Resources may not be available at the time someone needs assistance, i.e. rental assistance or bus vouchers. Every attempt is made to “problem solve” with the caller and we strive to provide three referrals for every need presented.
The group of individuals that have lost their jobs and don't qualify for programs due to their previous salaries and cannot document unlikely to return to their previous occupation due to it being somewhat in demand.
In our focus groups we heard that service providers were struggling to meet the needs of people who are unemployed for perhaps the first time; those who no longer have access to health insurance; those at risk of losing their homes; and those in need of food assistance. The safety net that existed prior to the current economic crisis was built to address very different client issues than service providers are confronted with today. Since needs are different, service providers are challenged to develop different interventions. Overall, they tell us that they are overwhelmed by the sheer demand for services and resources.
The "How Safe is OC's Safety Net?" town hall meeting was held on April 6, 2010. It was organized by 2-1-1 Orange County and the Center for Internships & Commnity Engagement at Cal State Fullerton. To prepare for the panel presentations, service providers and other stakeholders participated in a series of focus group in advance of the town hall event. Chairs were: Glenn Hayes (Housing), Sandra Rose (Health), Mark Lowry (Hunger), and Andrew Munoz (employment). Moderator of the town hall dialog was Karen Roper, County of Orange Community Services.
2-1-1 Responds:
ReplyDeleteResources may not be available at the time someone needs assistance, i.e. rental assistance or bus vouchers. Every attempt is made to “problem solve” with the caller and we strive to provide three referrals for every need presented.
The group of individuals that have lost their jobs and don't qualify for programs due to their previous salaries and cannot document unlikely to return to their previous occupation due to it being somewhat in demand.
ReplyDeleteIn our focus groups we heard that service providers were struggling to meet the needs of people who are unemployed for perhaps the first time; those who no longer have access to health insurance; those at risk of losing their homes; and those in need of food assistance. The safety net that existed prior to the current economic crisis was built to address very different client issues than service providers are confronted with today. Since needs are different, service providers are challenged to develop different interventions. Overall, they tell us that they are overwhelmed by the sheer demand for services and resources.
ReplyDelete