Grassroots - Cold Weather Shelter Case Manager

Homelessness is not usually associated with Howard County - as one of the most affluent counties in the country, it's hard to imagine that it is an issue here, yet it is. Grassroots is acutely aware of people in our community who find themselves in this situation. During past winters, the organization had been referring homeless individuals to cold weather shelters in other jurisdictions. In late 2003, a collection of Howard County agencies and advocates concurred that it was time for Howard County to do a better job of taking care of its own. With only 4 weeks to plan, the cold weather shelter opened in January 2004.

Offering a safe, warm place to stay has always been the main goal, but Grassroots foresaw the need to offer individuals and families in-depth assessment and support services. The organization asked and received funding from The Horizon Foundation to provide for this in the shelter's second year.

After receiving a strategic initiative program grant from the Foundation, a case manager was hired for the four month duration of the cold weather shelter. The case manager provides a thorough assessment of all individuals and families entering the shelter to determine their immediate and concrete needs (clothing, medicine, school supplies for children, etc.) and longer term issues contributing to their homelessness. Needs that are also addressed include access to financial aid, medical and dental care, transportation resources, employment support, assistance obtaining benefits (SSI, temporary cash assistance) for which they may be eligible, referral to mainstream resources, help obtaining addictions and psychiatric treatment as needed, and other individualized services that are indicated to help guests resolve issues contributing to their homelessness.

Case Manager Christina Rice has become a "sought-after resource," according to Andrea Ingram, Executive Director of Grassroots. "Even guests that declined individualized case management benefited from her brief counseling intervention, on-the-spot conflict resolution and problem-solving assistance."

"Our clients had various experiences with the shelter; many facilitated by the case manager. Many found employment. Several were able to mend family relationships and return to live with relatives, and a few were able to maintain employment and move into apartments to live independently," according to Rice. When the shelter ended in March, all the clients had continued housing arrangements, thanks to Rice.

In a letter to the Foundation, Rice expressed her own personal gratitude. "[The case management services] made a huge difference in the lives of our clients and you [The Horizon Foundation] were a pivotal component," wrote Rice. "We could not have accomplished all that we did without your partnership."