Staff Reflections on the No Wrong Door Approach
Over the course of our 36-year history, thousands of Palm Beach County residents have walked through the doors of Community Partners of South Florida. Whether they are the doors to our BRIDGES hubs, our therapy offices or the doors to a family’s first home, we firmly believe that when it comes to connecting residents with the services and supports they need to thrive, all are welcome and there are no wrong doors.
Latrice Hawkins is a Wraparound Facilitator at Village 1 – Community Partners of South Florida’s dual diagnosis residential facility that supports residents at risk of homelessness.
“It is a privilege to work in this field and help folks,” she said. “A majority of the people who come in are homeless, have mental illness or are going through substance abuse issues and don’t realize they even have community supports.”
The intake process is crucial to understanding a client and the inherent strengths that can be built upon. Regardless of the circumstances under which a client arrives, our doors are always open and someone is always there to listen.
“Intake is the gateway through which everyone comes in,” said Jaz Brown, Supervisor of Intake. “We don’t turn anyone away. If you don’t have insurance, we get funding from Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network (SEFBHN). If you don’t have insurance and are referred through school, we get funding from The Jim Moran Foundation. If you have insurance and we don’t accept it, we connect you with a partner who does accept it. If you need help, you get help. That’s what we do.”
Community Partners of South Florida is the only wraparound service provider in Palm Beach County and focuses on honoring the client’s voices and their choices.
“Once I meet with the client, I get to know their strengths, their culture and their needs to better understand who they are and what kind of supports they need,” said Latrice. “While I’m learning about them, they’re also learning about themselves.”
In addition to helping set up appointments and organize transportation, facilitators also assist in providing resources for employment and continuing education, connect clients with the CPSFL Prosperity Center and even accompany clients to court dates.
“When Village 1 first opened, I had a client who came in with no job, no insurance and no support system other than the case worker who referred him,” Latrice said. “We talked and I found out he was a good cook. I helped him build his resume and we went through the interview process together. We went looking for interview suits together. Now, he is the assistant to the chef at a very well-known restaurant in the area.”
Within eight months of staying at Village 1 and having access to resources and supports, this client was able to turn his life around.
“We host a life skills event once a month and folks come in to talk about how to do certain things,” Latrice said with a smile. “This client came back and did a cooking class with us last month.”
“It’s layered,” Jaz explains. “We connect with a client and start therapy with the child. Then, we do family therapy and see the parent is struggling so we connect them with (substance abuse treatment program) Village for Change or Triple P (Positive Parenting Program). It’s pretty darn awesome that one agency can support a family in so many different ways. You start with one door and from that one door, you can open up to so many possibilities.”
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