The UCHRA Policy Council approved a new Community Action Plan Wednesday designed to address the region’s needs from a more holistic, person-centered approach.
Community Services Assistant Director Jordan Herald summarized the plan for the Council. Herald said the plan focused on helping people find long term self-sustainability.
“Historically, CSBG funds have helped us respond to crisis situations, and we feel that’s still important,” Herald said. “But now, we’re working to meet individuals where they are and walk alongside them as they set and work toward meaningful goals.”
Herald said UCHRA will partner with the Volunteer Behavioral Healthcare System to train staff on goal-setting and more critical case management skills.
Herald said this training will better equip county staffs to help people move forward.
Herald said community education is a big part of this year’s plan. Herald said that education will help people get a better grasp on the issue of poverty.
“We have partnered with some local agencies and HR departments to provide hands-on community poverty simulations to help those local businesses, HR departments, and others that are interested, help them understand the challenges people living in poverty face every day,” Herald said.
Herald said there will be a new program installed this year which will help people aged 60 and over with basic home upkeep and repairs. She said CSBG funding will cover the program startup costs.
“We hear our senior population say they don’t know who to let in their home, who they can trust, and that sort of thing,” Herald said. “So, we’ve already heard a lot of good feedback about that, and that will be a fee based program.”
Executive Director Mark Farley said the repair program is not grant based, so there is no recurring revenue to keep it going. As a result, Farley said it will need to start small and only cover a few counties. The program would begin with Jackson, Overton, Putnam, and White Counties.
It will have two staff members who specialize in the handyman kind of jobs, or simple fixes that do not warrant a contractor’s help.
“That is something we realize a lot of our seniors need that assistance with,” Farley said. “Now I will say, my caveat, I’ve said it every time we’ve talked, is this is not grant-based. We can’t do free work, so this will have to be for the population that can afford to pay for those services.”
Farley said he eventually hopes to see this program grow into more counties in the future.
Herald said two existing programs have been brought over from UCDD. CREST and CREVAA will now fall under the UCHRA umbrella so its staff can discuss the needs of senior citizens. Herald said these programs help older adults maintain independence in their homes. CSBG funding will support the administrative side of these programs.
The new Community Action Plan was unanimously approved by members of the Policy Council in attendance.
