Mission/Vision
To maximize and leverage the strengths of our local community to identify and address the significant human welfare needs of our citizens.
Social Service Planning Goals
- The City will strengthen its leadership in homeless planning and social service coordination.
- The City will identify and prioritize human service needs and will then advocate addressing those needs.
- The City will have a stable, seamless, quality system of care that meets the needs of its most vulnerable citizens.
- The City will strengthen communication and involvement with the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, specifically with the location at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System.
- The City will have strong internal systems and controls to monitor its own activities in the area of human service coordination and support.
Administration Responsibilities
- Homeless Initiatives – the City has a position/strategic plan and ordinances that address conflicting concerns of downtown businesses, faith based groups, providers, advocates and general citizenry relative to homeless issues. This position is the City's "point person" in communicating with these various groups and is the public relations department for all issues concerning homelessness.
- Coordinate with the St. Pete Street Outreach Team and Police Dept. Downtown Deployment Team to address homeless issues. Receives downtown homeless report weekly and outreach reports monthly.
- Works with SVDP with two City initiatives: Emergency shelter mats and Storage Program.
- Assits Pinellas Hope operational activities – oversee $100,000 City funding.
- Assists Pinellas Safe Harbor with operational activities and oversees $100,000 in city funding.
- Co-chair of the 3 Project Homeless Connect events that connected homeless and those in need to a multitude of services. The most recent event in 2010 served over 1200 individuals provided by 83 service providers, 110 medical providers, with food and other personal care services provided. Over 1000 volunteers were recruited to assist with the event.
- Instrumental in the research of and the educational process of the new ordinances implemented over the past 4 years.
- Represent the City on a variety of committees, boards and ad hoc groups throughout the City and County that address the numerous homeless issues and efforts to solve problems throughout the Community.
- Interface with the community (citizens, businesses, advocates, agencies, other governmental entities, etc.) regarding homelessness & other issues by answering questions, listening to comments and speaking engagements.
- Coordinate with the Housing Dept. regarding the recent stimulus funding HPRP and other homeless initiatives that they fund and/or support.
- Key staff person for the community in a national survey project with six other cities around the nation regarding vulnerability issues of the homeless who live on the street.
- Assist other city departments with issues around homelessness – recent activity includes working with multi-family units that are in foreclosure ensuring that all families are placed in a safe environment.
- Social Action Funding Grant Program ($426,000)
- Oversee contracts awarded to not for profit agencies by competitive bid process.
- Oversee fiscal reimbursement and program reporting for each agency throughout the year.
- Coordinate and support the Social Services Allocation Committee and their functions.
- Work with city funded as well as other funded agencies throughout the community to plan optimal approach to social service issues.
- Other Social Services involvement
- Disaster Recovery Leadership Network – board member of this policy group which has developed an Emergency Response Plan for Social Service agencies which will ensure the care of those most vulnerable in our community in the time of a disaster.
- Disaster Recovery Services Coalition – co-creator of this Coalition comprised of front line social services staff from the community.
- Health & Human Services Coordinating Council for Pinellas County Administrative Forum Board – board member representing City as an active funder of many social service agencies. This board makes decisions regarding the direction of the community of social service providers.
- Faith based – work with local faith based entities, churches to educate them on how to assist others.
- Member of Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Committee sponsored through the YMCA – annual event which draws 500-700 persons from St. Pete featuring national speaker.
- Board of Director Member for – working with people with disabilities.
- Member of the Tampa Bay Cares 211 Task Force Committee – central data system and referral/information center for social services community throughout the County.
- Other duties as assigned
- Interface with City Council members as needed through committee settings, one on one, and assist with constituents needs as necessary.
- Assist implementing any initiative as determined by the Mayor's office.
- Apprise both the Council members and Mayor's office of issues facing the community regarding social services.