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Interviewed by MarCherie


MarCherie: So, Caitlin, what inspired you to get into this line of work?


Kaitlyn: I’ve always believed that my mission on this earth was to help people and support them in the best way I could. I feel like everyone needs that kind of support. Originally, I was planning to be a communications major—maybe a weather girl or get into PR. But then, I started interviewing professors and other people in the field, and I realized Social Work was a better fit for me. I became a social worker, and then, I ended up working with people experiencing homelessness. A big part of my career has been focused on homelessness—working with youth, kids, and adults. I just kind of fell into it.


MarCherie: Who was the first client you took on with Family Promise, and how did you successfully house them?


Kaitlyn: That was Keith. He was in transitional housing at the time. We worked on applying for houses, and he was trying to reunify with the mother of his children, but that didn’t work out. However, he was able to reunify with his children, and now, he's a full-time single dad. After three attempts, we finally got him housed, and now he's thriving. We’re doing weekly interviews, the kids are in daycare, and they have all the support they need. He’s even transitioning to Orange County’s Rapid Rehousing program.


MarCherie: If you had to choose one program to brag about at Family Promise, what would that be?


Kaitlyn: Oh, that’s tough. If I had to pick one thing, I’d say it’s the extra events we do, especially during the holidays. It’s tough for a lot of our youth because their families aren’t always stable or supportive, or sometimes not positive at all. So, for us to provide something like a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, wish lists, and holiday events, it helps them experience a sense of normalcy. For me, that’s a huge part of transitioning back to regular life. It may seem like small luxuries to some, but it’s huge for the families we serve.


MarCherie: Is there anything else you’d like to add or a question you wish I’d ask you?


Kaitlyn: (laughs) Honestly, not really. I mean, I like talking about the work we do. It’s just a good feeling.


MarCherie: What do you find that your clients appreciate most about you and your efforts?


Kaitlyn: I think it’s my personality. I’m very supportive, but I also hold them accountable. I tell them, “At the end of the day, you’ve got to get your stuff done.” It’s important to have that balance. You can’t be too authoritative or too much of a friend, so I’ve learned to toe that line. It’s especially important working with the youth population, from ages 13 to 25.


MarCherie: What advice would you give to future caseworkers on how they can successfully house people or get them stably housed?


Kaitlyn: First, meet your client where they are. Understand that you can’t just put them anywhere; you’ve got to make sure they will succeed there. Collaboration is key. You shouldn’t just be doing things for your clients or telling them what to do. Case management, no matter the age, should be a partnership. If you’re not willing to collaborate, then this might not be the field for you.


MarCherie: Let’s back up a bit. Can you tell us about your responsibilities at Family Promise?


Kaitlyn: Sure. I manage a caseload of about 15 or 16 clients, mostly youth and youth families—either two parents with children or a single parent with kids. My job involves finding them housing, employment assistance, and referrals to other support services. We have funding for things like gas cards or application fees, which I can request for clients. I also advocate for them when needed. For example, I had a youth who just needed a driver’s license to get a car. I went to bat for that and got it approved. And, of course, there’s a lot of driving involved—picking up, dropping off, moving people in and out, food deliveries, sometimes even babysitting.


MarCherie: What’s the largest barrier you face in helping your clients get housed?


Kaitlyn: Access to resources is the biggest barrier. Along with that, mental health and emotional intelligence. A lot of the youth we work with have had to grow up fast and face tough situations. They’re very resilient, but there’s often resistance to change—especially when they come from families that rely on program help. They can’t always imagine a future without that assistance, and that mindset can hold them back. Plus, if you don’t have a consistent place to sleep, food, or water, it’s hard to focus on anything else. It’s a big challenge.

 

 
 
 

Tue, November 15, 2022 at 7:00 AM


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunshine Health recently awarded $90,000 in Community Connections grants to 18 nonprofit organizations across Florida to address homelessness, food insecurity, mental health, health literacy and more. This is the health plan's third round of Community Connections grants to address social determinants of health (SDoH) in 2022, bringing the total to $300,000. The grants come at a difficult time for Floridians and nonprofits, as many are still recovering from Hurricane Ian. "Like many of our partners, the Sunshine Health team has been in the community assisting with Hurricane Ian relief efforts," said Nathan Landsbaum, Sunshine Health President and CEO. "These groups applied for this round of grants before the storm. We are proud to support them in the aftermath to strengthen the social safety net that keeps our communities strong and healthy." Sunshine Health is committed to improving access to food, jobs, education, housing and other SDoH for all Floridians. Community Connections grants of $5,000 each were awarded to the following community partners:

"The youth athletes we serve rely on the meals we provide before and after the game. It's been a journey to feed them this summer," said Tractice Bright, Pensacola High School Football Booster Club. "We are so grateful that this grant will provide pre-game and post-game meals and snacks twice a week for the kids. They will be so happy."


"I'm so happy, I want to cry. So many need so much. We want to give them hope, and when we say we don't have the money, it's devastating," said Amy Houston, President, Clay City Rescue Mission. "This grant will help us provide hotel stays and food for the homeless and displaced populations that we serve while we locate more permanent housing. We are so thankful."

"Thank you so much for this amazing gift of support that will help us serve 2,000 meals to our Tallahassee neighbors in need of food. We are so very grateful and will be excellent stewards of this gift to assist those that come to Catholic Charities for help," said Bambi Provost, Director of Fund Development, Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida.


"These funds will help support the work that our Trauma Therapy team does to heal children from abuse. Your support is invaluable to Pasco Kids First by helping us turning victims into survivors," said Maria Hixon, Director of Development, Pasco Kids First.


"Receiving the $5,000 grant from Sunshine Health is giving some of our youth a place to call home. It's providing comfort, stability and love during a difficult time," said Shanta Barton-Stubbs, CEO, New Image Youth Center, Orlando. "This is truly the unity we need in our community."

Organizations interested in applying for 2023 Community Connections grants can find details in the Sunshine Health Newsroom beginning in spring 2023, or follow the health plan on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

Sunshine Health offers many programs and benefits to reduce the impact of SDoH for its 2.3 million members across Florida, including partnerships with more than 600 community groups.

Sunshine Health's Community Resource Database also connects anyone in needed with community resources and support programs. Floridians also can call the Community Connections Help Line at 1-866-775-2192 to be connected with local resources.


About Sunshine Health

Headquartered in Broward County and with offices across the state, Sunshine Health is among the largest healthcare plans in Florida. Offering coordinated care and a network of support for our members,


Sunshine Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise. We offer government-sponsored managed care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter), and Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare). Our specialty plans include the Child Welfare Specialty Plan serving children in or adopted from the state's Child Welfare system; the Serious Mental Illness Specialty Plan for people living with serious mental illness; and the Children's Medical Services Health Plan, operated by Sunshine Health on behalf of the Florida Department of Health for children and adolescents with special healthcare needs.

For more information, visit SunshineHealth.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SunHealthFL.

 
 
 
  • info233517
  • Nov 9, 2022
  • 2 min read

Updated: Nov 15, 2022

Many of you met Ronshell at this year's breakfast. She was brave enough to share her story with over 200 people in attendance. Ronshell lost her job and struggled to pay her monthly bills. She reached out to Family Promise and received utility assistance so she could remain housed. She now participates in our Circles Stabilization Program. Ronshell spoke of the impact this program has had on her life as well as the lives of her boys.


Circles matches volunteers (Circle Allies) with participants (Circle Leaders) to help Leaders connect to resources, improve their credit, reduce their debt and improve their incomes.

Becca (left) enjoys a moment with Ronshell (right) at the Day Center recently.

Ronshell tells the story of how she couldn't have made it without the support she received. Her Circles ‘family’ has forever changed her life for the better. She's learned how to be independent and learning how to budget and be a great mom. Her Ally, Becca, speaks to the resiliency of Ronshell and comments how she was open and willing to put in the hard work. "I think she's grown tremendously," says Becca.


Life was hard enough and then Hurricane Ian hit. The apartment where Ronshell had been living in for the past seven years was completely flooded. She looked around not knowing where to begin. Mold began to form quickly. Ronshell advocated for herself and had several meetings with the apartment complex. They agreed to move Ronshell and her boys to a hotel until they resolved the issue. Several weeks went by and they realized the gravity of the situation. They decided to move Ronshell to a second story apartment where the flooding would no longer be an issue.


Ronshell continues to work in a school, provide for her boys and her father. She dreams of one day opening her own child care center for children. She continues to work hard everyday in hopes of one day making her dreams a reality.


 
 
 
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