste Schoenthaler Olympic Community of Health Executive Director Carol McCreary Program Manager, Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human (PHLUSH) Judson Haynes City of Port Townsend Police Navigator Nat Jacob Jefferson County Public Defender Tammy Tarsa Jefferson Healthcare Home, Health, and Hospice Gabbie Caudill Believe In Recovery Kimber Rotchford, MD JC Mash Clinic Trish Beathard Brinnon School District Superintendent Brian Richardson Recovery Café SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS: [executive summary of sector issues, nexus to COVID-19 recovery and recommended actions] The issues facing our community in the Human Services arena pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic. The addition of a global pandemic has served to exacerbate already difficult issues in our community. Issues like housing, poverty and lack of services have been at the root of the disparity plaguing Jefferson County for years. Vulnerable members of our community struggle to meet their basic needs. Human Services Group Chapter Outline 4 | P a g e COVID-19 has made all this much worse. Many residents and families of Jefferson County have complex and urgent mental, physical, and substance-related health needs, which have only grown more urgent in the COVID era. These vulnerable individuals and families need a centralized hub to access resources, be supported by community resources, and have an advocacy system in place. It is no secret that these community members often interact with the criminal justice system and are disproportionately likely to have frequent contact with emergency services. These contacts cost county tax dollars and increase the potential for COVID exposure for both those seeking services and the service providers themselves. Currently, emergency services can’t be coordinated in a manner that follows- through to address ongoing needs of the individuals/families after an emergency has abated. Our team has been working to develop solutions that augment and, in some cases, provide new services that enable community members to get help when they need it. Importantly, our Work Group focused substantial attention on efforts that are preventative, rather than reactive after a crisis has occurred. Most of us see so much more we could do, but we have tried to prioritize the actions to fill the most pressing needs. PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS: [identify issues and opportunities in this sector and their nexus to COVID-19] COVID presents unique challenges to the delivery of human services for our community. The COVID crisis will also significantly decrease the funding available for these essential services. Members of Jefferson County’s network of human service agencies have not yet coordinated resources to specifically address the challenges presented by COVID and its secondary impacts. The housing crisis that predated COVID is only growing worse as housing stock dwindles, while the need for supportive and affordable housing increases. Best practice Public Health guidelines for keeping community members safe require additional tools to implement and manage new safety protocols, intensifying gaps in service. Many of Jefferson County’s vulnerable residents have not yet been identified by existing service providers. But this crisis may represent an opportunity for local agencies to emerge more resilient, agile and interconnected. The purpose of this Work Group is to address the following community needs considering this new landscape: 1. Identify priorities for delivery of services; 2. Focus on being preventative instead of reactive to issues; 3. Consolidate services to mitigate budget cuts; 4. Provide emergency and transitional housing for our community’s most vulnerable; 5. Guarantee that our residents have access to reliable internet, phone or mail; 6. Explore how existing social safety net structures can become more adaptable; 7. Conduct efforts to determine the health and wellbeing of the Jefferson County community; 8. Develop programs for community members to become connected to needy individuals; 9. Consolidate and expand resources and service provider information; 10. Create new partnerships with the goal of maximizing limited funding; and, 11. Take real solutions to local officials to adopt as policy and implement. Human Services Group Chapter Outline 5 | P a g e INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS: The following projects were funded as part of the original CARES funding approved by the BOCC. Our team recommends that additional funding be obtained to continue funding these essential services when the CARES funding runs out. 1. American Legion Shelter Open 24/7, Cost per month: $12,600.00 For the Shelter to be open 24/7 requires staffing at an additional 3 shifts per day, at a cost of $140.00 per shift. There are always 2 staff members on every shift, a male and a female. There are three, eight hour shifts in a day, with two people for a total of 6 shifts. Each person costs approximately $17.50 per hour (salary plus fringe.) There is no additional administration or operating charge included in the calculation. With 3 extra shifts per day, at $140.00 a shift, it would be $420.00 a day in additional staff cost. Calculating 30 days in a month is $12,600.00 a month to have the Legion open 24/7. The shelter is crucial to a population that has been released from medical care, inpatient treatment, incarceration and struggles with chronic homelessness. This population is able to comply with rules and regulations pertaining to congregate sheltering and would benefit significantly from having a safe place to stay during the day that is warm and secure. Most of the places where unsheltered people used to congregate during the day are currently closed or have limited capacity, such as libraries, coffee shops, and grocery stores. As such, allowing the shelter to stay open provides our unsheltered community members a safe place to be during the day. It also would provide unsheltered community members accessible shower and laundry facilities to maintain personal hygiene needs. 2. Weekend Meals Available at Shelter, Cost per month: $2,520.00 Due to COVID, COAST is not able to provide regular and weekend meals at the Shelter. Similarly, other faith partners providing meals are low on funding due to not holding regular services. The Shelter buys meals from the hospital at $7.00 a meal. It is reasonable to estimate 30 meals for a regular Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. At 30 meals, $7.00 a meal, for 3 days, equals $610.00 a weekend, and with roughly 4 weekends in a month, a total of $2,520.00. Meals are available to people staying at the Shelter and other unsheltered individuals in the community who are in need of hot meals on the weekends. This is a necessary and essential service that directly supports Jefferson County’s most vulnerable community members’ health and well-being. 3. Utility Assistance, Cost per month $10,000.00 There is an increased need for utility assistance due to household incomes being negatively impacted by COVID. Though shut-offs have been halted, community members are still accumulating past due accounts and will receive shut-off notices when the moratoriums expire. Vouchers for utility assistance are always paid directly to the Human Services Group Chapter Outline 6 | P a g e utility providers on the customer’s behalf. Community members whose household income has been negatively impacted by COVID are also struggling to pay medical insurance costs, car insurance, phone and internet bills. Likewise, homeowners in Jefferson County need help with mortgage assistance and many do not qualify for funding with CDBG. In order to qualify for an affordable loan repayment plan, homeowners in arrears often need help with an initial payment. 4. COVID Navigator, Cost per month $5,720.00 Many residents of Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend struggle with complex and urgent mental, physical, and substance-related health needs, which have only grown more urgent in the COVID era. It is no secret that these individuals often interact with the criminal justice system and are disproportionately likely to have frequent contact with emergency services. These contacts cost county tax dollars and increase the potential for COVID exposure for both those seeking services and the service providers themselves. Currently, emergency services are not coordinated in a manner that follows- through to address ongoing needs of the individuals after an emergency has abated. Navigator programs are beginning to emerge to provide “on scene” resources and divert people who most frequently engage with emergency services, but there is currently no program in place to “take the ball” from the navigator in order to assist these individuals bridge the gap between emergency contact and ongoing care. OlyCAP has hired a COVID Navigator whose specific job is to work with vulnerable populations in non-emergent capacity (i.e., to schedule and transport people to medical appointments, take them to DSHS to sign up for services, etc.). Funding this type of program would be cost-efficient, by mitigating the need for constant (and very expensive) emergency department and jail visits and increasing public safety by keeping emergency services from being unnecessarily tied-up during the pandemic. This person is paid $26.00hr, roughly 160hrs a month, equals $4,160.00, plus a fringe cost of roughly 25% equals $1,040.00 (after December this person could no longer be classified as “temporary” and would have to be paid benefits.) Calculating an ICR of 12.5% on the initial salary amount is $520.00 to pay for phone, IT, facilities, and administrative oversight. Total is $5,720.00 per month. 5. OlyCAP Tutors Available in Port Townsend, Brinnon and Quilcene, Cost per month: $2,400.00 (In coordination with Families & Children Work Group) Students are struggling with the online learning environment. Having tutors available at various hours will be helpful for students that need extra support as a result of COVID. Having a tutor/support person at $15 an hr, 40 hrs a week, is $600 a week, for a total of $2,400.00 for 4 weeks. OlyCap will conduct appropriate background checks and absorb costs associated with hiring and screening any tutors. This could be one person full-time, two part-time people, or multiple tutors, culminating in 40 hrs per week. Human Services Group Chapter Outline 7 | P a g e 6. Delivery of Food to Seniors and Immunocompromised, Cost per month $740.00 Some vulnerable City and County residents, particularly people who are seniors and/or immunocompromised are currently experiencing profound food security challenges, exacerbated by COVID. Currently there are programs in Jefferson County that provide meal delivery to vulnerable seniors, but dietary restrictions and other barriers often mean these services do not work for everyone. OlyCap is uniquely positioned to have a greater impact on these individuals by administering a new program to address their unique needs. With the help of emergency COVID funds currently available, OlyCap could employ staff and/or volunteers to make grocery purchases (from a shopping list acquired by the client) and home deliveries to these individuals in a COVID-safe manner. We anticipate 10 hours a week, $15 an hour, part-time position to help persons in the community who are struggling to get food from the grocery stores and/or foodbanks. This service will become more critical as the holidays approach. For staff $150.00 a week, for 4 weeks $600.00, adding $35.00 a week for vehicle cost and gas, is $140.00 total and $740.00 a month. This would provide for a scheduled 10hr week delivery driver for Jefferson county residents. REVISED OR NEW PROJECTS: The following projects were either submitted for the initial CARES Act funding and did not receive funding or have not been previously submitted. Our team strongly recommends additional funding for these projects. 7. Emergency Housing for Families, Cost per month $4,500 OlyCap is renting three kitchenette rooms from a local hotel that are for use by families as a result of COVID’s effect on the household. The cost per room is $50.00 a night, 30 nights per month, and three rooms adds to $4,500.00 per month. OlyCap is handling case management, unless another partner is coordinating placement and already handling the case management. 8. Evening Monitoring at Jefferson County Fairgrounds, One-time cost of $10,000.00 (or less to secure an RV, Monthly cost of $6,300.00) OlyCap staff will monitor the Fairgrounds and work with clients to keep the areas clean and in compliance with health code rules. Monitors will enforce rules regarding noise, trash, and behavior while at the site. Monitors will work with the police, navigator and other organizations to uphold health and safety standards. OlyCAP will track the clients entering and leaving the site. Monitoring will be from 7:00 pm until 7:00 am daily. Two staff members will split the time into two six-hour shifts. Ideally, a camper/RV will be placed on site for use by the monitor and to allow campers a place to go to seek services on site or get a cup of coffee. Similar to the American Legion, at $17.50 hr, 12 hrs a day, 30 days equals $6,300.00 a month. Human Services Group Chapter Outline 8 | P a g e 9. South Seven’s Wooden Tent Structures in Port Hadlock, Monthly cost $3,000.00 Wooden tents are being constructed (four so far, could be upwards of 12 made.) They would hook to electrical. There would be a bathroom trailer put on site for toilet and showering facilities. These would be targeted to seniors (to match the population already present.) Given that congregate sheltering is limited due to COVID, this is an option to shelter up to twelve other persons without a habitable place to stay. These funds would help with the cost of electric, water, sewer, and trash. 10. How is your Neighbor, Jefferson? Project Plan Title: How’s Your Neighbor, Jefferson? Campaign Contact: Jud Haynes judsonahaynes@gmail.com Anna Mc Enery amcenery@co.jefferson.wa.us Project Description: Due to COVID and its restrictions, Jefferson County residents have become increasingly isolated. Many of these residents are unable to engage with others in their respective communities and are likely unaware of local and state support resources available to them. Of significant concern, is the potential increase of individuals in distress because of COVID- 19. Informing residents of non-crisis supportive services will assist those who are in a position to provide support within their respective communities and possibly avert future crises. Benefits: The campaign called “How’s Your Neighbor Jefferson?” will focus on facilitating connection, by informing community members of pertinent crisis and non-crisis resources. The information is intended for those experiencing distress, as well as for empowering those who are aware of neighbors’ who are isolated and in need of support. The Sub-committee called Connecting with Individuals and Groups, aims to assist these individuals by providing critical information and resources to residents of Jefferson County. Objectives Deliverables: To address this issue, the Connecting with Individuals and Groups Sub- committee, proposes the creation of the “How’s Your Neighbor Jefferson?” campaign. The following are anticipated requirements of the campaign: Two variations of the card: a. Information about local services to include non-crisis services (i.e., the warm line for people living with emotional and mental health challenges, OlyCAP, Dove House, Discovery Behavioral Health, Food Bank, housing resources, homeschooling resources, faith-community resources). Human Services Group Chapter Outline 9 | P a g e i. This card would be distributed through PUD and Port Townsend Water and Sewer, Public Health, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Transit, Chamber of Commerce, Schools etc.…. B. Information about local services to include non-crisis services as well as space on the card for students or neighbors to add a personal message before placing it on a neighbor's door. i. Students, neighbors, and volunteers would be enlisted to distribute this card. C. Create a banner that is placed in a highly visible location when entering Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Port Ludlow, Chimacum, Quilcene, Coyle and Brinnon. The banners would provide information about the campaign with an Instagram hashtag #howsyourneighborJefferson? D. Information about the #howsyourneighborJefferson campaign may be linked to websites, like the Jefferson Community Foundation, Public Health, City, County, Chamber & other interested agencies or businesses in Jefferson County. E. Inclusion and consideration of community members with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), those with mental health concerns and those who are isolated. F. A Social Media consultant will communicate with public affairs specialists to creatively get the word out about the #howsyourneighborJefferson campaign, so of crisis & non-crisis supportive services can be made available for those who are in distress because of COVID, (using social media, marketing..etc.) Success Criteria: Increase use of non-crisis support services and appropriate service referral. Reduction in crisis services Enhanced community engagement throughout Jefferson County Resources Required: Cost to create and print Rack Cards, Banners, Marketing Materials: $6,700 Social Media Creation/Management: $10,800 ($35.00 an hour-for up to 310 hours) TOTAL $17,500 Potential Partners: Chamber of Commerce, DSHS O3A OlyCAP The Dove House Discovery Behavioral Health Jefferson Healthcare Emergency Preparedness First Responders Food Banks Human Services Group Chapter Outline 10 | P a g e Port Townsend Water and Sewer PUD Public Health Law Enforcement Transit Schools Potential Concerns Project Group Members: Jud Haynes Claire Roney Phil Rowe Jaci Hoyle Anna Mc Enery Outside Partner Representatives: Chamber of Commerce, DSHS O3A OlyCAP The Dove House Discovery Behavioral Health Jefferson Healthcare Emergency Preparedness First Responders Food Banks Port Townsend Water and Sewer PUD Public Health Law Enforcement Transit Schools 11. Public Survey and Community Volunteers PROJECT/INITIATIVE, OBJECTIVES & DESIRED OUTCOMES This proposal is focused on providing funding for a two-part project: 1) Conduct a pilot project community survey to obtain a sense of the community’s health and wellbeing under the unique challenges of the COVID -19 pandemic, and include the ability of community individuals and families to indicate their need for help and assistance because of the impacts of COVID - 19; 2) Solicit for a group of trained Community Volunteers (CVG), possibly connected with Olycap’s RSVP program, who in the long-term can provide human connections for those in the community who either self-identify or who are otherwise identified that, because of COVID – 19, are isolated and need help and assistance, or potentially just a human contact. By being proactive in connecting with those who are isolated, human to human contact will decrease the need for more extensive assistance after a crisis in those individuals or families occurs. Human Services Group Chapter Outline 11 | P a g e IDENTIFICATION OF LEAD & SUPPORTING ROLES The lead on this project could be OlyCap with support from the various government agencies. PROPOSED ACTION STEPS Part 1 - Conduct a pilot study WHO-5 Survey of the Jefferson County community that would help assess the health and well-being of Jefferson County in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and allow for individuals to identify if they need a human contact/connection because of how they have personally been impacted by COVID–19. Promote participation in responding to survey questions to help identify the health of the community initially and over time and possibly better identify early those who may benefit from services. It is anticipated that participation in the survey will be therapeutic and preventive by itself. ➢ Use direct mailout postcards to families and individuals, advertise in The Leader, KPTZ, and the Next Door Blog, provide handouts at public places (such as the food banks, social service agencies), and develop other means to promote participation in the survey. ➢ Under this Part 1 effort, conduct an initial pilot project survey. Frequency of future surveys would be determined based on availability of resources and level of response to this first survey. Survey would be anonymous. Survey would also include an invitation to have a Community Volunteer contact them and a means for doing so. Part 2 – Begin the development of a Community Volunteer Group (CVG), possibly connected with OlyCap’s RSVP program, to provide human connection/contact necessitated by the impacts on families and individuals of COVID – 19. These Community Volunteers would form the long-term core team, again likely in coordination with Olycap’s RSVP program, for reaching out to those who have indicated a desire for a human connection because of COVID -19. The focus here is for the Community Volunteers to be solely human contact for those, who, because of COVID – 19, are isolated. These Community Volunteers would not be a replacement for the work the agencies/organizations presently perform. While the Community Volunteers might refer individuals/families to resources, their efforts would be limited to providing initial and ongoing human connections and providing referrals to agencies. It is envisioned that during this initial period protocols and the organizational structure for this Volunteer group would be developed, including consideration of training needs for these volunteers. 12. Community Resource Guide BACKGROUND: Some of the most at risk in our community have the least access to the information they need to be able to identify services that might be able to help them. Much work has been done to identify services that might available to community members, but it is not easily available in a simple transportable format. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: Create and widely distribute resource list of available human services. There are many organizations in our community with a variety of human services available to people in need of these services. Many times, they may not even be aware of their existence or how to access them. Human Services Group Chapter Outline 12 | P a g e Project/Initiative Name: Develop easily distributable guide of available services. Objectives & Desired Outcomes: Provide easy access to information about services in Jefferson County. Provide the resource guide to Law Enforcement, EMS, Food Banks, Libraries and other location that will allow those in need of services to easily access the guide. Proposed Lead Organization & Supporting Roles: Jefferson County CHIP team and Recovery Café. Action Steps & Timeframe: The CHIP team has already developed a comprehensive guide of services. They will work with Recovery Café staff to develop a simple single page quick-reference guide of limited services that can be carried by care providers and located in places in the community to help make it easier to locate services. CHIP has contacted the Printery, they will print the guide and the CHIP team will distribute the guides in the community and to involved agencies. Timeframe: Completed by Jan 2021 Assessment Shows that it is Tangible, Fundable, Legal, Able to Be Implemented, and Addresses Recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: This project will address a basic need that has been an issue in the community for a long time. No funding is necessary for the initial distribution. The plan is simple and easily implementable. It will help those impacted by COVID to more easily access the services they need. Does it also help address long-standing issues? While it will aide with COVID-19 recovery it will continue to be valuable resource after our community recovers from the COVID pandemic. Describe any Legislation/Advocacy needed for this at the State, Federal or Local levels. Just support from agencies that might distribute the guide. OTHER PROJECTS: In addition to the projects listed above, the Human Services Work Group also supports the following projects that overlap with other Work Groups or outside agencies: ▪ The Broadband Work Group’s effort at expanding and making widely available broadband access. ▪ The Culture & Events Work Group effort to provide outdoor rain-protected facilities. Human Services further encourages communications with the School Districts on how outdoor rain-protected facilities can be incorporated into school facilities where they do not already exist. The Culture & Events Work Group effort to provide an ADA-accessible toilet trailer for public spaces and events, that can also be used by local nonprofits serving unsheltered Human Services Group Chapter Outline 13 | P a g e community members when not rented out. Shared use of a bathroom trailer makes sense in terms of timing. Used for events in the summer, it could serve a temporary emergency encampment of tiny houses throughout the winter. Similarly, the trailer could be used for weekend events and then move to locations in mid- and south county during the week to bring showers to inadequately housed people, ▪ The Children & Families Work Group on enhancing or supplementing daycare offerings. A focus for Human Services is to expand this need to children too young for the YMCA or licensed daycare providers (most require children to be at least 2- years-old). ▪ The Children & Families Work Group on aiding parents with school aged children, especially guidance for parents addressing school curriculums. ▪ The Food Resiliency Work Group on food provision and delivery and adds focus on helping support and expand the existing school backpack program. ▪ Infrastructure and funding for free and readily available COVID testing coordinated with Jefferson Healthcare and Jefferson County Public Health. ▪ Development of more housing at all levels. ▪ Watching for, and filling human service gaps, as they become identified. THE FUTURE: What Future Work and Actions are needed to address longer-term Community needs by This Group (or a similar/enhanced group) in 2021? Many of the proposals developed in this document support underlying social issues in our community. Most of these proposals should be funded beyond the end of the COVID pandemic. We believe the infrastructure is in place, if a funding source can be provided. Finally, our Work Group believes that the more comprehensive planning and activities achieved by the formation of the ICC community groups has been an excellent model for how to attack systemic community issues of inequity and poor access to services. We strongly encourage the ICC team to continue to collaborate and form sub-teams to propose solutions for difficult community problems and to prepare proposals for state, federal, foundation, and local charitable funding. It will be important for the ICC leadership team to keep track of which Work Groups are working on which community problems so there can be clear communication and good coordination across sectors. The Human Services Work Group has expressed a willingness to continue our efforts if there is a clear directive, purpose, and need for that continuation. Human Services Group Chapter Outline 14 | P a g e PRIORITY PROJECTS: Below is a list of priority projects, if there is Future Federal Funding in 2021. Project Activity Priority New and creative solutions around safe, affordable, and quality housing that include emergency and longer term affordable housing American Legion open 24/7 through December 1 Single daily meal for clients sheltered at American Legion through December Household Utility Assistance Development of more housing at all levels from transitional housing to housing for working families Once appropriate site(s) has been identified, create a formal proposal to bring to County administrator and/or County Commission for re-purposing this property to serve homeless population. IGG Human Services Work Group commissions/generates an exhaustive list of county real estate (e.g. county campgrounds, parks, etc.) with an eye for where to shelter JeffCo's most vulnerable homeless population during and in the aftermath of the COVID crisis. Community- wide resilience and cohesion activities OlyCap COVID Navigator 2 Paid Tutors and physical facilities for students Obtaining food and delivery for seniors/immune-compromised How’s Your Neighbor, Jefferson? Governments and school districts identify rain-protected outdoor locations and manage their availability throughout the winter for school classes, community meetings, and people in need of social interaction. Form a committee of communications and public affairs specialists from Governments, Public Health, the Chamber, health-oriented nonprofits, KPTZ, and Enjoy PT. Identify or recruit a facilitator skilled in behavior change communications, audience research, message testing, and identification of channels. Enlist local artists, filmmakers, actors, and musicians to produce posters, PSAs, and very short street performances Human Services Group Chapter Outline 15 | P a g e Study/survey/e ffort to determine ongoing needs with referral to appropriate agencies/assist ance Conducting a survey 3 Community Volunteers for Human connections Identify disabled folks who may not be already identified through existing social services. Provide personal contact services for these folks who may be isolated at home with little or no social/community contacts. Bring some of the same services offered by a mental health professional and medication prescriber to individuals in their respective encampments or homes Funding for individuals/fam ilies who need assistance for rent, mortgage payments Develop funding streams to assist families facing eviction due to loss of employment 4 Assessing the need for help with insurance Create and widely distribute resource list of available human services Development and distribution of a services list to community members that need the services 5 There are many organizations in our community with a variety of human services available people in need of these services may not even be aware of their existence or how to access them. ICC engages the Jefferson Community Foundation to create a Volunteer Clearing house. Governments, public institutions and third sector groups that serve basic needs identify gaps. Write volunteer job descriptions Create online platform, post opportunities, and intake forms. Eventually staff Clearinghouse itself with volunteers Find work for the hundreds of volunteers displaced from large events such as the County Fair, Wooden Boat Festival, and PTFF. Reduced public revenues