Human Interests Blog Human Services

Human Interests

Seattle Human Services news and events

What a Year! Thank you.

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*UDP Enrollment numbers were updated after publication.

As 2020 comes to a close, I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and as well as one can be in what has surely been one of the more challenging years we have faced as a department. Back in January, we already knew that “change” would be a theme this year.

One of the city’s top priorities for the year was to help stand-up and launch the new King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA). For HSD, this included transitioning our Homeless Strategy and Investment division staff and contracts to a co-location space with their County peers and development of a staffing plan.

While that work has been underway all year, little did we know at the start of 2020 that a global pandemic like nothing seen in at least a century was already underway. Not only did that slow the progress of this work, it lead to most employees shifting to work from home, being reassigned, and changing work plans. Plus significant impacts to our economy and unimaginable changes to how each of us conduct our daily lives.

With homelessness response transitioning to the KCRHA, our department planned to spend much of the year redefining how it exists within the human services space. HSD planned to work with staff, service providers, and clients to co-create a roadmap for the future. This work launched in February with an understanding that race and social justice should underpin everything that we were going to talk about. The public health crisis forced us to pause that work almost immediately. Little did we know the paradigm shift coming in the summer as the support for Black Lives Matter took on new meaning for our general society and millions more people “awoke” to the understanding that it’s time to rethink how we spend our tax dollars and how our governments respond to the needs of the community.

Human Services Department (HSD) staff and our community partners have been a part of the front-line response to COVID-19, pivoting programs and rising to the many challenges to help those most in need. I am deeply proud of the work we have accomplished together during this crisis. Our mission to connect people with resources and solutions during times of need so we can all live, learn, work, and take part in strong, healthy communities took on a much greater sense of urgency in 2020, even as we managed our ongoing work.

COVID-19:

Image of the Food Resources Map
  1. In March, HSD’s Data, Performance, and Evaluation (DPE) team built an interactive map of food bank and meal programs operating in Seattle and King County. It is available to the public and provides up-to-date details for these resources. To date, the site has over 34,000 views and is updated on a regular schedule.
  2. HSD successfully redeployed approximately 130 employees throughout the department to fulfill mission priority work related to food distribution, set-up of emergency shelters in City-owned buildings, and shelter staffing support including overnight shifts. Staff also provisioned over $600,000 in PPE, sanitation supplies, and to-go food distribution supplies for emergency feeding providers.
  3. HSD helped our community partners respond to the pandemic by supporting multiple capital projects: including construction of three new childcare facilities to support families with low-incomes, relocation of the ROOTS youth shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic, and supporting relocation and expansion of the Ballard Food Bank facility.
  4. Our staff oversaw the implementation of two rounds of CDBG and ESG CARES Act emergency funding, working across six departments and the Mayor’s office to maximize impact, and managed 10 new COVID response funding sources totaling almost $50M of increased budget to aid in the City’s pandemic response.
  5. Over $8M in state and federal funds was awarded to providers for COVID response to BIPOC communities, free and reduced lunch students, people experiencing homelessness, and more, working with partners like the National Guard and the United Way of King County.

Preparing Youth for Success:

  1. A new public awareness campaign was launched in partnership with The Vida Agency – “Be Ready. Be Hydrated. / Prepárate. Hidrátate.” – which promoted healthy choices to counter sugary beverage marketing tactics aimed at youth of color. It was funded by the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax. 
  2. Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) developed a Summer Virtual Job Readiness Program pilot for over 200 youth in collaboration with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Police Department. The workshops included teambuilding, time management, problem solving, growth mindset, resumé and cover letter writing, interviewing, and certifications in First Aid/CPR and Food Handling. Participants earned a stipend of up to $599.

Supporting Affordability and Livability:

  1. 11,137 households were enrolled in the Utility Discount Program (UDP) through the COVID-19 online self-certification form through 1/03/21. The total number of households benefiting from UDP now exceeds over 40,000.

Promoting Public Health:

  1. The nationally-recognized Mobile Integrated Health Program partnership increased the service area for Health One and now allows any Seattle Fire unit to make a referral. 

Addressing Homelessness:

Nav Team members prepare hygiene kits
  1. HSD provided additional funds to our homeless service providers through an emergency funding process to support unanticipated costs due to COVID-19. We funded shelter programs, day/hygiene centers, and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) sites. These funds allowed for program modification and physical layout of program spaces to be COVID-compliant. 
  2. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early March through September, HSD’s Navigation Team engaged over 2,300 individuals experiencing homelessness, made over 670 site visits for outreach, conducted over 1,650 encampment litter/debris pickups, and made over 610 shelter referrals. 
  3. The Navigation Team had over 5,400 conversations about COVID-19 with people experiencing homelessness, provided over 2,600 hygiene kits, distributed over 2,300 COVID-19 and Hepatitis A related public health fliers, and handed out over 1,100 boxed meals. 
  4. Over five days of outreach in September during the wildfire smoke emergency, Navigation Team System Navigators conducted 217 needs assessments, distributed 219 emergency shelter flyers, provided 178 basic needs items, made 32 referrals into the emergency smoke shelter and 30 referrals into other City-funded shelter programs. 

KCRHA:

  1. Three governance committees for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) have been formed: Governing Committee (GC); Implementation Board (IB), and; Continuum of Care (CoC) Board. This included hiring Lived Experience (LE) Coalition staff, Johnathan Hemphill, to support the LE representatives at all levels of the governance structure. Joint meetings/trainings were also conducted focusing on racial justice.
  2. The new regional homelessness authority also established operational functions to support KCRHA employees and business operations (e.g. retirement, accounting and payroll services, insurance, and health benefits) and initiated recruitment for a CEO, including a final job description announcement and recruitment packet.

Promoting Healthy Aging:

Virtual Events logo
  1. Early on in 2020, HSD was tasked with creating an action plan to manage the impacts of the pandemic on the vulnerable communities we work with. Aging and Disability Services division staff increased nutrition services by expanding delivery and mobile options to meet growth due to COVID and provided new guidelines and other support for our community provider network. Staff also pivoted in-home supports, offering online and telephonic services that helped keep over 12,000 community long-term care clients safe.
  2. Staff also supported social and civic engagement by moving Age Friendly Seattle programs online, creating a weekly virtual event series, coordinating a variety of other special events, and establishing an Aging King County YouTube channel featuring event recordings with closed captioning.

Supporting Safe Communities:

Young woman dressed in purple with a purple witch's hat on her head
  1. As part of our Domestic Violence Awareness Month social media campaign, and to take advantage of a rare fifth #PurpleThursday in October, our staff and friends decided to join with some other DV awareness programs around the country in also promoting a Purple Pumpkin decorating challenge. Here are some of the results.
  2. As Mayor Jenny A. Durkan said recently, this year also brought “a civil rights reckoning that demanded our city address systemic injustices in policing, housing, health care, and education.” Because of changes to how our City addresses Public Safety, the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (MODVSA) recently welcomed 13 colleagues from the Seattle Police Department to be part of the Crime Survivor Services Unit.

    The Crime Survivor Services Unit’s focus is victim advocacy, providing immediate support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse, violent crimes, and homicides. In addition, MODVSA also welcomed five new MSW Interns who are working with the MODVSA Manager on investment, program, and policy research.
  3. This new unit within the MODVSA, as well as the Office itself, will be part of something new in 2021, as HSD staff work through feedback gathered at the community forum series we recently held to help stand up its new Safe and Thriving Communities Division. This new division will respond to community requests for the City of Seattle to shift funding away from traditional police response and reinvest in community building efforts using nearly $22 million in annual investments.

As we look to 2021, we know that much of the public health response will continue for some time. We also know the challenging work we planned for this year will need to resume in the months to come.

Please join me in celebrating these tremendous contributions toward our department results. Thank you for continuing to rise to the challenge of making a positive difference in people’s lives!

Your Partner,

Jason Johnson,
Acting Director

As 2019 Comes to a Close…

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The year has kept the Seattle Human Services Department busy, presenting many challenges, opportunities, and reasons to celebrate! 

As we enter 2020, lets take a moment to look at 19 highlights from ’19 that demonstrate the incredible work our teams have accomplished together – and with your partnership – over the last year:

Preparing Youth for Success:

Seattle Youth Employment Program participants celebrate at Capstone event in Seattle Center at the conclusion of their summer internships
SYEP youth celebrate at Capstone event in Seattle Center in August
  1. Youth and Family Empowerment staff conducted a successful funding opportunity to invest $4.4 million next year in 14 proposals from community organizations to provide support for youth and young adults harmed by the criminal legal system in Seattle.
  2. We have expanded the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) from summer-only to a year-round model, providing increased access for youth to grow as community leaders and prepare for future work and career opportunities by engaging in a set curriculum to build job-readiness skills as part of a cohort of youth.
  3. The Summer Food Service Program served over 175,000 meals and snacks at 114 sites this year, providing nutrition to kids so they can thrive and grow upon returning to school.

Supporting Affordability and Livability:

A Seattle Preschool Program student picks up his family's Good Food Bag
Seattle Preschool Program student picks up his family’s Good Food Bag (Photo: Tilth Alliance)
  1. The Utility Discount Program​ expanded their stellar services to bring affordability to nearly 34,000 utility customers throughout our region, and once again presented the Energy, Utility, and Resource Summit in conjunction with Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities.  
  2. Partnered with the Office of Sustainability and Environment and Department of Education and Early Learning to support the Fresh Bucks To Go food bag pilot, an offshoot of the City of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program, which delivers healthy, local produce and online convenience directly to families through the Seattle Public Preschool Program and before- and after-school programs serving low-income children and families in Seattle.
  3. HSD’s Child Care Bonus Program provided $2M in capital funding for the development of a location of the Denise Louise Early Learning Center, which will serve 300 children and their guardians annually in six new classrooms, as part of Mercy Housing’s project which redeveloped the historic Sand Point Naval Air Station into 148 affordable apartments –as well as resident services and a neighborhood health clinic.
  4. HSD granted $50,000 to Villa Comunitaria to work with the Latinx Community and South Park residents to expand their urban garden at Marra Farm. The expansion will provide hands-on learning about organics and healthy soil production, distribution, and sales of produce. The grant will support seasonal garden events; community meals at Marra Farm; and field trips to connect residents with food resources, such as local farmers markets and community kitchens.

Addressing Homelessness:

Man staying at emergency winter shelter inside Jefferson Community Center
Man staying at emergency winter shelter (Photo: Tim Durkan)
  1. Our ongoing strategic investments in homelessness helped shelter and house more people in 2019 than any other year.
  2. Critical services were surged to unprecedented levels during last winter’s storms to deliver food and supportive services to more than 1,250 people. During the worst of the storms, our partners stood up emergency shelter for hundreds of people at community centers across Seattle and HSD case managers called 700+ high-risk clients to ensure they were safe, had enough food, and had an up-to-date emergency plan.
  3. We also have had an opportunity to transform our homelessness response system by taking a new and collaborative path throughout the Seattle region. Just before the holiday break, a new King County Regional Homelessness Authority was agreed upon​.
  4. Even as we planned for new governance, staff were working with community partners to increase access and safety in shelter for transgender persons experiencing homelessness. We’ll be rolling out opportunities related to these policy improvements in 2020.
  5. In October, we partnered with Port of Seattle to extend the City’s lease at Interbay Village for an additional year.

Promoting Public Health:

Health One unit staff pose in front of their vehicle with Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and Fire Chief Harold Scroggins
(Photo: Seattle Fire Department)
  1. The Seattle Fire Department expanded its Mobile Integrated Health program by partnering with HSD to provide case management services on more calls, including a new ride-along program called Health One which provides an instant connection to health and social services when needed and keeps resources free for emergencies that need immediate attention.

Responding to Gender-Based Violence:

Staff from City of Seattle's Mayor’s Office, Office of Labor Standards, Legislative Department, and Human Services Department dressed in purple to participate in #PurpleThursday by posting a photo to social media.
City of Seattle staff dressed in purple to participate in #PurpleThursday.
  1. Support of community-based and systems providers to carry out survivor supportive services, outreach, and prevention through the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (MODVSA) resulted in more than 9,000 individuals and families served in 2019. That is 2,000 more than last year. Thank you!
  2. MODVSA staff also advanced work to find solutions to Tech-Enabled Coercive Control (TECC) by serving on the TECC working group, which partnered with community agencies to establish a volunteer clinic at New Beginnings that helps survivors plan their tech safety.
  3. We also led a successful effort to increase education and awareness this year through a series of events, including:

Promoting Health Aging:

Seattle Human Services staff pose for a photo before the start of Sounders FC Age-Friendly Day on September 15th
HSD staff pose for a photo before the start of Sounders FC Age-Friendly Day at Century Link Field
  1. Aging and Disability Services staff provided more Medicaid services to improve older adults’ health and safety in their homes, reaching 1,291 individuals with new services—this program is experiencing an average of 60 new referrals each month!
  2. Every four years, Area Agencies on Aging around the country develop an Area Plan, which charts the course we will follow as we seek to create an age-friendly community. The plan describes the function of Aging and Disability Services as the local Area Agency on Aging, presents relevant demographic trends, and outlines the major goals and objectives to be achieved over the course of four years. The final draft Area Plan 2020–2023 for Seattle and King County, Washington, was submitted October 4, 2019, as a result of countless engagements with staff, partners, and the community, including reviews of both local and national research in conjunction with DPE to best address the needs of Seattle’s older adults.
  3. We partnered with AARP to host the first Age Friendly Day at the SoundersFC on September 15

While not all-inclusive of the hard work of HSD staff over the past twelve months, it demonstrates the breadth of our work across our six key investment impact areas as we collaborate and perform services each day that deserve recognition. 

Please join us in celebrating these tremendous contributions toward our department results as we look towards 2020 and continuing to rise to the challenge of making a difference in people’s lives!

Your Partner,

Jason Johnson,
Acting Director

Step Ahead Preschools Expand for 2014-2015 School Year

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The Seattle Human Services Department today announced that Sound Child Care Solutions’ Hoa Mai Vietnamese Bilingual Preschool was awarded $229,972 in Families and Education Levy Step Ahead Preschool funding for 36 children. The program will open in Fall 2014 in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. Additional Step Ahead Preschool funds were also awarded for more children at three existing sites: Chinese Information and Service Center in the International District (8 children); Denise Louie Education Center in Beacon Hill ( 12 children) and Seed of Life Center for Early Learning and Preschool in Southeast Seattle (6 children). Funding award period is September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015.

Child Care Resources receives funding for child care outreach

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The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) today announced that Child Care Resources was awarded $148,500 for the Family Child Care Outreach Project. This project will provide outreach and training to 100 Seattle family child care providers who serve low-income children to help providers meet quality guidelines for HSD’s child care subsidy program. The project will also conduct outreach with families who are eligible for HSD’s child care subsidies. The funding award will cover the period of April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015.

Need help paying for child care?

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Are you a working parent who needs help paying for child care? The City of Seattle may be able to help. The Seattle Human Services Department’s Child Care Assistance Program helps low- and moderate-income working families pay for child care for children ages one month to 13 years. Mayor Mike McGinn recently announced that the program has more than 300 slots available. The amount of payment from the City varies according to the income of the family, age of the child, and hours of care needed. The City typically pays between 25% to 70% of a standardized rate, and the family is responsible for paying the difference. To qualify you must:

  • Live within Seattle city limits
  • Be employed and or enrolled in educational/job training
  • Have children under 13 years of age
  • Use a provider contracted with the City of Seattle
  • Not be eligible for any other child care subsidy program
  • Meet income guidelines based on family size.

For income guidelines, please see our Web site. For information on how to apply please call 206-386-1050.

 

Mayor’s Proposed Budget preserves human services

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Mayor Mike McGinn presented his Proposed 2013-2014 Budget to the City Council on September 24th. The budget preserves direct human services and adds funding for inflation increases for agencies, child care assistance, homeless families, domestic violence prevention, a pilot program to help young adults of color find career path jobs. For details about the budget and a link to the Mayor’s budget speech click here.

The City Council will hold two public hearings on the Proposed Budget, one on October 4th at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, and one on October 25th, same time and location. The Council will review the Human Services Department’s budget on October 2nd beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Funding for child care, homeless families in Mayor’s budget

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On Wednesday, Sept. 19, Mayor McGinn announced new investments in human services as part of his 2013-14 Proposed Budget, including an expansion of a City program providing child care to low- and moderate-income families and increased assistance to homeless families with children. The proposed budget also includes an increase in funding for human services providers to cover the costs of inflation. For details, please see this press release. To view a video of the press conference, click here.

 

‘Farm to Table’ program continues!

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The City of Seattle’s Farm to Table Project will continue to link senior meal sites and child care programs to local area farms.  The goal of these efforts is to get local, organic produce into some of Seattle’s most under-served communities.  With continued funding from the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) and community partnerships,  the program, launched through a Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant,  will be continued.  For more information please contact Maria Langlais at maria.langlais@seattle.gov or Natalie Thomson at Natalie.thomson@seattle.gov.

Mayor promotes city’s free preschool programs

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Joined by educators and children of Seattle’s La Escuelita Bilingual School, Mayor Mike McGinn announced today (Aug. 31) openings in the City of Seattle’s free and reduced-fee preschool programs. The Seattle Human Services Department is now enrolling 4-year-olds from low- to moderate-income families in free or low-cost, high-quality preschool programs. Step Ahead and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) still have free or reduced-cost spaces available for more than 250 children at 21 sites in southeast and southwest Seattle this school year. Step Ahead is funded by the Seattle Families and Education Levy, and ECEAP is funded by the state of Washington. For more information about these programs — locations, eligibility and applications — call 206-386-1050. For more information please visit this Web site.

Free & low-cost preschool available

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Seattle Human Services Department preschool programs are now enrolling 4-year-olds from low- to moderate-income families. Seattle Step Ahead and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) still have free or reduced-cost spaces available for more than 600 children at 21 sites in southeast and southwest Seattle this school year. Click here to see the complete news release.