Human Services Programs Of Carroll County Inc

The carroll county family center provides services to expectant parents, and parents with children under the age of five. The center provides a cozy and homelike environment for parents and children to learn and grow together. The main focus of the center is to ensure that young children are healthy - physically, developmentally and emotionally. This is accomplished through a high-quality child development program that focuses on early literacy, nurturing interactions, and learning through play. Developmental screenings, immunization checks, and daily pact (parents and children together) activities are key components of the program. While the children engage in their own special programming, parents also receive services. These programs are designed to increase self-sufficiency, enhance parenting skills, and provide quality case management. Our adult education partner, carroll community college, provides ged and esol classes for the parents. The center offers parenting classes using the evidence- based curriculum, the "nurturing parent program." other center-based services include case management, health classes, job readiness workshops, parent leadership trainings, and peer support activities. Our most popular activities include monthly and seasonal "special events." this year we enjoyed themes like "outer space day," "spring fling," "mess fest,- and "carnival day." in fy24, 46 families (115 parents and children) participated in center- based programs. A total of 2,886 participation visits were logged by these families. This amounted to a total of 2,773 individual services provided in the year. Parents and children remained engaged throughout the entire year, participating in multiple services and maintaining connections with staff and other families.

Human services programs of carroll county inc. (hsp) operates our shelter and housing program with the housing first approach. Programming serves the most in need first, providing open-access, low-barrier services. Hsp believes homelessness should be prevented. If it cannot be prevented, homelessness should be brief. Shelter and housing services strive to help participants increase their income, secure permanent housing, and provide necessary community supports and linkages to prevent and end homelessness. Shelter services shelter services provide overnight support and case management services to homeless individuals and families. Shelter staff connect homeless participants to housing opportunities - regardless of what might be going on in their lives. Shelter services case managers focus on stabilizing participants, connecting them with basic needs and community resources, increasing their income, and rapidly securing permanent housing. Hsp manages 3 of carroll county's homeless shelters. Shelter services operate 24 hours, seven days a week, to ensure participants are safe and stable. In addition to stability and support services, shelters also provide food, laundry facilities, telephone, transportation, and mail assistance. This year we have seen an unprecedented increase in shelter services, new participants, and increased bed nights in our night by night shelter. Hsp has served almost 100 more homeless participants this year compared to the last, 28% increase in just one year. In response to this surge in need, hsp has increased staffing, adding a new case manager position, as well as increased support staff positions. In addition to traditional shelter services, hsp also has a homeless outreach case worker position. This position provides street/encampment outreach services to homeless adults and families throughout carroll county. This includes linking participants to available services and supporting entry into shelter with the overall goal of securing housing and ending homelessness. Additionally, this case worker connects regularly with communities, law enforcement, agencies, and resources in all municipalities of carroll county to provide information about hsp services and to connect with homeless participants in these outlying areas who might not otherwise be able to access these services. - shelter services provided safe, stable on-going support for 434 unique participants, 381 households -- family shelter served 78 total participants: 32 adults and 46 children, 64% exited to permanent housing -- adult only shelter served 90 total participants: 57 men and 31 women and 2 transgender participants, 42% exited to permanent housing -- night-by-night shelter served 326 participants, 10% exited to permanent housing, 17% transitioned into adult shelter - 10% of shelter participants increased their income - 95% utilization rate with an average length of stay of 97 days - 188 out of 326 (57%) participants engaged in case management services at the night-by-night shelter, which served the hardest to engage homeless population - street outreach served 56 total participants: 55 adults, 1 child, 32% exited to permanent housing; 36% exited to other positive destinations (this includes treatment programs and adult only shelter) - overall exits to positive destinations, 68% housing services housing services work to prevent homelessness wherever possible. Housing services seamlessly blend services for those experiencing homelessness to those at risk of becoming homeless. Hsp conducts helpline shelter and housing eligibility screenings 5 days a week via walk-in hours, over the phone, and throughout the community. As participants complete the assessment, they are referred to appropriate housing resources. Hsp's goal is to first and foremost prevent homelessness whenever possible. This is completed via mediation and referral services as well as eviction prevention, security deposit assistance, and water turn off support. Hsp is the county-wide access point for several emergencies services, serving as the authorizing agency for several community funding streams. After prevention and diversion services are attempted, and the participant meets the federal definition of homeless, they then are referred to coordinated entry. Coordinated entry completes a needs assessment to objectively assess the participant's vulnerability or need. Participants are then referred to shelter services, permanent supportive housing for persons with disabilities (pshpwd), or rapid re-housing program. Pshpwd provides housing and case management services to chronically homeless, hsp maintains 31 rental units for participants. Rapid re-housing provides short-term rental assistance to participants experiencing homelessness. If a participant is at risk of becoming homeless, has an eviction, or needs a security deposit, hsp has additional services to meet those needs and avoid homelessness. This year hsp was able to secure additional funds to increase our number of units in permanent support housing, adding 10 additional apartments for formerly homeless individuals or families. - completed housing and shelter services screenings for 325 households/560 total participants: 367 adults and 193 children - coordinated entry served 243 households/367 total participants; 265 adults and 102 children; 54% exited to permanent housing; 24% increased income - permanent housing served 31 households/52 total participants; 39 adults and 13 children, 85% of households exited to permanent housing - rapid re-housing provided housing support for 31 households/55 total homeless participants; 38 adults and 17 children, 85% of households exited to permanent housing - prevented evictions for 78 households/196 participants; 114 adults and 82 children; with 189,130 - completed 134 security deposits for 282 participants; 171 adults and 111 children; with 198,064 - assisted with water turnoffs for 62 households/182 participants: 98 adults and 84 children, 30,167 - assisted with rent payments for 8 households/16 participants: 10 adults and 6 children, 6,770 - assisted with utility payments for 2 households/2 participants: 2 adults, 1,231 - assisted with dental care for 25 households/39 participants: 32 adults and 7 children, 29,682

Economic mobility programming provides employment and financial capability services to help move our participants out of poverty. Economic mobility programming encompasses opportunity works, financial education services, and our volunteer income tax preparation (vita) site. Opportunity works offers a unique blend of job readiness assistance, job coaching and development services and employment retention support to help participants re-enter the workforce and become thriving community members. Opportunity works enrolls participants with significant barriers to employment, including criminal background, homelessness, mental health disorder, and substance use history. Opportunity works focuses on providing community-based re-entry services. In fy24 opportunity works served 74 individuals, all with significant barriers to employment; 69% had a mental health disorder, substance use history or criminal background; 99% did not commit a crime during the program year; 51% were shelter participants; 38% were employed; and 50% maintained or increased income. In addition, we provided over 400 job training hours in supported employment and case management services to our participants. This year hsp chose to sunset second chances, our free store and job training platform. Over the last several years, we have experienced a decline in community need, while simultaneously experiencing a greater participant demand for job coaching services. The decision to close second chances allows opportunity works to focus on employment services for our most vulnerable and gives hsp the ability to focus resources on providing services to end poverty. Hsp continues to support the community garden, a training platform to engage participants and community members. The garden is a 7,800 square foot produce and herb garden, centrally located in downtown westminster, managed by volunteers. In fy24, 835 volunteer hours yielded 1,412 pounds of produce, feeding people via soup kitchens and food banks throughout carroll county. Financial education services help participants with budgeting, access to fair banking services, overcoming debt, and developing solid financial habits. The services offered include monthly financial education workshops, financial consultation as well as one-on-one financial coaching for up to one year. We served 220 participants who attended 43 scheduled financial education workshops, both virtually and in person. 26 participants engaged in ongoing financial coaching services. In addition, financial education workshops were held for over 80 middle school students. Our vita site, sponsored by the irs, prepares free tax returns for low to moderate income households. The vita site promotes taxpayer education, accessing vital tax credits, as well as saving your refund. Vita has multiple mobile site days, including hampstead and taneytown. Vita served 875 participants, completing 828 tax returns. This work was completed by 18 volunteers totaling 1,077 volunteer hours. Hsp returned over 1.3 million back into the hands of our working poor community members and local economy. Hsp also hosted carroll cah day, in conjunction with the carroll county public library, a family friendly financial education fair, reaching over 350 community members across two events in westminster and hampstead. The event included free credit scores, counseling, and tax preparation, community and government resources, as well as a youth budgeting simulation, games and coloring activities.