HOPE Community Services: Holiday Food Drive
HOPE Community Services is having a Holiday Food Drive from December 2nd – 20th, 2022 .
For more details, please see flyer below.
Free Training Alert: Engage or Enrage - De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis
Whenever we ask our CoC partners what trainings everyone would like, the topic of crisis de-escalation is at the top of your wish list!
Our partners at DCMH have advised us that there is a FREE online training available through February 2023 by SMI Adviser (a SAMHSA-funded training & public education project.) This training is open to all and is divided into two parts. Each part is roughly one hour long. A participation certification is available and there are credits offered to those holding certain professional credentials.
Please use the links below to navigate to the training. Since these trainings are not offered by the CoC directly, we ask that all questions and inquiries be directed to SMI Adviser through their website.
Engage or Enrage: De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis - Part One
Engage or Enrage: De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis - Part Two
White Plains CDBG Public Services Application 2023-2024 Funding Opportunity Announcement
CDBG PUBLIC SERVICES
Funding Application Instructions
Program Year July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
The City of White Plains (“the City”) Department of Planning, Community Development (“CD”) Program, is soliciting public input on the development of the 2023-24 Annual Action Plan. Please click here or see attached for the posting regarding the White Plains CDBG PUBLIC SERVICES Funding Application Instructions for Program Year July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. If you have questions please contact:
Judy Mezey
Deputy Commissioner of Planning
City of White Plains
70 Church Street
White Plains, NY 10601
Email:jmezey@whiteplainsny.gov
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Disability Advocacy Project
LSHV will provide free legal representation and assistance for anyone who has applied for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and been denied benefits. For further information:
Call: 1-877-574-8529
Email: JZapata@lshv.org or BPereira@lshv.org
“Walk in” to LSHV offices in
White Plains - 90 Maple Avenue (entrance on Cromwell Place)
Yonkers - 30 South Broadway, 6th Floor
Mt. Vernon - 100 East First Street, Suite 810 (8th Fl.)
Peekskill - One Park Place, Suite 202
LSHV is dedicated to providing free, high-quality counsel in civil matters for low-income individuals and families who cannot afford an attorney. For further information on the full range of services and support they offer, visit: www.lshv.org
Job fair for the formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted
Westchester County is hosting a job fair for the formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted. Please see details and attached flyer below for information.
Date: November 30th 2022
Time: 10am-2pm
Location: Yonkers Riverfront Library, 1 Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701
For more questions, please contact: (914) 995 2936
Disability Advocacy Project of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
Is your client in need of assistance appealing a SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) decision?
Please see the flyer below (in English & Spanish) for the Disability Advocacy Project of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV). As indicated on the flyer, LSHV will provide free legal representation and assistance for anyone who has applied for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and been denied benefits.
For more information please contact: 1-877-574-8529
LSHV offices are also accepting walk-in hours:
White Plains - 90 Maple Avenue (entrance on Cromwell Place)
2. Yonkers - 30 South Broadway, 6th Floor
3. Mt. Vernon - 100 East First Street, Suite 810 (8th Fl.)
4. Peekskill - One Park Place, Suite 202
8th Annual New York Fathering Conference - November 15, 2022
Please join Westchester County, the City of White Plains and the Administration for Children & Families for their upcoming 8th Annual New York Fathering Conference
Tuesday, November 15
5:30pm - 8:00pm
Fathers & families: Building safe, healthy & thriving communities
Together addressing and ending youth violence in our communities
Featured speaker:
Erica Ford
Human rights activist and anti-violence leader
Fall Job Fair Hosted by WEOC - November 10, 2022
The Westchester Educational Opportunity Center will be hosting their Fall 2022 Job Fair at 26 South Broadway, Yonkers NY, 10701 on NOVEMBER 10, 2022 from 12 NOON to 2:30pm. This job fair is open to all job seekers. Thank you for sharing this information and the attached flyer with your clients, colleagues, constituents, congregants and the wider community.
U.S. Dept of Veteran Affairs Announces Two Open Funding Opportunities (PDO & TIP)
On October 27, 2022, VA Grant and Per Diem (GPD) published two grant funding opportunities, now available for review on the GPD website:
Funding opportunity one: “Per Diem Only” (PDO) grants that fund transitional supportive housing beds and/or service centers.
VA anticipates awarding 350 PDO grants to support approximately 10,500 transitional housing beds and 15 service centers nationwide.
PDO grant applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, February 6, 2023.
Funding opportunity two: “Transition in Place” (TIP) grants that provide Veterans with apartment-style housing that allows Veterans retain the unit as their permanent housing when they complete the GPD program.
VA anticipates awarding approximately 40 TIP grants to support 600 TIP beds nationwide.
TIP grant applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, January 30, 2023.
These are new nationally competitive awards and both funding opportunities are open to any eligible entity (i.e., not just current VA GPD grantees). More information—including prerecorded technical assistance webinars and FAQs—is available on our website, https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/GPD.asp. Please note the different application deadlines among the funding opportunities. The VA GPD National Program Office team highly recommends that any interested and eligible applicant begin planning and coordination with their local VA medical center points of contact as soon as possible.
Please carefully review the information on our website (https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/GPD.asp), which includes instructions on how to access the electronic grants management system (a.k.a., eGMS) GPD uses to receive grant applications, as well as specifics about each grant.
After thorough review of the notices of funding and the recorded webinars, questions may be directed to GPDGrants@va.gov.
Scholarships for Westchester Certified Peer Specialists to pursue OASAS-CRPA accreditation
In an effort to bolster peer support resources for individuals with co-occurring disorders in Westchester County, the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) is offering scholarship opportunities to NYS Office of Mental Health Certified Peer Specialists to obtain their NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) credential. To qualify you must live in and/or work in a peer support position in Westchester; priority will be given to those working in such positions. As indicated on the application, you must already be an OMH Certified Peer Specialist to qualify for this assistance and provide documentation of your certification. Scholarships will be provided to meet State Certification application and testing fees as well as costs of the required training (full info on CRPA Certification available here).
Please see the attached scholarship application for further details on eligibility, costs covered by the scholarship, and instructions for completing and submitting your application. We anticipate offering this scholarship at least through 2023 and will be accepting applications on a “rolling” basis—applicants should feel free to submit an application at any time they might decide to pursue CRPA certification (we request that, if you have a date in mind for training, to please apply at least 30 days prior to the training registration deadline).
For those interested, The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)/Westchester will be offering an online CRPA training in December; please check this link for further information on their training and the schedule (NOTE: the December training may not be posted until sometime shortly after this mailing). Applications for scholarships for this training can be submitted until November 14, 2022.
Upcoming Job fairs in Westchester County
Do you have clients who are in need of a job?
Good news - There are several upcoming job fairs throughout Westchester County!
Please see flyers below for information about each job fair.
Job Opportunity: Hudson Valley 211/United Way - Community Resource Specialist
Position Description: The Intake Specialist is responsible for receiving, prioritizing, and triaging client’s service requests including contract-based calls using a prescribed intake process either by phone or in person. The Intake Specialist’s primary role is to assist callers in need of various human services resources.
Position Requirements: Associates degree or higher in Social Work or related field and
1-2 years of related experience.
Skills Required:
Experience in human services programs requiring direct client interactions, accountability and progress reporting
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Experience managing an active caseload of at least10-15 clients including closed loop referral
The ability to multi-task, set priorities, and follow up in a timely manner
Ability to collaborate and work in a team environment as well as work independently and make sound decisions
Able to meet deadlines, keep schedules, build partner agency relationships and perform in a high-paced environment
Proficient with computers and ability to work with multiple applications
Bi-lingual in Spanish is preferred
An ability to show compassion and maintain confidentiality to callers who may be in crisis
Essential Roles & Responsibilities:
Handles incoming referrals of Callers who are interested in finding resources that can assist with various social needs
Use active listening, probing, play-back and style-matching skills to evaluate each client’s needs
Answer client questions and sort out issues relating to their identified needs
Learn and maintain an in-depth understanding of managing specialized contracts calls
Accurately document required information in the 211-database system
Attend required community meetings related to the program and report as necessary any updates regarding the program
Other duties as assigned.
Scholarships for Westchester Certified Peer Specialists to pursue OASAS-CRPA accreditation
The Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) is offering scholarship opportunities to NYS Office of Mental Health Certified Peer Specialists to obtain their NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) credential.
In order to qualify, you must live and/or work in a peer support position in Westchester; priority will be given to those working in such positions. As indicated on the application, you must already be an OMH Certified Peer Specialist to qualify for this assistance and provide documentation of your certification. Scholarships will be provided to meet State Certification application and testing fees as well as costs of the required training.
This scholarship will be offered at least through 2023 and will be accepting applications on a “rolling” basis—applicants should feel free to submit an application at any time they might decide to pursue CRPA certification.
National Disability Forum: Homelessness: Working with Stakeholders to Improve Access to SSA Benefits and Services Part 2.
The United States Social Security Administration is inviting you to their next National Disability Forum (NDF).
The forum will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET, via Microsoft (MS) Teams.
The purpose of this forum is to learn from researchers, stakeholders, advocates, and the public about how we can improve access to our benefits and services for people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Discussion topics for Part 2 include:
Challenges obtaining medical records;
Tips and considerations for disability case adjudicators; and
Transitioning out of housing insecurity.
Please click here to register by Monday, October 17, 2022. After your registration is received, you will receive an email with the MS Teams information.
THE YONKERS HOARDING INITIATIVE 2022-2023
Family Service Society of Yonkers, in partnership with the City of Yonkers, Yonkers Office for the Aging and other Westchester community organizations invite you to participate in this educational presentation and discussion regarding the collaborative approach to assisting individuals dealing with hoarded environments.
HOARDING DISORDER: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
A Free Webinar for all professionals working with hoarding related issues in the City of Yonkers and Westchester County.
Date: Friday October 7, 2022
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Virtual event)
Presented by: Anne B. Pagano, LCSW, ACSW, BCD, C-ASWCM
Learn proven strategies and techniques derived from evidence based research to help understand the mental health roots ofhoarding disorder; what defines hoarding disorder from other behaviors and diagnoses; develop awareness of clinical treatment and harm reduction approaches; and how to help clients cope with the emotional, relational, and environmental impacts related to this chronic condition.
*** 3.0 hours of CE available for licensed social workers through NYSED and certified case managers through PACE/CCMC
Participants must register online. Please click here to register.
Annual Career Fair - September 24th, 2022
Are you looking for employment opportunities or trying to start a career? Do you need help with drafting your resume? Do you have questions about retirement and how to plan effectively? If so, please attend the Annual Career Fair on September 24th at 1:00PM-4:00PM at the Yonkers Waterfront Library.
Companies from a wide variety of industries will be present to speak with you and provide information about current job opportunities. Here is a list of some of the participating vendors.
Montefiore Hospital
United Parcel Service (UPS)
The HOPE Program
City of Yonkers Career Center
Yonkers YMCA
AND MORE!
Click here to RSVP
International Overdose Awareness Day - August 31, 2022
A Day of Remembrance and Awareness
An event to remember those who we have lost to substance use, acknowledging those who are still struggling, and to support those in recovery.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2022
5:30 PM—7:00 PM
CITY OF WHITE PLAINS
LIBRARY PLAZA
100 MARTINE AVENUE, WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601
Program includes addresses by:
George Latimer, Westchester County Executive Thomas Roach, City of White Plains Mayor Members of the Recovery community and others.
National Council on Alcohol & Drug Dependency/Westchester, Inc. in collaboration with Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, Westchester County Department of Health, Friends of Recovery, Westchester Inc., City of White Plains, and Westchester Providers.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS for Westchester County Department of Social Services Eviction Prevention Program
The County of Westchester (the “County”), acting by and through its Department of Social Services (the “Department” or “WCDSS”), is requesting proposals from qualified vendors to operate an Eviction Prevention Program for Westchester County residents at risk of homelessness and deemed eligible for eviction prevention services by WCDSS. The County will provide both administrative and pass-through funds for the solicited services. Qualified venders can apply to operate all and/or some of the service. If a proposer applies for all, a portion of or both, they will need to submit a separate proposal for each service. Copies of this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) may be downloaded from the County’s website for RFP’s: http://www.westchestergov.com/rfp.
A.) UPDATED PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE
Original RFP Issue Date: August 19, 2022
Requests for Clarification Due: September 7, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.
Written Responses to Requests for Clarification Posted: September 14, 2022
Proposal Due Date: September 28, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.
Veterans can celebrate a Spectacular Summer on September 2, 2022 at Rye Playland!
Westchester County resident veterans, military and family are welcome to enjoy a FREE family day at Rye Playland on September 2, 2022!
Wristbands are available, first come, first serve. Maximum of four per veteran / military with documentation of service. All bands must be picked up in advance, they will not be available the day-of.
See flyer below for more information.