July 2006:
Contact us:
24-Hour Crisis Line
(206) 461-3222
(866) 4CRISIS or
(866) 427-4747
(206) 461-3219 TTY
24 hours, daily
2-1-1 Community
Information Line
Dial 2-1-1 or
(206) 461-3200
(800) 621-4636
(206) 461-3610 TTY
8am-8pm, daily
Teen Link
(206) 461-4922
(866) TEENLINK or
(866) 833-6546
(206) 461-3219 TTY
6-10pm, nightly
Business Office
1515 Dexter Ave N
Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 461-3210
Fax: (206) 461-8368
8am-5pm, M-F
14th Annual Human Services Awards
The Seattle
Human Services Coalition recognized the following agencies and people at
its 14th annual Human Services Ceremony last month:
Outstanding Program - Child Care Resources’ Homeless Program
Innovative Program - Fremont Public Association, Working
Wheels
Excellence in Advocacy - Irma Hill & Maria Ramirez
Stewardship -
Peter Stienbrueck
Mayor’s Award -
Food Resources
New Rules for Medicaid Patients
Beginning July 1, medical coupon
(Medicaid) beneficiaries need to provide proof of citizenship, including
birth certificates or U.S. passports. This proof of citizenship will be
necessary to obtain health care through state Medicaid programs. Some
accommodations, such as other types of records, may be made for people who
are homeless or mentally ill and may not have, or can’t find, these
documents. This guidance will be issued to the states soon. For more
information click here.
Facilitator Training for Teen Talking Circle
Project
July 6 through July 9
Bainbridge Island, WA
The Teen
Talking Circle Project is holding facilitator training to teach
individuals how to organize and facilitate all-girl talking circles, where
teens learn to speak from their hearts and to listen to others with
compassion and without judgment. Talking circle groups may continue for years
after starting. For details, call (206) 842-3000.
Help Families Navigate the At-Risk Youth Court
Process
8:30 a.m. - noon
Tuesday, August 1
1313 W Meeker St
Kent DCFS office
Kent
Learn what the court can and
cannot do, as well as strategies to assist the families and decrease
frustration. Understand the many roles of attorneys, case managers, courts,
social workers, etc. Partner with other professionals serving adolescents and
families. Offer insight on what is/isn’t working. Assist with developing a
plan to improve service. For details or to register, call (206) 205-2578.
Undoing Racism Workshop
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
July 27 & 28
Fee: $300.00
Location: TBD
The
Undoing Racism workshop, organized by the People’s
Institute Northwest, is an intensive two-day workshop designed to
educate, challenge and empower people to “undo” the racist structures that
hinder effective social change. For details or to register, call (206)
938-1023.
Grants Available to Shelters for Victims of
Domestic Violence
Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation is offering grants to
women’s shelters for victims of domestic violence across the United States.
The goal of the
foundation is to eliminate domestic violence. Deadline: Sept. 1. For details,
click here.
Accessible Voting Awareness Campaign Underway
This fall King County poll
voters will have the option of casting their vote on a paper ballot or by
using a new technology when voting at the polls. The accessible voting units (AVUs) cater to people with
physical or visual disabilities. The
AVU will offer the opportunity for every King County voter to cast a secret
ballot independently. The King
County Records, Elections, and Licensing Services will be visiting
communities and fairs this summer to provide voters with hands-on
training. To schedule a demonstration
of King County’s accessible voting unit at an event in your area, call (206)
296-9699.
Take Action Awards Nominees Sought
The
King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence is accepting nominations
for its seventh annual “Take Action Against Domestic Violence”
awards. These awards are given to individuals or organizations in King
County who have taken outstanding action to support survivors of domestic
violence and help promote safe and equitable relationships. Deadline is June
30.
Call (206) 568-5454 for details or to nominate someone.
Therapeutic Health Services Hearing
6-7:30 p.m., July 6
345 NE 175th
St
Shoreline Public Library
Shoreline
DSHS has scheduled a public
hearing in Shoreline to obtain public comment on the relocation of Therapeutic
Health Services (THS). THS is moving from 17962 Midvale Ave N in
Shoreline to 16715 Aurora Ave N in Shoreline. The hearing
will be held in accordance with state laws and administrative codes. The
public meeting will have two parts. The first part will provide information
about the proposed relocation certification process. The DSHS hearing officer
will then record public testimony.
Children’s Alliance Honors Local Service
Providers
Every year, the Children’s
Alliance recognizes a handful of outstanding children's advocates with the Voices for Children Awards. One of those
honored, announced at a celebration last month, was Jim
Theofelis,
executive director of the Mockingbird
Society in Seattle, for his years of public policy work on foster care,
notably his leadership this year in passing the Foster Youth Achievement Act.
Also honored was The Attorneys for
the Children, (Braam v. Washington) who are being honored
for their eight years of work on a landmark class-action lawsuit on behalf of
Washington’s foster children. The attorneys are Tim Farris; Casey Trupin and
John Midgley of Columbia
Legal Services; Bill Grimm and Bryn Martyna of the National Center for
Youth Law.
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Group Still Needs School Supplies to Give to Agencies That Serve Homeless
Youth
By Victoria Meissner, Project Cool Coordinator
Since 1989, the Seattle/King
County Coalition for the Homeless (SKCCH) in partnership with United
Way, Kiwanis International, Windermere Foundation and Starbucks (among
others) has provided more than 10,000 homeless children and youth living in
emergency shelter and transitional housing programs throughout King County
with back to school supplies through its annual Project Cool for Back-to-School
program. Growing steadily each year, Project Cool helps ensure that children
and youth have a more positive experience for learning. Each youth and child
is provided a backpack filled with school supplies and a Payless shoe voucher
so they can purchase new shoes.
The significance of this project cannot be
overstated. Project Cool allows homeless students to return to school with
dignity and promise, without the stigma associated with homelessness. The
chance to start the school year on a positive footing can mean the difference
between success and failure for many of these children and youth. Several
achievements mark last year’s Project Cool efforts:
In 2005 Project Cool served 2,100 homeless children
and youth. Participating in the project were 56 programs from 41 different
non-profit agencies across King County. Project Cool generated $36,525.78 in
cash contributions and $102,974.22 of in-kind school supply donations. And
nearly 90 people volunteered to plan, transport, sort, count, assemble,
purchase and distribute the backpacks.
Project Cool 2006 is already in full swing but we need
your help to be as successful as in years past. We are facing the 2006
project in a time when funding is in short supply. You can participate in
several different ways. You can start a supply drive at your office, church
or civic group. You can donate cash or you can volunteer your time. We are
especially short on the cash needed to purchase shoe vouchers. All donations
are tax deductible. If you choose to start a drive, you will need to have all
the supplies and/or cash to us by Aug. 2. •
If you can help or need more information, please
contact Victoria Meissner at (206) 694-6732.
Return to the top
Finding
School Supply Resources
By Hannah Newton, Certified Resource Specialist
King County has limited resources for families needing
school supplies. Some school districts or school buildings have resources
available for their families only. Many agencies start signing up families in
July. Updated information about these resources can be found on Crisis
Clinic’s Community
Resources Online database by typing “school supplies” in the service
keyword search field.
·
Hopelink provides school supplies each year to
low-income families who are registered for the food pantries at the
organization’s six branches. The families cannot be receiving school supplies
at their local school districts. Families must register by Aug. 4, and
distribution will be the last two
weeks in August. Each branch serves different ZIP codes: Hopelink
– Bellevue 98004, 98005, 98006, 98007, 98009 and 98040; Hopelink
– Kirkland 98033 and 98034; Hopelink
– Northshore 98011, 98012, 98021, 98072, 98028, and 98077; Hopelink
– Redmond 98052, 98053, and 98074;
Hopelink
– Shoreline 98133, 98155 and 98177; and Hopelink
– Sno-Valley 98014, 98019, 98024, 98045, 98050 and 98065.
·
Plateau
Outreach Ministries provides backpacks, shoes and school
supplies for children living in ZIP code 98022 and in the Enumclaw school
district. Families must meet federal low-income guidelines. Backpacks will be
distributed the second week of August. For details, call (360) 802-2220.
·
Puget
Sound Labor Agency – King County Offices will have a limited amount of
school supplies for families in ZIP codes 98101, 98104, 98109, 98111, 98119,
98121 and 98199. Distribution dates have not been decided.
·
ROAR
is accepting applications as well as donations for its backpack program in
July and will distribute the backpacks the last two weeks in August. One
parent in the household must be working for the child to be eligible. Open to
children, ages 4-17. Call (206) 634-1977 for an appointment.
·
Salvation
Army – Social Services Department (Federal Way/Des Moines) will have limited
school supplies for children attending school in the Federal Way school
district. Distribution dates have not been decided.
·
Seattle
Milk Fund provides school supplies and shoe vouchers for children
attending Seattle Public Schools. Children must be referred by a family
support worker at the school or by another social service agency. Deadline to
apply is Aug. 24.
·
Seattle
Public Schools’ Homeless Student Program provides backpacks of school
supplies as well as clothing vouchers for homeless students. Students need a
referral from a case manager. For details call (206) 252-0822. •
Return to the top
Help the Nationwide 2-1-1 Campaign
United Way of America is soliciting signatures to show
Congress broad support for national funding for 2-1-1. To show support,
e-mail CARLOS.MARQUEZ@UWA.UNITEDWAY.ORG
and include your organization’s name, your name, your city and your state.
Current deadline to respond is July 7.
By sending the
e-mail you are saying you agree with the following statement: “We, the
undersigned, endorse nationwide coverage of the three-digit telephone number
2-1-1. We endorse 2-1-1 as a public/private partnership, and call for
federal, state, local, non-profit, foundation, and business investment to bring
2-1-1 to every American, so that every American will have access to
community, volunteer, health and human service information and referral, both
everyday and in times of crisis preparedness and response.”
Return to the top
United Way Survey Shows Public Views
Homelessness as Important Issue
Information received from United Way of King
County
United
Way of King County implemented a study in March of the attitudes toward
homelessness in King County. One component of this study was a countywide
public opinion survey of 849 adult county residents.
The research group was able to discern three themes
from the survey:
Public opinion supports the homelessness issue. Overall,
public opinion support of the homelessness issue is high in King County. When
respondents were asked to name the top issues facing King County,
homelessness ranked third out of all possible issues. On a scale of one to
10, where one means “not serious at all” and 10 means “most serious”
regarding how serious is the issue of homelessness, the average response was
seven.
King County residents can be described as
compassionate on the
homelessness issue. A majority of respondents feel that people are often
homeless for circumstances beyond their control, and that they deserve our
assistance. A majority felt that government cutbacks in housing and welfare
assistance directly contributed to homelessness.
Residents believe ending homelessness is
possible. When asked if the homeless problem in King County was too big
to be solved, more than 80 percent said no, implying that a solution is
possible. Three-quarters of those surveyed disagreed that “there is little
that can be done for people in homeless shelters,” and 80 percent felt that
homeless people could be expected to adopt a normal lifestyle.
Finally, the residents of King County are
supportive of potential answers to the question of what to do about homelessness.
Seven in 10 support more low-income housing, and more than eight in 10
support more housing specifically for homeless people.
Residents are skeptical that it’s getting done. Regarding
a solution, the residents of King County felt that government agencies are
not doing enough. When asked who should be responsible for addressing
homelessness, the top answers given were local, state, and federal
government. However, when asked what agency or organization was currently
doing the most to address homelessness, a majority of respondents listed the
non-profit sector and churches, and only one out of eight respondents listed
a government agency as doing the most. •
Click here
to read more information about the results of the survey.
Return to the top
Critical Resource Updates
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online
for additional information and for the most current information updates of
the following resources.
Child
Care Resources has organized a network of more than 40 playgroups called
Play & Learn groups. During the group, children and adults engage in a
variety of activities including arts and crafts, games, physical play and
circle time. Some groups are multi-lingual. Call to find a group.
Family
Services has updated the Transitional Assistance Program. The
program no longer has a waiting list for the service because it became too
cumbersome and outdated. A couple of families/individuals are screened each
week. Also, the program does not provide emergency housing services. The
application process takes a couple of days.
Family
Services – Pioneer Square has added a state-certified lesbian batterers
group to its Community Violence Prevention Services.
The Kent substance abuse program, Hope Recovery
Services, has had its certification revoked by DSHS. According to DSHS,
recent complaint investigations determined the agency
owner/administrator/director had allowed a non-credentialed staff member to
conduct counseling services.
Ingersoll
Gender Center has moved to the Seattle LGBT Community Center. Ingersoll used to be located at 1812 E
Madison Ave. and is now at 1115 E Pike St. Since 1977, Ingersoll has provided support
groups, advocacy, referrals and resources for transgender individuals
including their friends, families and significant others.
Operation
Nightwatch no longer serves families. It provides shelter referrals to
single men and single women only.
Salvation
Army – Outreach Ministries Department (North Seattle) now provides assistance by appointment only for rent and utility assistance (with shut-off
and eviction notices) and food bags. Appointments are made once a week
(usually Fridays) for the following week.
SHARE/WHEEL’s
Tent City 3 has moved to St. Joseph Catholic Church on the corner of 19th
and Aloha in Capitol Hill. It will be at that location until Aug. 4.
Solanus
Casey Center now provides legal consultation services to help people
assess their situation and find ways to get help. Does not assist with
criminal cases. An appointment must be made in advance and lasts 30 minutes.
Will not represent clients in court.
YouthCare
– Orion Multiservice Center has moved to its new facility at 1828
Yale Avenue. For the next year or so the new facility will not have showers
or laundry facilities. •
Return to the top
July and August Selected Resources
Compiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center
This column highlights available timely resources
in the community information database that might otherwise go unnoticed by
our users. It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online
for additional information and for the most current information concerning
the following resources.
July Resource Highlights
Ethnic
Heritage Council
The Ethnic Heritage Council
will host its annual July 4th Naturalization Ceremony for new U.S.
citizens. More than 500 individuals will be sworn in at Seattle Center’s
Fisher Pavilion, from 11:30am to 1pm, with public officials in attendance.
The ceremony will include military band, choir and color guard performances.
For more information, call the Ethnic Heritage Council.
Hopelink
– Northshore
In July and August, Hopelink centers of Bellevue, Kirkland, Northshore,
Redmond, Shoreline and Sno-Valley will register eligible applicants for their
school supplies program. Limited supplies – donated by area churches, organizations
and individuals – are provided to children of low-income Eastside area
families. Items will be distributed during the last week of August. Call for
information about where and when to register.
On
a Lark, Inc.
Organizes an annual national conference for masculine-identified individuals
assigned female gender at birth. Information about the conference, and
applications for attendance subsidies and scholarships, can be obtained by
clicking here.
The application deadline for subsidized rates has been extended to July 31.
Washington
Trails Association
On Saturday,
July 22nd, the WTA will host its annual TrailsFest at
Rattlesnake Lake in North Bend. The event will offer free hands-on
instruction and clinics for people of all ages and levels of outdoors
experience, with activities including hiking, kayaking and rock climbing. Click here
or call (206) 625-1367 for more information about attending or volunteering.
August Resource Highlights
God’s
Grace in Action
Collects backpacks and school supplies to give to Highline school district
counselors at all grade levels. Counselors distribute them to students in
need. Agency accepts donations only. Agency does not distribute backpacks to
students. Ask a school counselor for program details. Program begins in
August.
Providence
Hospice of Seattle
Organizes a weekend camp, Camp Erin, held annually in the summer for
children, ages 5 to17, who have experienced the death of a loved one. In the
summer of 2006, the King County camp will be August 25-27. Camps are also
located in Snohomish and Pierce counties.
Seafair
Offers a summertime festival in the Northwest. Activities include the
Unlimited Hydroplane Races and Air Show at Lake Washington, Torchlight Parade
and Torchlight Run through downtown Seattle, Milk Carton Derby at Seattle’s
Green Lake, the half marathon in Bellevue, the Triathalon at Seward Park and
Miss Seafair Scholarship Program for Women. Also sanctions over 30 community
festivals and events throughout the Puget Sound region, celebrating Puget
Sound’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity.
Seattle
Opera
Five operas will be presented in the 2006/07 season in the Marion Oliver
McCaw Hall. The normal season runs August through May. Opera productions are
usually performed in the original language with English captions projected
above the stage for performances.
Special
Olympics Washington
The Summer Sports Classic featuring softball, tennis and golf is held each
year in August. Serves individuals with mental retardation or a closely related
developmental disability, ages 8 and older. Call (206) 362-4949 for more
information. In 2006, the Summer Sports Classic will be Aug. 26-27 in Everett and
Lynnwood. •
Return to the top
“Resource Talk,” Crisis
Clinic’s free monthly e-newsletter, provides critical resource changes,
community events, feature articles on important health and human service
topics and updates to the annual publication of the Where to Turn Plus
directory. Click here
to subscribe or unsubscribe to Resource Talk. You may view past issues of
Resource Talk by clicking here.
Crisis Clinic offers
a variety of products to help connect people with critical resources.
Information about purchasing Crisis Clinic’s Where to Turn
Directories, Where to Turn CD-ROMs, customized reports, customized
mailing labels and holiday lists can be found online by clicking here.
Crisis Clinic
respects the privacy
of our Web site users.
For business
purposes, please e-mail us at ResourceCenter@CrisisClinic.org
or call us at (206) 461-3210.
www.CrisisClinic.org
This Newsletter was last updated on Thursday, June 29, 2006 04:01 PM
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