Accessibility Resource Center

December 5, 2014

Have you heard about the new Barnstable County Behavioral Health web portal?  It's a fantastic tool for our community providing critical information, communication, and advocacy tools with a single point of entry.  One of the key features of the new portal is a comprehensive Service Directory with over 100 services. This Service Directory enables consumers to easily locate the local programs and services they need most.

But to make a Service Directory most effective, it needs to be complete, comprehensive, and up-to-date. Thus, several community organizations and coalitions provided their expertise and assistance in order to pre-populate the Service Directory before it launched in late September. This fantastic team was able to initially identify over 100 services, but chances are there are just as many organizations that still need to be added.

That's where you come in!

If your organization isn't listed in the Behavioral Health Service Directory yet, don't worry: it's super easy to include your agency's information. Likewise, if your organization is already included but you would like to tweak or update the information currently listed, that's very straightforward too.

To learn more about editing or adding your organization to the Behavioral Health Service Directory, please check out this quick online tutorial!

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has just increased the benefits a household can get under LIHEAP (the fuel assistance program), which opens its doors November 1st.  The full table of benefits, which vary by heating source and household income, can be found at http://www.mass.gov/hed/docs/dhcd/cd/liheap/fy15liheap-incomeeligibilityandinitialbenefitlevels.pdf

The maximum benefit for those who heat with oil or propane/kerosene is $1,025, if income is less than 100% of the poverty level.  The maximum benefit for those who heat with electricity or gas is $700.  Check the table for complete details.

Members who are currently enrolled with Commonwealth Care, MSP, Temporary coverage, or a QHP will need to re-apply by December 23, 2014 to avoid a loss of coverage.

Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & the Islands is available to inform and assist individuals on how they may qualify for affordable health coverage and help with enrollment in new programs or re-enrollment in existing programs. 

To set up an appointment or for more information contact CACCI at 508-771-1727 or walk in at 372 North St., Hyannis.

Navigators will be available for application assistance in our Falmouth Office, Jones Rd. 8am-4pm 9/30, 10/14, 10/28, and 11/25 or the Falmouth Service Center 10am-2pm 10/7, 10/21, 11/4, and 11/18 by appointment only.

Effective Friday, December 5, 2014, WE CAN will be temporarily relocating to 710 Route 28, 2nd floor, in Harwichport at Grey Matter Lofts (formerly Back Office Associates & Thompsons Farm Market).

Since moving to their present location in January 2013, increased visibility has led to an increased demand for services and office space.  The construction project to add additional office space is estimated to be completed in 2-3 months. 

The Boys & Girls Club of Cape Cod is now providing afterschool & summer programs for over 877 children & teens, ages 6-18 annually.  An average of 144 of those kids walk through the doors of the Club every day after school.  The Boys & Girls Club also runs the only full teen program left on Cape Cod with 43 teens in attendance daily and up to or over 120 teens on Friday nights.  Your gift really does make a difference in a young person's life!

In 2013 the Club barely finished in the black, by only $6.  Please help the Club close their 2014 budget gap by the end of 2014 - those 877 kids are depending on it!  Donate now!

Each year Cape Cod Volunteers get calls and e-mails from people who want to volunteer during the holidays. Some people want to combat the perceived commercialism of the holidays, some people volunteer in other ways during the rest of the year and would like to help people in need during the holiday season, some people are alone for the holidays and hope for connections through volunteering, and some people are coming to the Cape to visit family and would like to volunteer while here (some families make it a big family experience while everyone is together).  Read more...

The Community Development Partnership (CDP) will kick off the first Orleans Winter Farmers' Market on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 9:00 A.M. in the cafeteria of the Nauset Regional Middle School, 70 Route 28 in Orleans.  The Market will be preceded by a Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 8:45 A.M.

The Orleans Winter Farmers' Market will take place on the first and third Saturdays of the month from 9:00 A.M. to 12 Noon through Saturday, April 18, 2015.  Each Market will be held in the Nauset Regional Middle School cafeteria.  20 vendors are slated to participate and offer a variety of produce and locally made products.  Read more.....

Open House on Saturday, December 6, 9:30 A.M. - 12:00 P.M., 317C Palmer Avenue, Falmouth.  2 bedroom (with small den), 2-bath apartment on 2nd floor, conveniently located on Palmer Avenue in Falmouth.  Available now.  Rent 1150/month, utilities not included.  Unit comes with refrigerator and stove.  Security deposit required.  Credit/Criminal Check required.  Applications available by email, in person at Housing Assistance Corp., 460 West Main Street, Hyannis or by phone (Kate) at 508/778-7535 ext. 2.

Equal Housing Opportunity.  Income restrictions apply.

In response to recent tragedies on Nantucket, representatives from Family & Children's Services of Nantucket County, Inc., the Department of Mental Health and the Cape and Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition will be on hand to talk about resources available in the community and also provide an open forum for the community to talk about how to promote wellness and suicide prevention.

The Community Forum will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 at Nantucket Public High School Auditorium, 10 Surfside Road, Nantucket from 6-8:00 P.M.

FREE, FUN THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN THIS MONTH

Annual Holiday Pajama Storytime

Friday, December 19 from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. come enjoy Stories with Santa at the Waquoit Nursery Preschool, 840 Sandwich Road, East Falmouth.  There will be crafts, songs, games and special appearances from Santa and his elves.  Bring a camera and take your own pictures of your child with Santa!

Dementia Certificate Level Three:  Advanced Problem Solving, Challenges in Alzheimer's Care.  This four-hour program is designed for those professionals who are looking to advance their clinical skills to solve problem behaviors associated with Alzheimer's and dementia, both at home and in the workplace. 

Program will be held on December 19, 2014, 12:00 - 4:00 P.M. at Hope Health, 765 Attucks Lane, Hyannis.  Cost: $100.00 includes materials.  Pre-requisite: Dementia Certificate Level Two.  For more information or to register please call 508/775-5656, visit www.HopeDementia.org/ProfessionalEducation or email Info@HopeDementia.org.  Read more...

Great opportunity from Harvard University and the Harvard Club of Cape Cod for a Summer Community Service Fellow (SCSF).  Through this program, the local Harvard alumni club raises funds to cover the Fellowship stipend and helps place a Fellow in a local nonprofit organization on Cape Cod for 1-12 weeks.  If your organization has a project in need of a smart, committed student's time that will benefit the organization, please send your organization's name, contact person, contact information and 2-3 sentences about the project available.  The information will be give to potential Fellowship applicants and the organization will be contacted if more information is needed.

Please contact Katie Miller, Harvard Club of Cape Cod, at katie_miller20@hotmail.com by December 15 with your interest or any questions.

The draft Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan was released for public comment on November 17, 2014.  The comment period runs through December 22nd.

The plan is intended to identify needs and gaps in human transportation services for seniors and individuals with disabilities in Barnstable County.  View full Plan on the Cape Cod Commission website.

Comments may be submitted via email to Glenn Cannon, Director of Technical Services at gcannon@capecodcommission.org or via mail to: CPT Human Services Transportation Plan, Attn:  Glenn Cannon, P.O. Box 226, Barnstable, MA  02630.

Don Lonergan at don.lonergan.rcc@gmail.com or call 508-815-5218.

Save the Date:  January 22, 2015, Time & Location TBD:  Speaker Event - Alternative Therapies: a Success Story.  While therapy and medications are often essential elements in the treatment of mental illness, it's important to know about other approaches that may also be beneficial including diet and nutrition.

'Tis the Season for Giving so please remember NAMI C&I and keep your support local.  All of our programs and services are FREE, yet we are completely self-sustaining and do not receive funding from our national organization. 

Local cervical cancer prevention nonprofit, Team Maureen, will host a screening of the film Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic, on Monday, January 5, 2015 at 6:00 P.M. at the Falmouth Cinema Pub, 137 Teaticket Hwy, Falmouth.  Film cast member and cancer survivor, Christine Baze, will also be present to speak about the film. 

This poignant documentary, narrated by Vanessa Williams, takes a look into the lives of five women affected by human papilloma virus (HPV), the widely misunderstood and controversial virus that causes several types of cancer, including cervical. 

The screening is free but space is limited.  To RSVP or for more information visit www.TeamMaureen.org or call 774/255-3939.

Enough Abuse Cape Cod and Islands (EACCI) is committed to the primary prevention of child sexual abuse through public education and awareness.  Please join the Community Forum to learn about the current efforts of the Enough Abuse Campaign and how you can get involved in this community initiative.  The audience for the forum is service providers, educators, parents, community members and all those concerned about the safety of our children.

The Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at the First Congregational Church, 68 Main St., Falmouth from 6-8:00 P.M.  Light refreshments will be served.  Seating is limited - registration required.  RSVP to Chrism@indhouse.net.  View flyer.

RSVP/Senior Environment Corps of Elder Services of Cape Cod & the Islands is offering a FREE Winter Environmental Education Series over the Winter 2015.  The talks will focus on ongoing environmental management projects and will be informative and inspire enthusiasm for future volunteer opportunities. View list of dates, times and topics.

Location for all dates is Elder Services of C&I office, 68 Route 134, South Dennis.  Seating is limited.  Please RSVP to Gina at 508/394-4630 ext 523.  Light refreshments will be served.

On Saturday, November 22, 2014, Falmouth Prevention Partnership, a program of Gosnold's Prevention Division, and Jack's PACT (Positive Alternatives for Community & Teens) brought together 34 youth and 19 adults from Falmouth High School and Falmouth Academy for the 7th semi-annual Sticker Shock campaign.  Six teams spent their morning at 15 Falmouth liquor stores placing 12,000 stickers on wine and beer bags and putting up posters.  The common message was: "Parents Who Host Lose the Most:  Don't be a party to teenage drinking".  Read more... 

Thank you to the following stores for being a part of this important campaign and supporting the youth of Falmouth.

The Gosnold Reaching Out program is a resource for family members and loved ones affected by addiction.  It assists the family at all stages of addiction through education, intervention, and support.  Weekly support groups are held at the following locations:

• Gosnold Counseling Center, 1185 Falmouth Rd., Centerville on Tuesdays, 6-7:30 PM
• Gus Canty Community Center, 790 Main St., Falmouth on Wednesdays, 6-7:30 PM
• Falmouth Hospital - Faxon Center, 100 Ter Heun Dr., Falmouth on Sundays, 4-5:00 PM

View flyer for more information.  For additional support call 781/366-0143 or email ljmccarthy@gosnold.org

Over 800,000 people worldwide end their lives annually leaving parents, children, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren and close friends who deeply feel the devastation of each loss.  Samaritans on Cape Cod & the Islands has survivor support groups in Falmouth and Hyannis.  These groups honor and respect the needs of the survivors, provide unconditional emotional support, help survivors gain courage and comfort from one another, and deal with a unique grief that is often not understood by others.

Massachusetts Substance Abuse Helpline Connects People with Services:  For tens of thousands of Massachusetts resident struggling with alcohol and other drug related issues, 1-800-327-5050 is an important number.   Read more ... 

The Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, Press 1) is available 24/7/365 to provide confidential counseling and referrals for Veterans and their families.  This is an integrated national outreach effort to increase awareness and use of the Veterans Crisis Line, support and promote broader VA suicide prevention efforts, and promote help-seeking behaviors among Veterans at risk of suicide and other mental health problems. 

The Barnstable County Department of Human Services website find.bchumanservices.net features on-line directories of health and human service resources. The Directories are a compilation of local resources organized around areas of critical need such as food, housing, energy/fuel assistance, and services for seniors and people with disabilities. Find.bchumanservices.net is a valuable resource now available to Barnstable County residents and human service organizations. This new on-line tool is an effective and efficient way to make local information available on a 'simple to search' website.

If you believe your organization should be included in any of the new Directories or have any other feedback on how to improve the on-line directories, call the Department of Human Services at 508/375-6628.

• Do you provide health or human services on Cape Cod or the Islands?
• Does the public know what services you provide?
• Do people know how to access your services?
• Do you need assistance in finding services for your clients?  

• Descriptive Title
• Brief Description of the Content (the who, what, why, when, where) 
• Attachments must be submitted in PDF and text format (either DOC or RTF files are acceptable)
• Weblink or Hyperlink if available 
• Contact information of the person submitting the information and if appropriate, the contact person for the event (include name, address, phone, TTY, email)