June 2014

Career Bridge- Implementing HSD's Strategic Plan and Outcomes Framework to Achieve Racial Equity

It has been nearly two years since HSD first started working on Career Bridge. The approach and ongoing work on this initiative exemplifies the department's strategic plan and outcomes framework, and is just one example of how we are embedding the focus on achieving results and addressing disparities.

Career Bridge began in 2012, following a spate of gun violence and deaths in Seattle. Data showed that the African American community was disproportionately impacted by not only the most recent activity but those disparities have persisted over time. Career Bridge was created to connect African-American men and other men of color who have multiple barriers to jobs, including a history of former incarceration, limited work history, and low levels of education to jobs and personal supports.

Career Bridge was developed and piloted as a collaborative effort between the city and community through the end of 2013. In 2014, Career Bridge was transitioned to the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) to administer, strengthen and expand the Career Bridge model and community partnership. Career Bridge brings together employment services, wrap-around supports, and grassroots community support networks to provide a relevant and comprehensive approach to assist participants in attaining the relationships and skills needed to achieve economic and personal stability. While employment and career acquisition are important programmatic components, Career Bridge seeks to affect community-level change as well as to advocate for policy and system changes that support individual and community strengths, assets and potential.

A key element of Career Bridge is the expectation that participants are referred by people who are well acquainted with them and committed to walking beside them in cooperation with sponsors. During the pilot, the intake, ongoing support and assistance were unfunded and dependent on the volunteer commitments of the community. Those strong personal relationships, grassroots implementation and participant empowerment through shared leadership and accountability differentiate Career Bridge from other services for this population. The initial outcomes demonstrate the strength of the community.

Career Bridge Goals & Intended Outcomes

Successful program implementation will result in self-sufficiency through career employment and attainment of personal stability, supports and skills needed for improved well-being of participants, their families and communities.

Performance Measures

Job placement and retention in a transitional job and a plan for entering training or other steps to careers with livable wages, benefits, and career opportunities.
Pathway to upward mobility - career paths
- Enrollment in existing post-secondary training programs
- Placement in a job that leads to career paths
- Clear plan for steps needed to achieve economic success
- Training or work that leads to/provides opportunities for entrepreneurship (e.g.; skilled trades)
- Viable Connections/Networks - Access to networks and connections needed to get a job - linkage to "informal hiring network".
Personal and Family Stability and Empowerment
- Child and family reunification/healthy relationships
- Enhanced participant leadership, confidence and empowerment
- Debt management, financial planning and connection to resources
- Housing stability

Pilot Phase Performance:

Seven cohorts were completed, (including one in Monroe Correctional Facility in partnership with the Black Prisoners Caucus)
Total Enrolled: 62
Job Placements and/or Entered Training: 50 (81% )
- 45 were placed in jobs 72% (45/62)
- 7 (11%) entered training (2 also placed in jobs)

Career Bridge represents an exciting, real world example of the department's commitment to RSJI goals and our commitment to addressing disparities in our community. Stay tuned as this program grows, and as we find new ways to integrate other HSD services and supports into the Career Bridge model. Great work!

Catherine Lester

Interim Director, Seattle Human Services Department

Senior Coffee Hour features Seattle Mayor Ed Murray

Our Coffee Hours bring community elders closer to City officials and explore a variety of topics of interest to older adults. They provide opportunities to learn about City programs and services and give officials an opportunity to hear from their constituents. Other topics examine cutting edge information about healthy aging, legal and planning issues, and more. Coffee and refreshments are served.

Join us at this month's Senior Coffee Hour for a conversation with Seattle Mayor Ed Murray. Here's your chance to hear the latest on the Mayor's proposals to City Council on transit funding, a minimum wage increase, the new Police Chief nominee, and more...

Sponsored by the Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens, the Coffee Hour will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 19, 2014, at a special community location -- rather than our usual spot in downtown -- The Central (Central Area Senior Center), 500 30th Avenue South, Activities Room.

The Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens is a unit of the Seattle Human Services Department. For more information, please visit our website:

http://www.seattle.gov/humanservices/seniorsdisabled/mosc/default.htm

Remembering Terri Kimball, Former Division Director

It is with great sadness that we share news about the loss of Terri Kimball, former Director of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Division with HSD. Terri passed away on Saturday, May 10, 2014, at the age of 64 after a long battle with metastatic breast cancer. Known for her vision and tenacity, Terri dedicated more than 30 years to health and human services working for such agencies as City of Seattle, Public Health-Seattle & King County, Senior Services, Domestic Abuse Women's Network and Center for Children and Youth Justice.

Her "ceaseless advocacy helped make the appalling crime of underage human trafficking into a white-hot political issue," declared a recent Seattle Times editorial. "She catalyzed other leaders, resulting in changes big and small."

"Terri does not suffer fools. She was not ever going to work anyplace where her passion and values" weren't reflected, remembered former Human Services Department director Patricia McInturff, along with other community and elected leaders in a Times obituary.

A memorial for Terri has been scheduled for 3pm on June 1, 2014, at the University of Washington Club (4020 NE Stevens Way, Seattle). In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be made in Terri Kimball's name to YouthCare, 2500 N.E. 54th St., Seattle, WA 98105; or to Stolen Youth, P.O. Box 296, Seattle, WA 98111.

Seattle Financial Empowerment Center Grand Opening

On April 14, 2014, representatives from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and Seattle City officials gathered in the city's Rainier Vista neighborhood for ribbon-cutting ceremony to open Seattle's seven new Financial Empowerment Centers (FECs).

I was pleased to join Mayor Ed Murray, City Council President Tim Burgess, City Councilmember Sally Clark, Vulcan Senior Director of Philanthropic Initiatives Dune Ives, community-based leaders and organizational partners, and members of the community who wanted to know more about the services they would receive at the Center.

Financial Empowerment in general and the Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) specifically are part of the Mayor's vision of creating an affordable Seattle. The FEC offers free professional one-on-one counseling for Seattle residents. The center primarily encourages low-income residents to come in for coaching to aid in the management of their finances. Services include banking, access to savings accounts, help with debt, and the management of credit. For many, services like these are not available due to prohibitive costs, or fear of predatory practices. The coaches in the Seattle FEC provide professional one-on-one counseling based on the belief that the client is best served when they have the greatest opportunity to make informed choices about their financial future.

To date the Seattle FEC has served over 100 clients looking for a broad spectrum of financial support. Locations are scattered throughout the Seattle area, with the main location at Rainier Vista: 4431 Martin Luther King Jr Way South. For more information visit www.seattlefec.org or Neighborhood House.

Notice Of Funding Availability (NOFA)

This summer the Human Services Department will release our first Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). The NOFA will provide an overview of HSD's guiding principles, investment priorities, theory of change and the new Outcomes Framework pilot, a results-based accountability strategy recently approved by the Mayor. Additionally, the NOFA will announce HSD's upcoming investment opportunities and standard submission requirements for agencies interested in applying for funding. Two Requests for Investment (RFI) that align with the Outcomes Framework pilot will be released in the weeks following the NOFA, for HSD's Senior Centers and Food & Meal investments. The individual RFIs will provide additional details on each funding opportunity and application requirements specific to each investment area. Releasing the NOFA prior to the release of the RFIs will allow interested agencies to review HSD's investment priorities prior to applying for funding through the Senior Centers and Food & Meal RFIs.

Let's be friends!

Social media is another great way to stay connected and hear about all the latest news and information about funding opportunities, events and other need-to-know information. Please visit us on Facebook and "like" our page or follow us on Twitter @SeattleHSD.

Life Lines is published monthly by the City of Seattle's Human Services 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 Michael Taylor-Judd or call 206-684-0266.