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| Title: | A Better Life: Helping Families Find Their Way - Implementation, Year 1 | Amount: | $525,295 |
| Recipient: | The Worcester Housing Authority |
| Grant Type: | Synergy Initiative - A Better Life: Helping Families Find Their Way |
The goal of A Better Life (ABL) is to provide each participant with the tools they need to be able to exit public housing. ABL worked with about 30 families in the pilot grant period and provided them with intensive case management and support services from a variety of partner agencies. This program was voluntary and addressed five areas of need: educational, occupational, financial, personal, and healthcare. The specific elements of each participant's service plan were developed based on assessments completed by each program participant as they entered ABL.
By the end of the pilot project, 24 of the 31 participants were employed and three others were in school full time. Five households had begun to escrow funds and thus far had saved more than $30,000.
For Implementation Year 1, ABL will look to add voluntary participants to get the total number up to 35 in order to account for families dropping out of the program. In addition, they will add 35 families that will be mandated as a condition of their lease to participate in ABL. Both of these groups will be compared to another similar group of public housing residents who are not receiving any of the ABL programmatic supports.
Project Director: Mr. Raymond Mariano
Fiscal Agent: The Worcester Housing Authority
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| Title: | Improving Access to Health - Implementation, Year 1 | Amount: | $260,000 |
| Recipient: | Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center |
| Grant Type: | Synergy Initiative - Improving Access to Health |
The goal of this project is for the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (EMKCHC) to open a satellite health center in Milford by July 2013. The pilot grant was a project of the Milford Regional Medical Center Foundation and it involved the development of a coalition of local social service agencies to address the issue of access to primary care. The coalition identified the opening of a satellite health center as the key way to address this problem. They identified EMKCHC as their partner to do this, in large part because nearly 800 Milford residents were going to either Worcester or Framingham for care at an EMKCHC site. Once the health center is open, patient revenue will enable them to sustain this operation.
Project Director: Ms. Leah Gallivan
Fiscal Agent: Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center
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| Title: | The Compass Project - Implementation, Year 1 | Amount: | $450,000 |
| Recipient: | LUK, Inc. |
| Grant Type: | Synergy Initiative - The Compass Project |
The Compass Project served 18 youth in the pilot year. Most of these young people were served because their family was at risk for homelessness. In 2013, the focus will shift from the delivery of case management services to the development of a comprehensive and coordinated network of providers, who will be aligned through a common understanding of the strengths and needs of these young people and will use a common model to engage them. The expectation is that Compass will serve between 100 and 150 young people during the year, with intensive case management being provided to 45 of them by LUK. The other key element of the project is housing, including emergency housing and transitional housing. The expectation is that Compass will continue to work with SMOC and Catholic Worker to provide emergency housing and with LUK, Abby's House and Worcester Community Housing Resources to provide transitional housing arrangements.
Project Co-Directors: Dr. Lois Barry, LUK; Dr. Laurie Ross, Clark University
Fiscal Agent: LUK, Inc.
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| Title: | Worcester Initiative for Supported Reentry - Implementation, Year 1 | Amount: | $474,500 |
| Recipient: | Advocates, Inc. |
| Grant Type: | Synergy Initiative - Worcester Initiative for Supported Reentry |
WISR is working with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, Superior Court Probation, the Parole Board and the Worcester County House of Correction to identify individuals who are being released and returning to Worcester to participate in this program. WISR staff conduct information sessions at the various correctional facilities for those who are eligible and interested in participating in the program. As their release date approaches, each participant will be assessed and an individual service plan developed. These plans include specific goals related to housing, employment, substance abuse and family reconnection issues. WISR case managers work with each participant to assist them in achieving the goals they have outlined. WISR expects to serve 80 individuals in 2013 with a staff of three reentry case managers and an employment specialist.
Project Director: Mr. Ken Bates
Fiscal Agent: Advocates, Inc. |
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