HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS OF CARROLL COUNTY INC

HSP BELIEVES HOMELESSNESS SHOULD BE PREVENTED WHENEVER POSSIBLE. IF IT CANNOT BE PREVENTED, HOMELESSNESS SHOULD BE BRIEF. PROGRAMMING SERVES THE MOST IN NEED FIRST, PROVIDING OPEN-ACCESS, LOW-BARRIER SERVICES. SHELTER AND HOUSING SERVICES STRIVE TO HELP PARTICIPANTS INCREASE THEIR INCOME, SECURE PERMANENT HOUSING, AND PROVIDE NECESSARY COMMUNITY SUPPORTS AND LINKAGES TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS. HSP PROVIDED SERVICES TO 628 HOMELESS MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN IN 2025, WHILE PREVENTING 350 FROM BECOMING HOMELESS. SHELTER SERVICES SHELTER SERVICES PROVIDE OVERNIGHT SUPPORT AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. SHELTER STAFF CONNECT HOMELESS PARTICIPANTS TO HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES - REGARDLESS OF WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES. SHELTER SERVICES CASE MANAGERS FOCUS ON STABILIZING PARTICIPANTS, CONNECTING THEM WITH BASIC NEEDS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES, INCREASING THEIR INCOME, AND RAPIDLY SECURING PERMANENT HOUSING. HSP MANAGES 3 OF CARROLL COUNTY'S HOMELESS SHELTERS. SHELTER SERVICES OPERATE 24 HOURS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, TO ENSURE PARTICIPANTS ARE SAFE AND STABLE. IN ADDITION TO STABILITY AND SUPPORT SERVICES, SHELTERS ALSO PROVIDE FOOD, LAUNDRY FACILITIES, TELEPHONE, TRANSPORTATION, AND MAIL ASSISTANCE. IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL SHELTER SERVICES, HSP HAS A HOMELESS OUTREACH CASE WORKER POSITION. THIS POSITION PROVIDES STREET/ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH SERVICES TO HOMELESS ADULTS AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT CARROLL COUNTY. THIS INCLUDES LINKING PARTICIPANTS TO AVAILABLE SERVICES AND SUPPORTING ENTRY INTO SHELTER WITH THE OVERALL GOAL OF SECURING HOUSING AND ENDING HOMELESSNESS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS CASE WORKER CONNECTS REGULARLY WITH COMMUNITIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AGENCIES, AND RESOURCES IN ALL MUNICIPALITIES OF CARROLL COUNTY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HSP SERVICES AND TO CONNECT WITH HOMELESS PARTICIPANTS IN THESE OUTLYING AREAS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO ACCESS THESE SERVICES. THIS YEAR, WHILE OUR SHELTER NUMBERS REMAINED CONSISTENT, THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ADULTS LIVING IN ENCAMPMENTS - 45%. THE HOMELESS OUTREACH CASE WORKER CONTINUES TO ENCOURAGE THESE PARTICIPANTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SHELTER AND HOUSING SERVICES. MANY, HOWEVER, REMAIN UNWILLING TO STAY IN SHELTER. SHELTER SERVICES PROVIDED SAFE, STABLE ON-GOING SUPPORT FOR 421 UNIQUE PARTICIPANTS, 372 HOUSEHOLDS -FAMILY SHELTER SERVED 73 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS: 30 ADULTS AND 43 CHILDREN, 91% EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING -ADULT ONLY SHELTER SERVED 96 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS: 68 MEN AND 27 WOMEN AND 1 TRANSGENDER PARTICIPANTS, 59% EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING -NIGHT-BY-NIGHT SHELTER SERVED 312 PARTICIPANTS, 11% EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING, 18% TRANSITIONED INTO ADULT SHELTER 21% OF SHELTER PARTICIPANTS INCREASED THEIR INCOME 100% UTILIZATION RATE WITH AN AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY OF 143 DAYS 204 OUT OF 312 (65%) PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AT THE NIGHT-BY-NIGHT SHELTER, WHICH SERVED THE HARDEST TO ENGAGE HOMELESS POPULATION STREET OUTREACH SERVED 81 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS: 76 ADULTS, 5 CHILDREN, 34% EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING; 30% EXITED TO OTHER POSITIVE DESTINATIONS (THIS INCLUDES TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND ADULT ONLY SHELTER) - OVERALL EXITS TO POSITIVE DESTINATIONS, 64% HOUSING SERVICES HOUSING SERVICES WORK TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS WHEREVER POSSIBLE. HOUSING SERVICES SEAMLESSLY BLEND SERVICES FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO THOSE AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. HSP CONDUCTS HELPLINE PREVENTION AND DIVERSION SCREENINGS 5 DAYS A WEEK VIA WALK-IN HOURS, OVER THE PHONE, AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. AS PARTICIPANTS COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT, THEY ARE REFERRED TO APPROPRIATE HOUSING RESOURCES. HSP'S GOAL IS TO FIRST AND FOREMOST PREVENT HOMELESSNESS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. THIS IS COMPLETED VIA MEDIATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES AS WELL AS EVICTION PREVENTION, SECURITY DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE, AND WATER TURN OFF SUPPORT. HSP IS THE COUNTY-WIDE ACCESS POINT FOR SEVERAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, SERVING AS THE AUTHORIZING AGENCY FOR SEVERAL COMMUNITY FUNDING STREAMS. AFTER PREVENTION AND DIVERSION SERVICES ARE ATTEMPTED, AND THE PARTICIPANT MEETS THE FEDERAL DEFINITION OF HOMELESS, THEY THEN ARE REFERRED TO COORDINATED ENTRY. COORDINATED ENTRY COMPLETES A NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE PARTICIPANT'S VULNERABILITY OR NEED. PARTICIPANTS ARE THEN REFERRED TO SHELTER SERVICES, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PSHPWD), OR RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAM. PSHPWD PROVIDES HOUSING AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO CHRONICALLY HOMELESS; HSP MAINTAINS 31 RENTAL UNITS FOR PARTICIPANTS. RAPID RE-HOUSING PROVIDES SHORT-TERM RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. IF A PARTICIPANT IS AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS, HAS AN EVICTION, OR NEEDS A SECURITY DEPOSIT, HSP HAS ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO MEET THOSE NEEDS AND AVOID HOMELESSNESS. RECEIVED OVER 800 CALLS VIA HSP'S HELPLINE SERVICE. COMPLETED PREVENTION AND DIVERSION SCREENINGS FOR 356 HOUSEHOLDS/590 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS: 400 ADULTS AND 190 CHILDREN COORDINATED ENTRY SERVED 296 HOUSEHOLDS/449 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS; 329 ADULTS AND 120 CHILDREN; 50% EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING; 29% INCREASED INCOME PERMANENT HOUSING SERVED 36 HOUSEHOLDS/61 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS; 44 ADULTS AND 17 CHILDREN, 89% OF HOUSEHOLDS EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING RAPID RE-HOUSING PROVIDED HOUSING SUPPORT FOR 26 HOUSEHOLDS/52 TOTAL HOMELESS PARTICIPANTS; 32 ADULTS AND 20 CHILDREN, 85% OF HOUSEHOLDS EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING PREVENTED EVICTIONS FOR 56 HOUSEHOLDS/129 PARTICIPANTS; 81 ADULTS AND 48 CHILDREN; WITH 155,110 COMPLETED 141 SECURITY DEPOSITS FOR 293 PARTICIPANTS; 178 ADULTS AND 115 CHILDREN; WITH 201,821 ASSISTED WITH WATER TURNOFFS FOR 51 HOUSEHOLDS/128 PARTICIPANTS: 72 ADULTS AND 56 CHILDREN, 35,538 ASSISTED WITH RENT PAYMENTS FOR 13 HOUSEHOLDS/26 PARTICIPANTS: 17 ADULTS AND 9 CHILDREN, 12,675 ASSISTED WITH DENTAL CARE FOR 32 HOUSEHOLDS/48 PARTICIPANTS: 37 ADULTS AND 11 CHILDREN, 34,401

THE CARROLL COUNTY FAMILY CENTER PROVIDES SERVICES TO EXPECTANT PARENTS, AND PARENTS WITH CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE. THE CENTER PROVIDES A COZY AND HOMELIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN TO LEARN AND GROW TOGETHER. THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE CENTER IS TO ENSURE THAT YOUNG CHILDREN ARE HEALTHY - PHYSICALLY, DEVELOPMENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A HIGH-QUALITY CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON EARLY LITERACY, NURTURING INTERACTIONS, AND LEARNING THROUGH PLAY. DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS, IMMUNIZATION CHECKS, AND DAILY PACT (PARENTS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER) ACTIVITIES ARE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM. WHILE THE CHILDREN ENGAGE IN THEIR OWN SPECIAL PROGRAMMING, PARENTS ALSO RECEIVE SERVICES. THESE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO INCREASE SELF-SUFFICIENCY, ENHANCE PARENTING SKILLS, AND PROVIDE QUALITY CASE MANAGEMENT. OUR ADULT EDUCATION PARTNER, CARROLL COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PROVIDES GED AND ESOL CLASSES FOR THE PARENTS. THE CENTER OFFERS PARENTING CLASSES USING THE EVIDENCE- BASED CURRICULUM, THE "NURTURING PARENT PROGRAM." OTHER CENTER-BASED SERVICES INCLUDE CASE MANAGEMENT, HEALTH CLASSES, JOB READINESS WORKSHOPS, PARENT LEADERSHIP TRAININGS, AND PEER SUPPORT ACTIVITIES. OUR MOST POPULAR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MONTHLY AND SEASONAL "SPECIAL EVENTS." THIS YEAR WE ENJOYED THEMES LIKE "OLYMPIC GAMES", "DINOSAUR DAY", "INTERNATIONAL DAY- AND A FIELD TRIP TO DUTCH WONDERLAND. FOR PARENTS, WE FOCUSED ON BUILDING ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS SUCH AS COOKING AND COMPUTER LITERACY, AND WE LAUNCHED A PARENTING SUPPORT GROUP. IN FY25, 16 FAMILIES (30 PARENTS AND CHILDREN) PARTICIPATED IN CENTER-BASED PROGRAMS. A TOTAL OF 2,184 PARTICIPATION VISITS WERE LOGGED BY THESE FAMILIES. THIS AMOUNTED TO A TOTAL OF 3,998 INDIVIDUAL SERVICES PROVIDED IN THE YEAR. PARENTS AND CHILDREN REMAINED ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR, PARTICIPATING IN MULTIPLE SERVICES AND MAINTAINING CONNECTIONS WITH STAFF AND OTHER FAMILIES.