Press releases

House of Hope seeks
case management clients

PRESS RELEASE DATE: FEB. 17, 2010

House of Hope is seeking low-income Martin County residents to take part in the agency’s case management program, which focuses on helping people become more economically stable and self-sufficient.

Last fall, the Martin County government awarded a grant to House of Hope to provide case management services. The one-year, $146,855 grant is funded through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA, or federal stimulus package).

The grant is designed to address the needs of low-income people — especially as it relates to their ability to obtain, maintain and/or increase their employment.

Financially, the grant can provide assistance with rent/mortgage payments or costs related to child care, transportation and certain medical expenses. 

The longer-term help, however, comes from the guidance case managers provide. Case workers help clients make a plan for bringing greater stability to their lives -- and the lives of their family members.  Such planning involves helping clients access training and educational opportunities, referring them to other support services in the community, and helping them improve life skills such as managing their household finances.

Candidates for the case management program must be Martin County residents and be willing to engage in a long-term program that involves planning for a better future. Participants must also agree to home visits, monthly checkups and referral follow-ups by House of Hope case managers.

“The goal of the program is to help people get started on the road to a better life,” said Lesley Frederick, MSW, House of Hope’s lead case manager. “Typically, involvement in the program lasts three to six months, but it could last up to a year. Although it may be years before the planning all comes to fruition, the important part is getting off to a solid start.”

Ms. Frederick leads the program, which also includes case workers Yolanda Owens and Carmen Encarnación, both hired under the grant last fall.

Trained volunteers also are available to provide clients with assistance in such areas as budgeting, resumé building and interview skills.

For more information about the program, please call Lesley Frederick at (772) 286-4673. For more information about House of Hope and all its programs and locations, please visit www.hohmartin.org.