2021 COMBAT Funding: $100,000.00

In CSL's Own Words

Summary

In 2017, CSL began its work in the Hawthorne Place Apartments & Townshomes providing employment coaching, financial coaching and income supports/direct assistance. In a little over three years, the program has grown to include Family Stability Coaching, forming a community group to create a Trauma Informed/Resiliency Community Plan, working with Independence Police (IPD) to create a Crisis Response Plan, and working with IPD and Hope House to begin door-to-door outreach for domestic violence victims. The Independence STRIVIN' area has expanded to include Northwest Indepenence and Sugar Creek. Located in the heart of this community, Blendwell is the CSL Work Life Center.

Intensive Case Management & Life Coaching

Community Services League's (CSL's) Family Stability Initiative is based on a model created in 2003 by Barbara Siemer, United Way and Jewish Family and Children's Services. Due to the success of the model, the Siemer Institute was created in 2011, and now has partnerships in 55 communities across the country, including the Kansas City metropolitan area. Intensive case management and life coaching is at the very core of the Family Stability Initiative. Families work closely with their coaches to move from a position of crisis (emotional and financial) to a position of stability and srength.

Trauma-Informed Strategies

In addition, our work is based on Trauma-Informed/Trauma-Sensitive interventions and strategies. Trauma informed care is a strengths-based framework that is grounded in an understanding to the impact of trauma. The CDC reports that one in four children experience some sort of maltreatment (physical, sexual or emotional abuse) in addition to the trauma assocated with poverty. The four principles of Trauma-Informed Care, which have been adopted for our program are: Trauma Awareness, Safety, Choice and Empowerment, and strengths-based.

Family Stability Initiative

As CSL expands its Family Stability Initiative, we serve families living in and around the Hawthorne Place Apartments (our original Strivin' target area) and NW Independence/Sugar Creek (our expansion area). Our primary zipcodes include 64052, 64053, 64054, and 64056. We encompass three crime hotspots, but are adjacent to an additional two hotspots within Independence and Sugar Creek.

As we work with the families, we are working to increase their household income from that of poverty to 200% of federal median poverty levels.

Community Services League offers the following services in these communities:

1. Provide Family Stability Coaching for families with at least 90% of the families remaining stably housed for at least one year. If a move happens, the move is smooth for the families and is better for the family. CSL will also track financial wellness, career and educational opportunities and goals, and any direct assistance provided to these families.

2.  CSL, using trauma sensitive principles, seeks to promote emotional and social wellness for our neighborhood's children, families, schools, stakeholders and for our CSL staff. COVID has been a complex trauma that our communities have never seen before. They are not new to complex trauma, but they are new to this type of trauma. CSL Family Stability Coaches have already begun implementing wellness tools for children and families during our coaching conversations. With COMBAT funding in 2021, we aim to further address the many mental health concerns facing our targeted communities. CSL will hire a mental wellness professional to assist us in crisis situations, in facilitating groups and supports, in teaching classes, and in being an integrated part of our coaching team.

3. COVID Recovery. Resilience is a key part of all trauma recovery. As we know, families who have been on the fringes of society have been typically considered "at-risk". We want to change that to be that all families have a chance to succeed. CSL has been ramping up its employment and career development portfolio to include readiness, placement, training, and community allies for neighbors. As families see more of their 'crises' calming down through work with family stability coaching and with emotional/wellness supports, families will be ready to tackle career development and financial growth. Education and employment are key factors for people to move out of poverty.  CSL will be part of that success story in the long-term progress of helping people make more money for a sustainable future.