Project Grant CE146416

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - FAMILY SERVICES INC., A 501 (C)(3) NON-PROFIT, HAS EMBARKED ON A $9.1M CAPITAL PROJECT IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE SAFETY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP CENTER (FPC). THIS FUNDING WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARD THE FRONT ENTRYWAY PROJECT. THE FPC HOUSES FAMILY SERVICES' HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS AS WELL AS THE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS OF 22 COMPLEMENTARY NONPROFITS MANY OF WHICH PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. EXAMPLES INCLUDE SUN RIVER HEALTH, DUTCHESS COUNTY HEALTHY FAMILIES, DUTCHESS BEHAVIORAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC, FINISH STRONG WELLNESS CENTER, AND FAMILY SERVICES' TRAUMA THERAPY AND COUNSELING, SNUG SOCIAL WORK AND CASE MANAGEMENT AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES. THE FPC SERVES AN ESTIMATED 70,000 INDIVIDUALS A YEAR WITH WELL OVER 110,000 SERVICE INTERACTIONS. WHILE MANY IN-PERSON REVITALIZATION EFFORTS WERE POSTPONED OR CANCELED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE FPC REMAINED OPEN AND THRIVING, THOUGH ADAPTED AND RESPONSIVE TO COVID-19. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDERS AFFECT NEARLY ONE IN FIVE AMERICANS AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC INCREASED DEMAND FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. A RECENT POLL BY THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION FOUND THAT ALMOST 50 PERCENT OF PEOPLE REPORTED THAT CORONAVIRUS HAD A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. THE IMPACT OF UNTREATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS ON AN INDIVIDUALS' LIFE AND PHYSICAL HEALTH INCREASES IN CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT OR HOSPITALIZATION, AND DECREASED LIFE EXPECTANCY. IN 2021, FAMILY SERVICES IMPACTED THE LIVES OF 5,931 INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE WHEN THERE IS A REDUCTION IN SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS LIKE WE HAVE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC IS KEY. THROUGH A CLIENT SURVEY, FAMILY SERVICES FOUND THAT 89% OF CLIENTS FELT CONNECTED WITH THEIR COUNSELING OR MEDICAL STAFF DURING TELEHEALTH SESSIONS AND 77% FELT AS IF THEY WERE MAKI NG PROGRESS ON TREATMENT GOALS THROUGH TELEHEALTH. HOWEVER, CLIENTS ALSO EXPRESSED EAGERNESS TO RETURN TO AN IN-PERSON MODEL, PARTICULARLY RELEVANT, DUE TO THE FPC'S CO-LOCATION OF COMPLEMENTARY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AS NOTED ABOVE. THE FPC'S MODEL SUPPORTS A "WARM HAND OFF" BETWEEN RELATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, RATHER THAN "COLD REFERRALS," A MODEL THAT SUPPORTS BETTER PARTICIPATION RATES. THE FPC IS ALSO HOST TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHICH ADDRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (SDOH) THAT HAVE DIRECT BEARING ON THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY. THESE SDOH ARE ADDRESSED BY FPC PARTNER TENANTS THROUGH SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT; GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION; MINIMIZING HUNGER AND POVERTY; SERVICES TO MARGINALIZED YOUTH; AND OTHER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. IN 2019, FAMILY SERVICES (OWNER AND MANAGER OF THE FPC) COMPLETED A MASTER CAPITAL PLAN. LAST YEAR, IT WAS AWARDED PARTIAL FUNDING FROM NYS'S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY RENEWAL TOWARD COMPLETE RENOVATION OF THE ENTRYWAY'S DETERIORATING STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS, WHICH WILL PROVIDE A STRUCTURALLY SAFE AND SOUND FRONT ENTRANCE; TRUE AND EQUITABLE ACCESSIBILITY FOR THOSE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY; AND A BRIGHT WELCOMING PATH, WITH ADDITIONAL PROGRAM SPACE FOR THOSE SEEKING THE SERVICES AND RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP THEM TOWARD HEALING AND SUCCESS. A TRAUMA-INFORMED ORGANIZATION IS ONE IN WHICH ALL COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN RECONSIDERED AND EVALUATED IN LIGHT OF A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE TRAUMA PLAYS IN THE LIVES OF MANY. THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WILL REFLECT A DESIGN THAT REPRESENT FAMILY SERVICES' COMMITMENT TO OUR CLIENTS BY ENSURING THAT THEY FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE AND THAT OUR ENVIRONMENT IS WELCOMING, HEALING, AND EMPOWERING. OVERALL, THE PROJECT COMPONENTS ARE GEARED TOWARDS MAKING THE FPC MORE ACCESSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE, AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY APPROPRIATE TO ITS CLIENTS, AND ENABLING IT TO CONTINUE OFFERING LI