People and problems don’t fit in neat little boxes, so to be effective we need to offer help that actually meets people’s needs. Creating Community Care Teams would allow people to contact one group rather than being sent from one agency or non-profit to another before finding out that no one is there to help them. These teams would be composed of employees from state agencies, non-profit personnel who can link people to services, and local citizens. Their office would be the one place to go if you are having trouble meeting basic needs, whether you just need help filling out forms, need a ride to and from a surgery appointment, are seeking a job, or need help with food or a housing situation. All staff would be able to counsel about available resources, provide or arrange help with accessing resources and could also help develop creative individualized solutions. Community members would be able to volunteer services that staff could access and flexible funding would be available to assist people. Community Care Teams would provide a personalized approach that helps find inexpensive and practical ways to solve problems and build supportive community.
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