|
|
|
March 2007:· Community Resources Online to Change to New Software and New Format· Community Weaving Empowers
Families and Rekindles Spirit of Community
· Compass Center and FASC to Partner
· Critical Resource
|
Community Resources Online Changes to New FormatBy Hannah Newton, Certified Resource SpecialistCrisis Clinic’s online database of social and health services has proven to be a valuable community resource. Last year we averaged more than 14,000 visitors to the Web site per month. The most commonly searched services were for basic needs – food, clothing and especially housing. Not surprisingly, those are also the most frequent needs of callers on our 2-1-1 Community Information Line. The current Community Resources Online (CRO) is still based on our old service listings and our old software. Sometime around the middle of this month, CRO will change to match our new in-house software and new service listings. A new database software has allowed us to merge with other 2-1-1 call centers around the state. The new database software also gives agencies the option to update their programs online, and it uses a different online search format. Because this service is well used and the format will be dramatically different, we wanted to give you an overview and some tips on using the new software. For right now, you can look at the new software in test mode (which means it is not the final version, and it doesn’t have recent service updates) by clicking here. When the software goes live, it will be available on our main Web page – http://www.crisisclinic.org/. The first thing you will have to do to use the new CRO is type a ZIP code or city. The new software will either organize your search results by proximity to this ZIP code, or it will group all services in a particular city at the top. This is important in narrowing your search, because this database has resources from all across the state. The second step will be to click a general topic from a list that looks similar to the topic search in the old database. With the new database, you will have to click on a topic to see how it breaks down into more specific categories. In step 3, you can keep clicking on subcategories up to five times, depending on how the service is listed. This will give you a smaller but more precise list compared to the old database. For instance, in the old database, a popular search was for the services listed under “emergency assistance for rent or mortgage.” Listed under that category were programs that paid for rent, mortgage and also move-in costs. Now, each of those services can be found separately. Step 4 allows you to choose features that are important to you in a service. If you need a food pantry that is wheelchair accessible, selecting “wheelchair accessible” will bring all wheelchair accessible food pantries to the top of your list, even if they aren’t the closest ones. Step 5 is your list of services. If you see one you would like more information about, click “View Details.” Here are a few more tips for using the software: · The Keyword search in Step 2 looks for your search term in the names of the categories and in preset a.k.a. name. In the old database, the keywords were added separately and may or may not have corresponded with the topic. · When you are on Step 2, you can also find an agency or program by name by clicking on the shortcut button on the right hand side near the “thumbs up” sign. · The Target Populations topic can be confusing at first. It is used by phoneworkers on the 2-1-1 Community Information Line to restrict their searches, but that function is not available on the Web site. The topic is a listing of different groups of people. But not every grouping is listed on every service that serves them. For instance, searching for services for the target group of “Adults” would not be helpful, because the codes are not on every service that serves adults (because the target population is assumed). Searching for services for “teenage alcoholics” or “teenage drug abusers” would be helpful because there is no service category listing services for chemically dependent youth. The services are found in categories such as “Comprehensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment” or “Residential Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment.” As always, if you have any questions, call the Crisis Clinic business office at (206) 461-3210 and ask to speak to a Resource Center specialist. • Community Weaving Empowers Families and Rekindles Spirit of CommunityBy Cheryl Honey, Master Weaver
Organizations tap the pool of resources in the network to empower clients toward self-sufficiency by connecting them into a Family Support Network where they learn how to be resourceful and serve in the community. Based on the principle of serving others, Community Weaving is a practical approach to implementing the Golden Rule to weave socially cohesive and supportive communities that care. It weaves those who are struggling to make ends meet with caring people who are willing to share their resources and lend a helping hand. The new technology tracks the good works and calculates the value of volunteer time and services. Community Weaving is a project of the Family Support
Network, (FSN) International, a non-profit 501(c) 3 established in 1993 by a
welfare mom who formed her own family support network in her neighborhood.
This effort has been a labor of love for over 15 years and evolved into
Community Weaving through the contributions of many talented volunteers
across America. Last year, Community Weaving facilitated 175,000 volunteer hours totaling $2.6 million in direct services to individuals and community initiatives. These projects include: Operation SafeHaven to provide temporary housing to Katrina evacuees; food and babysitting co-ops; and recycling furniture and clothing. Activities were organized to increase family bonding and connectedness to community such as river rafting trips, ropes challenges, and campouts. Local agencies conducted workshops to teach new skills to community members. Service projects fed and housed the homeless, repaired homes, fixed cars and helped people find jobs and medical care. These projects were born out of the creative ingenuity of the people who shared common interests and were able to connect to each other using the features on the FSN website. The network is becoming a phenomenon as the FSN Resource
Treasury builds up and empowers people to access what they need with dignity
and respect. Organizations refer clients into the network to make room
to serve those with higher needs in the community. There are many ways to engage in Community
Weaving: 1) Go to www.familynetwork.org and check the Activities Calendar for schedule of
activities in your community. 2) Sign up as a Good Neighbor for free on the
Web site to access the features. 3) Register as an FSN Partner or Supporter of the effort.
4) Encourage community members to sign up as
Good Neighbors and FSN Partners. 5) Become a Certified Community Weaver (List of upcoming
trainings http://www.familynetwork.org/cgi-bin/communitylist.py)
Next training is April 13-14. 6) Host a Community Weaver Certification training in
your community. (Details
will be sent upon request) 7) Design a community-wide Community Weaving
implementation strategy with free consultation from our
trained Master Weavers. • Compass Center and FASC to PartnerFamily & Adult Service Center has
announced that it would partner operations with the Compass Center.
Jan Glick, FASC
interim executive director, outlined what
led to the partnership and the positive impacts for FASC clients. “For the past six years, FASC
has been in a period of transition,” Glick explained. “We’ve gone from
simply providing basic human services, such as meals and showers, to
developing comprehensive case plans that permanently
transform the lives of the men, women and children we serve.” FASC’s ultimate
objective, to be the last homeless shelter any client ever visits, “requires
capital improvements and additional case management,” says Katherine Koch,
FASC board president. “We turned to the
Compass Center with its strong core competencies in human services, property
development, remote site management, and operational support to help us
attain our goal,” she added. The Compass Center
was founded in 1920 and provides transitional and emergency services to
homeless men and women at 13 locations in the Puget Sound Region.
Their programs promote the dignity of each person and lead individuals from
homelessness to independence and healthy community life. FASC will also benefit through reduced administrative overhead resulting from the elimination of certain duplicative operating functions. No jobs will be lost as a result of the partnership. Compass Center executive
director Rick Freidhoff voiced his pleasure about the pending partnership.
“We are delighted to welcome FASC clients, staff and supporters to the
Compass Center family. Our separate organizations have a similar goal –
providing services and programs that promote the dignity of each person and
lead individuals from homelessness to independence,” he said. • Critical Resource UpdatesCompiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource CenterIt is always
recommended to check Community
Resources Online for additional information and for the most current
information updates of the following resources. Chinese Information & Service Center
has moved. Its new address is 611 S Lane St, Seattle, 98104. Love in the Name of Christ of Greater
Federal Way and Auburn has changed its name to South Sound Dream Center. Lutheran Community
Services Northwest has opened The Village at Angle Lake, a “community
services campus and resource hub” for South King County residents at 4040 S 188th St in SeaTac. Services
offered include healthcare, child care, senior housing, homecare services,
immigrant and refugee services, and family services. The homecare program is
scheduled to open in March, and the health clinic is scheduled to open in
May. For more information, click here. St. Luke’s Operation Blessing is now
only open from 9 –10 a.m. on Tuesdays. Tent City 3 has moved to St. Mark’s
Episcopal Cathedral on Capitol Hill: 1245 10th
Ave E. They expect to be there until
mid-May. Tent City 4 has moved to St Jude’s Catholic Church, 10526 166th Ave NE in Redmond and will be there until mid to late May. • March and April Selected ResourcesCompiled by Crisis Clinic’s Resource Center StaffThis 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. March Resource Highlights Overlake Service League Special
Olympics – Washington Resolve of Washington State University of Washington –
Women’s Center April Resource Highlights
Artist
Trust PlantAmnesty Rebuilding
Together Seattle Seattle’s
Union Gospel Mission Coyote Central |
|
|
|
