Social Work Services
The Issue:
Many of the neighbors who come to us for services have needs in various areas, ranging from food, employment and legal to medical, housing and mental health, etc. Addressing only one of these needs in a vacuum will not change the trajectory of an individuals’ life, as poverty has many root causes.
Our Unique Response:
CitySquare’s social work services team provides intensive case management to our neighbors in various departments, including the Resource Center, Destination Home, WorkPaths and the Community Health Clinic, to identify their needs and help them access resources in the community to meet those needs, including enrolling them in public health programs like CHIP and Medicaid.
Through Social Work Services:
- Participants first access their particular point of entry into CitySquare for their basic needs (i.e. the resource center for food, the clinic for health care, etc.). Upon doing so, participants undergo an intake process in which information about their various needs will be collected and, if appropriate, they will be connected with a case manager to help them access resources to meet these various needs, both within CitySquare and outside of our network of programs.
- Case managers focus on increasing the self-sufficiency of each participant. Thus they help each participant develop an action plan complete with goals and timelines to aid not only in the access of referred resources, but in the individual’s identification and achievement of key goals that will help them move into long-term self-sufficiency.
- In 2009, we received government stimulus funds to participate in the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re Housing Project (HPRP) which helps individuals in Dallas who are in danger of losing their homes. Our SWS department administers this program for us.
Our Biggest Challenge:
The current economy has sent record numbers of neighbors through our doors with myriad needs which exceeds our current funding-based capacity.
Our Effectiveness:
Our success is measured at the level of the progress of each individual neighbor who participates in Social Work Services case management and, accordingly, is tied to the success of each of CitySquares’s other initiatives. When our neighbors succeed, we succeed.
To donate to CitySquare’s Social Work Services programming, click here
