Americorps Calling Wellspring is looking for an energetic, compassionate person to be our Americorps Homes for All Member. The Homeless and Housing Coalition of KY operates this program to expand affordable housing opportunities for homeless and economically disadvantaged Kentuckians.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Louisville, KY Permit No. 1105
Wellspring Administrative Center 225 W. Breckinridge Street (502) 637-4361 www.wellspringky.org
P.O. Box 1927 Louisville, KY 40201-1927
Wellspring has seen a significant rise in the number of chronically homeless adults needing our housing and supportive services. Of the 341 adults with serious mental illness currently receiving permanent supportive housing through Wellspring, 44% or 151, were chronically homeless when they came to us. Most of these folks have been on the streets for a year or more or had numerous bouts of homelessness in the past three years and have untreated mental illness, substance use, and chronic health conditions resulting in their revolving in and out of hospitals, ERs, and jail.
The Challenge
Take Me Out to the Ballgame! Alan MacDonald, Chair Steve Kerrick, Treasurer Curtiss Scott, Secretary Rolandas “Ro” Byrd Paul Coomes Dawn Croft Rosmond Jones Dolen Rif El-Mallakh, M.D. Rich Freeman Bill Friel Gregory E. Mayes, Jr. Cissy Mills Margaret Pennington George W. Rapp, Jr. John “Jack” Trawick Jefferey M. Yussman Chief Executive Officer Katharine R. Dobbins
Summer 2019
Intensive Supports for the Homeless
You can help Wellspring provide a higher quality of life for our clients & learn technical skills and community. To apply, go to www.wellspringky.org & click on the Kwantek link. This is a maintenance-based full-time position.
Board of Directors
Wellspring is going to the Bats for Mental Health Awareness Night! Please join us Friday, July 26th at 7pm to cheer on the Louisville Bats at Slugger Field and fight the stigma of mental illness. This will be a great opportunity to let people know the importance of what we do AND a portion of the ticket proceeds will return to Wellspring as a donation if you use the ticket link provided.
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NAMI, DBSA (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance), The Pete Foundation, Bridgehaven and the Kentucky Counseling Center will also be participating!
Get your tickets at: https://fevo.mementalhealthawarenessnight Our Mission: Wellspring promotes mental health recovery and supports individuals in building
healthy and hopeful lives through behavioral health, housing and employment services.
What do you do when you suddenly face a serious challenge? Do you throw your hands up and walk away or do you dive in and search for solutions? During Fiscal Year 2020, Wellspring will face a dramatic challenge - namely, a reduction of $50,000 in combined contributions from two entities that support our mission but face their own financial dilemmas (Metro United Way & the City of Louisville). These cuts arrive as we enter our new fiscal year and we are adapting; however, a sudden loss of $50,000 presents a serious challenge. The decrease equates to full-time case management services that would otherwise assist 25 people with serious mental illness. It impacts our Crisis Stabilization Units that serve nearly 550 people each year. The cuts also reduce the amount of
Matt and Paul, Key Program Staff Continued on Page 2
The Challenge Ahead with cost-saving reductions in emergency services. These funding cuts could restrict how many more people Wellspring can lift from being homeless on The Solution the streets (or in and out of jail, With the sound fiscal policies hospitals, and/or street camps) and that guide Wellspring, we hope place into permanent supportive to meet most day-to-day needs housing with services they need of existing clients, but the MUW to manage recovery for their and City reductions decrease the serious mental illnesses and/or cocapacity at which we can help the occurring substance use disorders. most vulnerable people in our We continue to search for the community. best solution for this financial Wellspring is currently serving challenge. We hope that cutting more people than ever - about services is the last resort but 1,000 people in FY’19. Within a without funds to replace the loss year, Wellspring has housed 100 homeless adults with serious mental from the United Way and City, all solutions are on the table. illness. We see every day how Housing First creates opportunities for previously homeless adults If you or an organization you know can help be part of the solution, please contact: with SMI to improve their lives, as Kimberly Johnson well as improve our community funds Wellspring has to “leverage” as matching money that is required to draw down federal funds for grants that subsidize client care.
Wellspring’s Development Director 502.753.1453
crisis stabilization services | supportive housing | case management services | outpatient services | supported employment
Granted!
Wellspring received a grant from the Snowy Owl Foundation that will help our clients with their Expressive Therapy. The grant will help us purchase art supplies & frame client art. Our Consumer Advisory Council is even planning a client art show! Wellspring received a Signs of Support grant from Signarama Downtown for signs inside the Bernie Block Wellness Center! We had a grand opening last summer, but still had no formal interior signs. Now, thanks to Maggie & Brian Harlow and the entire Signarama Downtown crew, we will!
Ignite Club
We are proud to have been chosen to have an Ignite team from Leadership Louisville. This means that we have a team of bright, motivated young professionals dedicated to Wellspring to help us think out-of-thebox and to implement at least one new idea/project. Stay tuned! Welcome Ignite Club Participants! Serrita Bell - Presbyterian Foundation Kathleen Cogan - Brown-Forman Corporation Katherine Graf - Dynacraft, a PACCAR Company Josh Lester - Eaton Corporation Mike Patterson - Texas Roadhouse Holly Poe - Papa John’s International Shantelle Simpson - Park DuValle Community Health Center
cnic i P r me m u S Our annual client-staff picnic was perfect day filled with sunshine, good stuff on the grill, rousing games of cornhole & lots of comraderie!
Intensive Supports continued
A New American Wellspring client Rabiatu proudly became an American citizen recently along with people from 32 other countries! She exuded excitement and we are so happy for her!
Permanent Supportive Housing is an evidence-based practice which includes a “housing first” approach where we make every effort to remove as many barriers as possible to help homeless, high need clients access housing and move toward recovery. We are providing a combination of case management, peer support and other services such as group and individual therapy are available. We are currently assembling a team of professionals who will provide more comprehensive services to these clients and would open the door for us to
Fond Farewell Wellspring said a fond farewell recently to Carol. She is a dedicated Program Coordinator and Case Manager and while we will miss her dearly, we wish her all the luck in the world as she embarks on the next phase of her journey.
serve an increasing number of high need individuals. This specialized team would be comprised of 2 therapists, 2 case managers, 1.5 Certified Peer Specialists, a part-time employment counselor, and we hope some much needed medical staff – nursing and doctor participation, if we can secure funding for those higher costs. We are extremely excited about the prospect of what that high level of care could mean for the hundreds we currently serve and the hundreds more in need of direct access to the care this team could offer. We are working hard to bring in new revenue to put the full team together and welcome any and
all support. We believe that this team with its current seasoned staff and new specialized members would offer a tremendous service to some of the most needy people in our city which would have a positive impact on the entire community. As Wellspring continues to expand services for any adult with a serious mental illness, we are finding that permanent housing with intensive services is the most effective way to assist those living with the trauma of homeless compounded by the challenges of serious mental illness. - Katharine Dobbins, CEO
Give a Day | Mayor’s Week of Service
Several groups offered their time and talent to tackle projects at four Wellspring properties that needed love and attention during the Mayor’s Give-A-Day Week of Service. Thanks to Hogan Lovells, SVS, American Printing House & Exceptional Teens & Adults! Together they helped to spring clean outdoor spaces as they put in raised garden beds, mulched, cleared away brush and planted!
Teddy’s Lemonade Stand Meet Teddy. She is the daughter of one of our dedicated case managers. Teddy wanted to do something to make a difference for Wellspring, so she recruited some friends and sold lemonade and sweet treats at Louisville Fire Department Engine 20 Firehouse on a Satuday morning. They made $181 and gave it all to Wellspring!
Crisis Stabilization
Stepping up to Stop STIGMA
Shanda is the Lead Clinician for our Crisis Stabilization Program at Wellspring. She recently spoke to a group of case managers from all over Louisville about the essential work we do in this program. You can find out more about Wellspring's Crisis Stabilization at: www.wellspringky. org/content/crisis-stabilization.
May was Mental Health Awareness Month. We kicked off the month by marching with the Pete Foundation in the Pegasus Parade! In June, we showed our Pride by marching in the Kentuckiana Pride Parade!
Save the date for Give For Good Louisville
Also, in June, we stepped forward for mental health in support of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Louisville. Their annual walk is the financial foundation for all that NAMI Louisville does to educate, support and advocate for the families and individuals in our community who are dealing with mental health conditions. Our team, Wellspring Walks also won 3rd place as a Corporate Team!
Louisville’s 24-hour day of giving is coming back this September 12th! ssdfdfff
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To make a gift visit our website at www.wellspringky.org - OR - write a check and mail it to Wellspring, PO Box 1927, Louisville, KY 40201 - OR - call 502-753-1457 and let us help you make a donation via credit card.
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