Our August Continuum of Care meeting is focused on tuning up program performance as we look forward to the 2011 CoC competition, the fall influx of homeless clients and new grant opportunities. Topics to be covered include: (more…)
The Orlando VA Medical Center and Homeless Services Network of Central Florida would like to invite you to participate in the 4th Annual Veterans’ Stand Down in Downtown Orlando on Saturday, September 24, 2011.
The VA and HSN are grateful for the continued support of the City of Orlando and Orange County Government for our event this year. In 2010, the Veterans’ Stand Down served 333 veterans in Downtown Orlando. In 2011, we expect to serve at least 350!
Services offered include showers, haircuts, clothing, meals, shelter and housing, employment resources, mental health and substance abuse services, Florida ID cards, legal services, food stamp assistance, medical care, and much more.
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2011
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. for client services
Location: Downtown Orlando Recreation Center
649 W. Livingston St. Orlando, FL 32801
In order to make this event a success, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! If you would like to volunteer, please fill out the Volunteer Registration Form.
The Bed Utilization report provides monthly data on bed capacity and occupancy on a single day for all emergency shelter, transitional housing for homeless, and safe haven programs throughout the Continuum of Care. Bed utilization is beds in use divided by beds available, reported as a percentage. Also shown is the percent change from the previous month. Negative values mean a decrease in the number of beds available, compared to a single day in the previous month. Positive values mean more beds available.
Our partners at Seminole Behavioral Healthcare have the following job opportunity available. Contact them directly with inquiries as directed below.
Outreach Specialist/PATH Team
Job Responsibilities: Provides outreach to Seminole County residents who are homeless and have an axis 1 diagnosis. Provides outreach, information and referral to homeless persons who meet PATH criteria. Conducts visits to the jail to provide outreach services. Conducts outreach in the community and completes referrals to appropriate services in a timely manner. Assists clients with initiating and/or reinstating benefits and placement when not assigned to Case Management. Assists clients with negotiating the criminal justice system and advocates for diversion when appropriate. Serves as a representative to designated committees for community planning and development of activities and services.
Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Social Work, Criminology, Sociology, Psychology, or related Human Services field preferred, Bachelor’s Degree required. Two years experience with target population preferred.
Qualified applicants may apply by forwarding a resume to: careers {at} seminolecares(.)org
The June CoC meeting, originally scheduled for Tuesday, 6/28, has been canceled.
Our July, August, and September meetings will be held as regularly scheduled, on the fourth Tuesdays of those months (7/26, 8/23, 9/27), but at a new location. These meetings will take place at the Juvenile Assessment Center, 823 West Central Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32805 (map).
As usual, the meeting will start at 9am with refreshments available as early as 8:30am.
Homeless Services Network of Central Florida is currently seeking to fill an AmeriCorps VISTA position targeted towards outreach with veteran service organizations in the region. Job duties include, but are not limited to:
• Managing a directory of the local Veterans Service Organizations
• Organizing presentations to Veterans Service Organizations with the purpose of educating and discussing issues directly related to homeless veterans
• Engaging Veterans Service Organizations in providing assistance and/or services to the region’s homeless veteran population
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience or desire to become involved in the social services field
• Effective written, oral, and listening skills
• Means of transportation, as travel between the three counties of the region will be necessary
• Veteran of the U.S. military
Applicants must be able to commit to a year of service, beginning on July 19, 2011, and will have the opportunity to serve for up to three years. Applicants able to commit to three years will be preferred. VISTA positions are full-time, paid a living-stipend, receive an educational award or cash stipend after a year of service, and are eligible for healthcare benefits. For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA, please visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp.
Please submit a cover letter and resume by Tuesday, May 17, 2011 via email: jobs {at} hsncfl(.)org or fax: 407-893-5299.
Homeless Services Network of Central Florida is currently seeking to fill an AmeriCorps VISTA position targeted towards outreach with faith-based organizations in the region. Job duties include, but are not limited to:
Preferred Qualifications:
Applicants must be able to commit to a year of service, beginning on July 19, 2011, and will have the opportunity to serve for up to three years. Applicants able to commit to three years will be preferred. VISTA positions are full-time, paid a living-stipend, receive an educational award or cash stipend after a year of service, and are eligible for healthcare benefits. For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA, please visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp.
Please submit a cover letter and resume by Tuesday, May 17, 2011 via email: jobs {at} hsncfl(.)org or fax: 407-893-5299.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded more than $216 million to nearly 700 new homeless programs across the country. The grants announced today are $26 million more than last year’s grants and, combined with renewal funding announced earlier this year, represents the most homelessness assistance ever awarded by HUD. HUD is also continuing to confront rural homelessness by targeting a record $16.4 million to 87 never-before-funded programs in less populated areas of the country.
HSN’s 2010 CoC application scored high enough to qualify for new funding, so this announcement translates into more than $770,000 for our Continuum of Care. Almost $220,000 has been allocated for a transitional housing project with Catholic Charities and the remainder is allocated for Osceola County’s first Shelter Plus Care program. You’ll hear more from us about these projects as they are implemented.
HUD’s web site lists all of the new project awards across Florida and the rest of the nation.
This is a draft copy of the minutes. A vote will be taken at the May CoC meeting to approve or amend them.
Welcome and introductions: Bakari Burns welcomed the 40 participants who introduced themselves.
Available beds were noted at CENTAUR (clients with HIV/AIDS); Coalition for the Homeless via First Steps (transitional housing for men) and the WRCC (transitional housing for women & children).
Approval of March 2011 minutes: Bakari Burns requested a motion to approve the minutes from the last CoC meeting, which had been distributed prior to the start of this month’s meeting. Sindy Connell of the Salvation Army of Orlando made the motion and was seconded by Norma Walter of Anthony House. The motion passed unanimously.
HMIS in the News