What is the Real Cost of Self-Sufficiency?

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

In 2015, New Hanover County’s Community Justice Services (CJS) Department began intentionally researching how to address critical service gaps for high-risk families in our community. The goal was to “Double the Impact” by creating a case management program to enhance existing successful county prevention and intervention programs by assisting families identify their strengths and needs through a care coordinated facilitation of comprehensive services by engaging them in developing long term, concrete plans towards achieving self-sufficiency. This required presenting projected outcomes to the Board of County Commissioners for their approval to create and implement this linchpin service. The Case Management Program aimed to further the county goals of reducing and preventing crime, reducing health risks, and enhancing the self-sufficiency of families by focusing on social determinants to include education, employment, food, health insurance, housing, physical and mental healthcare, social supports, substance use, and transportation. This would be accomplished by staff utilizing evidence informed models at no cost to the family. Since the program’s implementation in May 2016, 137 families with 445 individuals have been served via tireless facilitation and linkage to vital resources and community organizations that have increased 57% of our families served overall level of self-sufficiency.