Community Support Services 3rd Quarterly Focus April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center held tabling events at Santa Fe College and presented its annual Respect Your Date contest in local high schools
Statistics
Veteran Services responded to 9,656 phone calls
Social Services provided healthcare services to 279 clients
CHOICES enrollment at the end of the quarter was 3,133
480 clients were seen by Veterans Services Counselors
Volunteers donated 46,110 hours to our community through the Division of Senior Services
86% of clients helped through the Division of Social Services maintained housing after 90 days
900 clients were seen by the Division of Social Services
$101,553.93 was saved by Alachua County citizens using their NACO pharmacy discount savings card
Crisis Center staff and volunteers responded to 14,158 calls from citizens in distress
Cooperative Extension assisted 11,853 citizens
92% of CAPP agencies are meeting their poverty reduction goals
5,104 victims and survivors of violent crime received support and assistance via phone or face-to-face from the Victim Services & Rape Crisis Center
Issues
Monthly Medicaid billings continue to be lower than past years. Based on current spending trends we will have approximately $1 million unexpended in our budget at year end. Social Services has seen an increase of 84% for rent and utility services. We will transfer money between line -items to meet the demand for services.
Issues continued
Crisis Center’s demand for services continues to build, and the continuing economic distress felt by so many in our community seems to predict that this trend will continue. Meanwhile our reduced volunteer population this quarter has created an escalated demand for staff to fill in some 450 hours of after hour direct service during this quarter, hours we had hoped to fill with trained volunteers. This additional 150 hours per month of after hour work for staff does impact our ability to supervise our workers at optimal levels. The recent proposal to put a center position up for a limitation comes at an especially difficult time. Our commitment to offering quality services to all citizens in distress who seek our assistance becomes more of a challenge. It appears that we have a continuing opportunity to both seek new strategies for volunteer use and expansion of their roles and to explore a new level of flexibility of staff work hours during these difficult times.
While the balance in the CHOICES Fund continues to be substantial, with the expiration of the Surtax at the end of 2011 we will need to plan how the CHOICES program will operate in 2012 and beyond.
Performance Measures Highlights
The 4-H Summer first Day Camp was held at the Alachua County Extension Office on June 15 with the Sewing Day Camp. Of the 42 participants was an 8 year old girl named Anna. This was Anna’s first experience with Sewing as well as participating in a 4-H program. Upon meeting Anna for the first time that morning I noticed she had a cast on her right wrist. She told that she had brittle bone syndrome. Her mother explained to me that brittle bone syndrome ( osteogenesis imperfect) is a disorder that causes bones to break easily due to the body’s low production of collagen. Due to this condition, Anna has had to quit many of her activities, such as cheerleading, softball and dance. Her Mom said it is extremely difficult to find activities and programs for Anna to safely participate in that won’t hurt her. The next day, June 16, Anna’s mother told me that her daughter could not stop talking about the Sewing Day Camp! Her mother wanted to know more information about 4-H and other programs 4-H offers that her daughter can participate in without being a threat to her health.
Community Agency Partnership Program (CAPP)
CAPP instructional video was produced April 8 and made available to potential applicants, in lieu of having to attend in-person workshop
The CAPP Request for Application (RFA) 11-198 began April 14
11 applicants attended the CAPP Instructional Workshop for FY2010 on April 23. The workshop informs potential applicants about the CAPP process and goes through the CAPP application page-by-page. Training is also given on performance measurement and e-Civis. 16 participants attended the workshop.
Funding applications were due May 19. 20 non-profit agencies with 28 poverty reduction programs applied for funding.
The CAPP Advisory Board had its first meeting June 10.
20 non-profits organizations with 28 poverty reduction programs in the areas of Food, Housing/Utilities and Health Care applied for CAPP funding for FY2010/11. The total amount requested was $1,667,093. The projected amount of funding available is $1,000,298.
CAPP Instructional Workshop