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Caregivng in America: Seattle
Do you or someone you know care for an adult family member or friend? You're not alone. In Washington, more than 850,000 unpaid family caregivers are helping someone age 18+ to remain at home.
On February 19th, Washington Post Live hosted a half-day conference in Seattle that focused on the unique and pressing needs of caregivers, particularly the family members and close friends who care for loved ones without pay. Co-sponsored by AARP, the University of Washington School of Nursing, and the Ad Council, the event was part of a series of "Washington Post Live: Caregiving in America" events held on this topic in three cities, including Seattle, Chicago and Atlanta. HSD helped publicize the event. Among the featured speakers were travel writer and TV show host Rick Steves who gave a heartfelt description of his mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease. In other segments, Kevin Quigley, Washington State's secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, provided an overview of the services available to caregivers in the state; Washington's First Lady Trudi Inslee mentioned the need for workplace adult day care; and other panels touched on other aspects of caregiving including the challenges faced by working caregivers. Locally, valuable caregiving programs are administered by the Seattle Human Services Department's Aging & Disability Services division (ADS). ADS funds several countywide services and programs that address the complex needs of unpaid family caregivers. In 2014 ADS received $3.9 million dollars ($3.2 million state, $740,000 federal) in Family Caregiver Support funding. A portion is managed directly by ADS, while the rest is contracted out to nine local nonprofits for specific caregiver support services. Conference highlights, fascinating topics all, are linked below.
Catherine Lester
Interim Director, Seattle Human Services Department
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| Update coming soon on HSD Director hiring process | |
 An update on the recruitment and hiring process for the new director of the Seattle Human Services Department will be available soon. Please visit our blog Human Interests over the next few days for the latest news. You can also visit us on Facebook (please "like" our page!) or follow us on Twitter: @seattlehsd.
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| 3 funding opportunities from HSD |  The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) currently has three funding opportunities available to interested agencies. Note the pending deadlines.
- Family Child Care Outreach Project: to do outreach and train Seattle family child care providers to meet quality guidelines for HSD's Child Care Subsidy program. Applications are due by noon, on Monday, March 10th.
- Youth Build Education and Employment Training Services: to provide youth and young adult education and employment training services in Seattle. Applications are due by noon on Monday, March 10th.
- 2014 Step Ahead Preschools (Families and Education Levy) to provide Step Ahead preschool services to low-income 3- and 4-year-old children and their families to increase children's school readiness. Proposals are due by 4 p.m. on March 12th.
For more information, please visit this Web site.
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| Maureen Linehan named Interim ADS division director | |
 In late February, Maureen Linehan became the Interim Division Director of the Seattle Human Services Department's Aging & Disability Services division. The previous director, Jesse Eller, resigned to take a new position in Arizona.
Maureen has worked for many years in ADS, most recently as the division's Operations Manager.
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| U.S. Conference of Mayors highlights Seattle youth jobs program |  The Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is featured in the U.S. Conference of Mayors DollarWise campaign to promote summer youth employment. Seattle is one of 13 cities nationwide highlighted in the campaign.
SYEP is a program of the Seattle Human Services Department open to students, ages 15-17, enrolled in Seattle Public Schools. During the summer, the program places youth in seven-week paid internships to develop work readiness skills. Internships take place in a range of sectors such as health care, education, recreation, skilled trades, social services and technology. Youth are provided with case management support and mentorship at their internships sites. There is also a year-round program.
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| FREE financial counseling at March 22 Financial Resource Day |  Mark your calendars for Financial Resource Day on Saturday, March 22, 2014, at the Rainier Community Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This unique event offers one-on-one help for many financial issues all at one location, brought to you by the City of Seattle and the Financial Empowerment Network | Seattle-King County.
During the event, individuals will be able to get help filing their tax return, get a free credit report, get budget and debt advice, learn to write a resume or apply for a job online, apply for student loans or citizenship applications, shred private documents, and more. All services are free! Child care, interpretation and other accommodations are available, but people who need them are asked to register by e-mailing: info@skcabc.org.
Financial Resource Day outreach materials are available! If you would like flyers and posters delivered to your organization please fill out our easy material request form here. For more information, please visit this Web site. |
| Early learning group wins special recognition |  On Tuesday, March 4th, the Seattle Early Learning Collaborative (SEEC) received a special recognition award of the Roadmaps Project, sponsored by the Community Center for Education Results. SEEC was honored for its collaborative work, community-based, data-driven success for young children.
SEEC partners work together to increase the number of school-ready children in Seattle though improving access to high quality early learning and preschool programs, starting first with the publicly funded programs that serve low-income children, including Head Start/Early Head Start, and three Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) programs: the state-funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), the Families and Education Levy-funded Step Ahead preschools and the City-funded Comprehensive Child Care Program.
Also recognized was United Way of King County's Parent-Child Home Program, which is funded in part by the Seattle Human Services Department. The Parent-Child Home Program tries to reach isolated, low-income families in our region, and is designed to boost early literacy and school readiness.
The Road Map Project is a communitywide effort aimed at improving education to drive dramatic improvement in student achievement from cradle to college and career in south King County and south Seattle.
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Radio report highlights senior housing crisis
|  KIRO Radio's Rachel Belle last month interviewed staff from the Human Services Department's Aging & Disability Services - Andrea Yip and Tom Trolio - about the shortage of housing for older adults. The story aired on Thursday, Feb. 27th.
Said Andrea: "It's what we call the Silver Tsunami. The Age Wave is coming. There's just not going to be enough housing and, even specifically, affordable housing for older adults. And older adults have special needs. As your body ages you can't climb all of the stairs and you need what we call Universal Design Principals in housing."
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| Senior Coffee Hour features Councilmember Harrell |  Join us for the March Senior Coffee Hour, sponsored by the Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens, this month featuring a conversation with Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell.
The Coffee Hour will be held on Thursday, March 20th, 10 to 11 a.m., at the Central Building, 1st floor conference room, 810 3rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. For more information, please call 206-684-0500.
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Count of homeless youth now available
| In late January, 777 youth and young adults were counted as homeless or "unstably housed"  in Seattle and King County. Results are now available from Count Us In 2014, conducted on January 23, 2014. Count Us In is King County's annual effort to count youth and young adults aged 12-25 who are unstably housed or homeless.
The full report is available here, and a one page overview is available here. |
| City partners with United Way to offer free tax preparation |  The Seattle Human Services Department and United Way of King County's Free Tax Campaign are partnering to offer free tax preparation at drop-in sites across Seattle. From January 14 - April 15, anyone making under $52,000 a year can drop-in and have their taxes prepared for them at the Seattle Public Library, Rainier and Rainier Beach Community Centers, El Centro De la Raza, Seattle Goodwill, Lake City Neighborhood Service Center, YWCA in Greenbridge, or Phinney Neighborhood Center.
In addition to tax help, benefits volunteers will also be on site to help with health care enrollment, credit pulls, and money for college or food. This service is always free, and is provided by hundreds of trained local volunteers. To learn more this service, or to join the team as a tax preparer or benefits volunteer, visit this Web page.
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Save energy AND money!
|  These tips from Seattle City Light could save energy and money on your monthly electric bill:
- Power down your electronics: Most electronics, computers, and monitors draw power (called stand-by power) even when they are turned off. Hook up your electronics to a smart power strip so you can completely turn off your electronics when not in use. For additional energy-saving tips, contact a City Light Energy Advisor at 206-684-3800.
- "Phantom Load": Check out a Kill-A-Watt plug-load monitor from the Seattle Public Library to better understand the electricity use of your electronics. The Kill-A-Watt will help you discover unexpected "phantom" loads that are common when electrical devices are turned off.
- Savings with a twist: ENERGY STAR ® bulbs use at least 75% less energy to produce the same amount of light, and last 10-25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Seattle City Light makes it easy and affordable for you to purchase efficient lighting. Look for the Twist & Save label on qualified ENERGY STAR bulbs and fixtures at participating retailers.
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| RFP to address 'structural racism' | The Seattle Office for Civil Rights has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide technical assistance in 2014 to Seattle's network of human services agencies to build their capacity to address structural racism. Proposals are due to the Seattle Office for Civil Rights on March 21, 2014. For more information, please visit this Web page.
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| Community Resource Exchange for homeless people |  The Community Resource Exchange connects people experiencing homelessness with resources they need all in one place, on one day: Tuesday, April 29, 2014, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., CenturyLink Field, East Hall.
Organizations volunteer to provide services such as flu shots, dental checks, referrals for housing and counseling, connections to job training programs, library cards, and much more. These services may seem basic, but having them available all at once is extremely helpful if your home is a shelter or the street. Plus individuals volunteer to host supply drives and collect essentials like socks, shampoo and deodorant that are bundled into a care package for the Community Resource Exchange guests. For more information, please visit this Web site.
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| Like us on Facebook! |   Social media is another way to stay connected and hear about the latest news and information about funding opportunities and other need-to-know information. Please visit us on Facebook and "like" our page.
Follow us on Twitter @SeattleHSD. |
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Life Lines is published monthly by the City of Seattle's Human Service Department. Our mission is 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. For more timely or breaking news, visit our blog, Human Interests, or visit our Web site. If you have questions, please e-mail David Takami or call 206-684-0253. |  |
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