Community Partner: Mayor’ s Office of Human Services ‐ Homeless Services Program Intern: Keenan Caswell Site Supervisor: Gabby Knighton
What is the Mayor’ s Office of Human Services‐Homeless Service Program? The Homeless Service Program deals with structural issues regarding homelessness and offers various programs for homeless individuals
The past eight weeks at the Mayor’ s Office of Human Services have provided me with priceless learning experiences about the dire relationship between Baltimore and its homeless population, eye‐opening interactions with service providers and coworkers, and a platform to continue my involvement as a community member in Baltimore. Observing the discussions between the policymakers who develop the guidelines and procedures for the homeless programs and the social workers who interact on a daily basis with homeless population and working alongside these same social workers to problem solve the obstacles that arise for their clients particularly highlighted the need for collaboration to ascertain a resolution to the cycle of homelessness for thousands of people in Baltimore.
My role in the larger mechanism to resolve homelessness in Baltimore took on the appearance and responsibilities as a facilitator and liaison between the community providers and the housing programs as I processed housing applications and sat in on committee and project meetings. However, that did not constrict my opportunities of directly lending a hand to those who are asking for help. Over the final few weeks of the internship I was kept me on my feet and out of the office as I led on‐site training and refresher sessions over Coordinated Access for as many service providers that would fit into my schedule. Driving around Baltimore to the different organizations to network with the navigators, and at times their clients, offered me the opportunity to look out the window and see boarded up, shrubbery‐ridden row home after boarded up, shrubbery‐ridden row home. These neighborhoods once known for their vibrant murals or lively block parties that behaved as the cultural and physical centers of the community have become skeletons of their former selves; boarded up skeletons that at times offer insufficient respite to homeless if they’ re lucky enough to find one with an intact roof. These are the communities where organizations like Loving Arms, Therapeutic Living for Families, or People Encouraging People are daily serving.
The conversations I had with my coworkers, the navigators, and, most importantly, anyone struggling with homelessness constantly reminded me that the applications I was processing are far more than just PDFs and kept me from falling into a robotic frame of mind. Individuals and families in desperate situations are on the other side of the computer screen. Each day around 4:00 pm I pack up my desk and catch the circulator towards Charles Village to walk into a house with a full fridge, running water, and a comfortable bed. Where does Michelle go? Where does Deshawn go? Where do Pamela and her three children go? These are the questions the Mayor’ s Office of Human Services, the housing programs, and all the organizations working alongside the homeless population are working to answer. ‐ Keenan
Tasks
• Processed Permanent Flex Fund applications clients to housing pro assisting navigator and troubleshooting.
• Participated in workgr HOLD, and the Coordi Sharing Committee an and research for these
• Assisted in the editing documents for Coordi the Verification of Hom
• Led on‐site training se Coordinated Access fo collaborating commun