Monday, March 23, 2015

A new outpatient center for behavioral health services

About 1 of every 20 adults in the U.S. has a serious mental illness, according to the National Institute on Mental Health. An estimated 1 of every 5 children aged 9-17 has a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Of those children diagnosed with a mental disorder, only about 20% receive any treatment for their condition.

While those statistics are alarming, there is a new place where children and adults in Kissimmee can get on the road to recovery.
Looking for a new outpatient center for behavioral health services? The Transition House recently opened The Outpatient Center in Kissimmee at 3501 West Vine Street Suite 312.
You may know The Transition House through its substance abuse treatment and transitional housing programs for homeless veterans to help them get on their road to recovery and a happier life. You may also know that The Transition House offers a wide range of behavioral health services at The Outpatient Center located at  3113 Innovation Drive in St. Cloud.
In a comfortable and supportive atmosphere, The Transition House offers individual, group and family counseling to restore your health and self-esteem. You will find a highly personalized approach to help you get better. Here are the services we offer at our new facility in Kissimmee:
  • Anger management – a 2-day class once a month to help your emotions from becoming out of control and destructive.
  • Relapse prevention – programs designed to prevent emotional, mental of physical return to dangerous behaviors.
  • Family counseling – helping members of a group communicate with and help each other.
  • Individual counseling – where an individual works one on one with a counselor to explore behaviors or challenging issues.
  • Substance abuse counseling – working to help individuals overcome addiction to alcohol or drugs.
  • Mental health counseling – working with individuals to deal with life’s stresses and problems.
  • Addictive thinking – self-deceptive thought undermining self-esteem that threatens the sobriety of a recovering individual.
  • Coping skills – being able to deal with the stresses of everyday life without having to turn to substance abuse or other behaviors to cope.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

RSVP for Case Managers Network Breakfast

We’re BACK!  Let’s reconnect our Case Managers Network at our first quarterly Networking  Breakfast….


Thursday, March 26th
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Keystone Rehabilitation and Health Center
1120 W. Donegan Ave., Kissimmee

Presented by:
VITAS Healthcare – Community Vision – Keystone Rehabilitation and Health Center
Join Fellow Case Managers, Social Workers, and Care Specialists as we
RECONNECT, REJEUVENATE and REVIVE our network and ourselves!  
Community Vision is proud to partner with Vitas Healthcare to host the first of our renewed Case Manager Networking Breakfast series.  Guests will enjoy insightful discussion and some pampering including the VITAS famous Lavender Touch Experience.  This breakfast will give case workers and managers like YOU the opportunity to hear insightful presentations, learn about hot topics, connect with colleagues, share resources and HAVE FUN!  Please join us for  breakfast, speakers, goodie bags, door prizes and much more.  RSVP by 3/23 at sring@communityvision.org or (407) 933-0870 x.221.  

Friday, March 13, 2015

Opportunity for Existing Year-Round Youth Employment Programs


Criteria for Interested Municipalities Youth Financial Capability
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) intends to provide technical assistance to approximately 25 geographically diverse municipalities across the country. Municipalities should have existing year-round youth employment programs and have an interest in integrating financial capability into current programs. This is not an opportunity for a grant, contract, sub-contract, or funding. This is an opportunity to receive technical assistance to integrate financial capability services into existing year-round youth employment programs. The submission criteria is detailed below. If you believe your municipality might be a right fit to receive technical assistance send a statement of interest to empowerment@consumerfinance.gov by Monday, April 20, 2015.

Financial Capability is the capacity, based on knowledge, skills, and access, to manage financial resources effectively.
Technical Assistance will include specialized and targeted training to assist municipalities as they work to incorporate the new financial literacy requirements in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.

The CFPB will provide the following technical assistance:
  • Offer support, tools, and technical assistance to local federally funded workforce systems and municipal officials to integrate age-appropriate financial education, and build partnerships to improve access to affordable financial services for youth jobseekers.
  • Provide trainings on youth specific financial capability strategies to staff in municipal and workforce systems.
  • Convene program sites to share promising practices and lessons learned. 
  • Distribute CFPB financial decision-making tips and tools through local workforce agencies and increase use of CFPB Consumer Response system and other consumer protection tools among youth jobseekers. 
  • Share best practices from pilot sites on ways to promote financial capability in youth employment programs across the broader workforce system. 
Criteria for interested communities 
The CFPB will work with approximately 25 municipalities with interest and capacity to integrate youth financial capability into their existing year-round youth employment programs. To be considered to receive technical assistance, letters of interest should include the following:
Target population being served. Serve low-income youth through year-round youth employment programs.
Commitment to youth financial capability. Understand what youth financial capability is and provide an overview for how to integrate services into existing youth-employment programs.
Staff capacity. Provide a dedicated staff person to coordinate youth financial capability services and CFPB technical assistance.
Organizational stability and impact. Demonstrate experience in the community, particularly working with multi-sector partners (government agencies, non-profits, financial institutions) to better serve low-income youth.
Client accessibility. Be accessible to the youth they serve and comply with applicable law governing access to youth employment programs.
Demonstrated need. Serve in communities with high concentration of low-income youth ages 14-24 in unbanked and underbanked households.

For more information go to  http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/getting-young-people-on-the-path-to-financial-success/

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Affordable Care Act/ Health Insurance Marketplace Announcement



AFFORDABLE CARE ACT / HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE ANNOUNCEMENT

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals and families who did not have health coverage in 2014 and are subject to the fee or “shared responsibility payment” when they file their 2014 taxes in states which use the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFM).  This special enrollment period will allow those individuals and families who were unaware or didn’t understand the implications of this new requirement to enroll in 2015 health insurance coverage through the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFM), which includes Florida.

For those who were unaware or didn’t understand the implications of the fee for not enrolling in coverage, CMS will provide consumers with an opportunity to purchase health insurance coverage from March 15 to April 30.  If consumers do not purchase coverage for 2015 during this special enrollment period, they may have to pay a fee when they file their 2015 income taxes.

Please contact a licensed navigator in Orange, Osceola, Lake and Seminole Counties at~ 1-877-564-5031~  All services are completely free of charge.
In addition to the above special enrollment period, individuals can always enroll for health insurance if they have a qualifying event occurring throughout the year.   

For additional information please visit Healthcare.gov or click on this link:

Health Insurance Special Enrollment Opportunity
Financial assistance may be available
Compare all insurance plans available in your area

QUALIFYING EVENTS INCLUDE:
  • Losing insurance through your job for any reason, including resigning, working fewer hours, getting laid off or fired, or COBRA ending
  • Losing coverage through a divorce
  • Aging off a parent’s plan (usually at age 26)
  • Losing Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
  • Having or adopting a baby
  • Getting married
  • Moving
  • Having a change in income
  • Leaving incarceration
  • Becoming a U.S citizen
  • Paying a 2014 tax penalty for lack of insurance (available until 4/30/15 only)
For information or to schedule an appointment:
Call 1-877-564-5031
Schedule on-line:  CoveringCFL.net

Monday, March 2, 2015

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program taking calls for assistance March 3rd at 2pm

Call 407-933-9540 starting at 2pm until all appointments are full!

The Osceola Council on Aging's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides financial assistance to low-income households in meeting the cost of home heating and cooling to Osceola County residents.

Qualifications:

You are an Osceola Resident
Your Household is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty level
You have not received LIHEAP assistance within one year

Priority is given to families with children 5 and younger, persons over the age of 60 and/or anyone receiving disability


All Households must be able to provide:

Social Security Cards for everyone in the Household
ID for all adults 18 & over
Utility bill (applicant must be authorized user)
Proof of Household Income
  • Last 4 weeks of paystubs and/or
  • Unemployment letter and/or
  • Child support Documents and/or
  • Food stamp or any Government assistance award letter (SSI or SSDI)
  • Any adult without proof of income must be present to sign a self declaration letter.
Call 407-933-9540