COMMUNITY PARTNER CONNECTION EC O N O M I C S E R V I C E S A D M I N I S T R AT I O N • C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S D I V I S I O N ONE department • ONE vision • ONE mission • ONE core set of values NEWSLET TER Winter 2013 Knitting the community together in warmth Spokane Access Outreach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I N T H I S I SS U E Tri-County Colville CSO Children’s Christmas Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . Region 1 update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3 Region 2 update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5 page 2 page 2 >Shared Strengths Workshop >Excellence in Management >Community Connect Day in Kittitas County >Region 2 Reaches Out at the Semi-Annual Community Resource Exchange at Seattle Center Region 3 update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6 >Region 3 Community Service Offices and Mobile CSO win Award >Holiday Families and the Shelton CSO Moble CSO update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7 C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R C O N N EC T I O N  1 REGION 1 update (Eastern Washington) Spokane Access Outreach The Spokane Access WorkFirst CSO is helping to knit the community together in warmth – literally! For the past several years, CSO employees have annually sought out yarn donations to knit mufflers, hats and gloves for needy families. From January to December, busy fingers are working needles and crochet hooks to build a supply of these winter necessities. Supplementing the knitting, some workers use their smart shopping skills to purchase additional gloves and mittens when the sales are ripe! These donated additions round out a supply that serves hundreds of children and adults each year. During the holiday season, the predominantly handmade goods are hung from a “Tree of Warmth” Supplementing the in the CSO for clients to access knitting, some workers as needed. Started almost 20 utilize their smart years ago at the North Spokane shopping skills to office, the tradition has continued purchase additional through CSO moves and gloves and mittens when restructuring. Even as employees the sales are ripe! retire, others continue the project. Regardless of where the office was located or who was served, the mission remained the same – to spread warmth throughout the community of Spokane. We are proud of the efforts taken to continue this generous service to area families. If you would like to get involved or have yarn to spare, please contact vasquea@dshs.wa.gov. Tri-County Colville CSO Children’s Christmas Party Thursday, 12-20-12, a Christmas Party was held at the Colville CSO for children of the families we serve. Children wrote letters to Santa, and each child received a letter in return. They all received a present from their list! Visiting children made reindeer food, ornaments out of candy canes, Christmas cards for their parents, and watched a movie (The Polar Express). Juice, cookies, rice crispy treats, string cheese and goldfish crackers were served. Children had their pictures taken with Santa and received a gift from his elves. The picture was later given to their parents. Some families received a picture of the entire family. The families involved were appreciative of the kindness. Many said their children wouldn’t have had a Christmas otherwise. It was heartwarming to see the children smile and laugh! A huge thank you to everyone involved in this year’s party! 2  C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R C O N N EC T I O N REGION 1 continued Shared Strengths Workshops Shared strengths workshops continue in Region One. Attendees included the student government for Yakima Valley College (both Grandview campus and Yakima campus), staff from YVC, and staff from the Yakima DSHS Division of Child Support, DSHS Moses Lake Community Services Office, DSHS Division of Developmental Disabilities, and DSHS Division of Child Support. Yakima Valley College • August 29, 2012 SEATED FIRST ROW LEFT TO RIGHT Adam Olivas, Diana Jennings, Jamie Davis, April Carrillo, Ruben Cortez, Stefanie Menard, Theresa Schuknecht SEATED SECOND ROW LEFT TO RIGHT Barbara Cook, Kelly Robbins, Tammara Zimmerman, Lisa Hansen, Stefanie Tanasse, Chris Glaser, Todd Reed STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT Ken Sauby, Beverly Brockway, Jared Kirby, Michael Floresca, Brad Kent, JB Fontenot, Mary Sziebert, Cheryl Sherman DSHS Sunnyside Community Service Office • October 1, 2012 SEATED LEFT TO RIGHT Sharon Cloninger, Katie Liddicoat, Jeri Weber, Gail Blegen-Frost, David Romero, Emma Ygona-Parrish, Greg Fielding STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT Phil Diaz, Erin Breitenstein, Maribel Gonzalez, Dee Howard, Dennis Knox, Alicia Walker, Sara Smart, Connie McWain, Kristina Rasmussen, Diane Bonin, Cindi Abbott, Pat Glowaski, Gloria Martínez, Noel Alaniz, Jenny Purcell, Paddy Carlson, Wilma Brown, Michael Morgan, Sandy Escamilla, Marilyn Johnson, Lyndsey Wilson, Steve Jordan, Denise Boyer, Ken Sauby DSHS Moses Lake Community Service Office • October 3, 2012 SEATED LEFT TO RIGHT Michelle Wolf, Christine Mickelson, Barbara Umberger, Pam Tikker, Tracy Hollingsworth, Jami Smith, Josh Ohta, Socorro Wright, Sharlene Gentry, Erika Torres, Mary Mitchell, Jennifer Roybal, Darcy O’Neil, Nichole Garcia, Melanie Piperek, Linda Bland STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT Ken Sauby, Don Fuller, Daniel Marshall, Suzanne Zinke, Leslie Osborne-Allen, Mike Silva, Arin Swinger, Kris Russell, Mary Garcia-Fagan, Itza Reyes, Alvena McClintick, Todd Vercoe, Joseph Hall, Olga Lutsyk, Tory Carl, Jan Pottenger, Tory Fiedler, Becky Buckner, Karen Lantz, Lynette Walker, Mary Jo White, Brenda Verbeck, Jeff Rose, Jean Rabe, Diane Ewer 3  C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R C O N N EC T I O N REGION 1 continued Excellence in Management Nearly 70 community members from Okanogan County and beyond attended a two-part “Excellence in Management” presentation by Michael Nash of Nash Consulting, Inc. on November 16. Jack Kaplan, Employer Resource Specialist with Career Path Services, trained on “Behavioral Interviewing” to more than 40 the week before. The workshops are being offered free to community partners and businesses through a WorkFirst Innovation Incentive grant awarded to the Okanogan County Local Planning Area (LPA). The LPA partners of the Okanogan Community Services Office, WorkSource Omak, Career Path Services, and Wenatchee Valley College spearheaded the grant project. Economic Alliance has partnered with the LPA to provide marketing resources and registration for the workshops. The LPA’s goal is to provide timely and relevant training to local agencies and businesses. Many of them serve WorkFirst families or employ parents as they leave the WorkFirst program. The faltering economy has created challenges for organizations in rural Okanogan County to access this kind of instructor-led training. Marie Falmo, co-chair of the LPA, told attendees, “Supporting you, your businesses and community agencies is vital to ensuring opportunities and resources are available to our WorkFirst families. You matter to us. You matter to the families we serve.” Kaplan’s “Behavioral Interviewing” is based on the premise that someone’s past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. Using behavioral interviewing techniques can help ensure employers hire the best candidate the first time and reduce the high cost of turnover, estimated to be more than $5,500 per vacancy for an $8-per-hour position according to recent studies. Hiring that focuses too heavily on technical skills or “gut feelings” too often results in incompatibility and turnover. Nash’s workshops included “Creating a Positive Workplace Environment” and “Giving Feedback to Employees without Lowering Morale.” He emphasized managers’ roles in creating and maintaining high morale atmospheres that are efficient, productive and provide good customer service. Nash provided specific tools and ideas of how to strengthen relationships and how to address corrective action when it becomes necessary. Nash returns to Okanogan on February 13, to present“Behavior Styles: Managing Others with Trust and Respect” and “Internal Customer Service.” The series concludes on April 17 when Ellis Amdur of the Edgewood Crisis Intervention Resources presents his training, “De-Escalation of Aggressive and Mentally Ill Individuals.” All trainings are free to the public. Registrations will be handled online at www.economic-alliance.org or by calling the Economic Alliance office at 509-826-5107. 4  C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R C O N N EC T I O N REGION 1 continued Community Connect Day in Kittitas County More than 260 area residents of all ages came to the FISH (Friends in Service to Humanity) Food Bank Thursday, October 11, 2012 for Community Connect Day! An effort made possible by the Kittitas County Homeless and Affordable Housing Network to connect those in-need with local social service providers. Clients received multiple services in one place. More than 30 service agencies participated. Most everything was free, including hair-cuts, vaccinations, dental screenings, eye exams, diabetes test, clothing, coats and cookbooks. Chef Frank Schepman and his group of volunteers served two meals for those attending. The event was a huge success and plans for 2013 are already in the works! Cindy Ollgaard, WorkFirst Program Specialist from the Ellensburg CSO and Mitch Rhoades from Entrust Community Services prepare food for Community Connect Day REGION 2 update Region 2 (King County) Reaches Out at the Semi-Annual Community Resource Exchange at Seattle Center On Thursday, October 18th 2012, the United Way Community Resource Exchange (CRE) was held at the Seattle Center. More than 400 volunteers participated in this semi-annual outreach event. Because of the help, support and giving nature of the volunteers a difference was made in the lives of more than 1,200 homeless and other low-income individuals and families. •219 guests received eye exams with 150 individuals receiving prescriptions for glasses •200+ guests were connected in the communications center (phone calls, voice mail, email resources and more) •130 guests received Washington state identification card vouchers •180 guests received a flu shot •250 haircuts were given •1,000 pairs of shoes were given away •80+ guests applied for benefits, reported changes or had questions answered about their DSHS benefits Region 2 (King County) and the Mobile CSO along with Division of Child Support helped to staff this event making it a huge success! Thanks goes out to everyone involved! 5  C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R C O N N EC T I O N REGION 3 update Region 3 Community Services Offices and Mobile CSO win Outstanding Large Organization Award for 2012 from Project Homeless Connect-Pierce County DSHS has been committed to Project Homeless Connect in Pierce County since inception in 2008. The intent of the project is to offer services to homeless residents in one day for what normally takes eight months. Participants received a wide range of services from medical, dental, haircuts, housing, flu shots and DSHS services. Originally a miniCSO was created to serve the clients. It took an enormous amount of collaboration to set up. But the Mobile CSOs have been a a lifesaver in easing the workload. Shannon Monroe, Mobile CSO Administrator stepped in making special arrangements to ensure her team was present. Thanks to this commitment we received the “Outstanding Large Organization Award for 2012”. The Pierce County Project Homeless Connect was held on October 20, 2012 where more than 900 individuals received services. Special thanks go to: Holiday Families and the Shelton CSO In partnership with the Area Agency on Aging, the Shelton CSO adopted seven holiday families in 2012. As an office, we wanted to give to those in need and focus on people who may not otherwise have a special holiday treat. These families asked for so little that it was a blessing to give and work with such a great group of people to fulfill each wish-list item. We were able to donate much needed gift cards, pet supplies, a blood pressure reader, back pack, Christmas tree and Wheaties. That’s right, Wheaties is all he wanted! When the gifts were delivered there was so much happiness and gratitude! It was wonderful to pull together as an office and help our local community. Community Service Offices •Danielle Magee, Lakewood •John Gunn, Pierce North •Kristina Barry, Pierce North •Glynis McClain, Pierce North •Lisa Avent, Pierce South •Johanna Brickle, Pierce South •Valorie Holloway, Pierce South Mobile CSO - East •Fran Cervantes •Gina Garza •Josie Mendoza •Francesca Naccarato Mobile CSO - West •Jan Egland •Eric Tayag •Ezra Paskus LEFT TO RIGHT Johanna Brickle, Kristina Barry, Lisa Avent, John Gunn, Vicky McLaurin, Roberta Marsh, Jan Egland, and Eric Tayag 6  C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R C O N N EC T I O N MOBILE CSO DSHS Mobile CSO Partnered with Spokane Christmas Bureau providing assistance to low-income families over the holiday season Mobile CSO staff and local CSO/CSC volunteer staff also worked one-on-one with more than 295 households inside the mobile office. They processed more than 99 new DSHS applications, completed an additional 51 eligibility reviews and processed multiple changes to active cases. Mobile staff and volunteers also walked the long lines of waiting families answering questions and providing resource materials each day outreaching to thousands of Spokane residents. Contact Shannon Monroe at Shannon.monroe@dshs.wa.gov to find out more information about the Mobile CSO and schedule the Mobile CSO team to attend your next community event. Do you know of a community event that needs a DSHS presence or do you want to know more about the Mobile CSO and where it will be next? You can find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/DSHS-MobileCSO-WA-State/236276269805024 or www.dshs.wa.gov/mobileoffice. You can also contact one of our team by calling Shannon Monroe at (360) 7254881. We look forward to working with you! 7  C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R C O N N EC T I O N Jesse Tinsley pho Before families and individuals received their holiday treasures each household was required to provide verification of their need for assistance. Many found themselves unable to provide this information but, fortunately, the Mobile CSO lended a hand to help verify the circumstances in 878 households. By the time the Christmas Bureau closed on December 21, a grand total of 32,060 people were served. Toys were distributed to 16,124 children and 9,877 households were issued food vouchers for groceries. to The Spokane Christmas Bureau’s 2012 Holiday Event was another huge success for the Mobile Community Service Office. This partnership added DSHS’s cash, food, and medical programs to the more traditional holiday toys and grocery vouchers provided by the Christmas Bureau to struggling Spokane families.