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As we start the new year, I want to tell you about a program that started late last year but is already having a big and positive impact on our residents.
On Dec. 1, our Nurse on Call hotline officially transitioned to the Oakland Connects Helpline. This is an expansion of the program that traditionally has provided answers to people calling our health department with health-related questions.
But we’ve added community health workers to help guide residents through the vast array of services offered by the county and its community partners. This provides a holistic way to address the root causes of health-related issues, including homelessness, food insecurity, or lack of a job or transportation.
Thousands of people call our Nurse on Call hotline with medical questions each year. But when the Oakland Connects Helpline launched last month, more than 100 of those calls were referred to a Community Health Worker to help the person navigate additional resources. In addition, our nonprofit partners in the community referred more than 60 people to us.
During extreme weather months, this becomes especially critical as the Oakland Connects staff were able to help dozens of people find emergency housing in hotels or shelters.
And we also were able to direct people to where they could get food assistance and job opportunities.
In this time of uncertainty in federal and state funding resources, this service literally has become a lifesaver for some of our residents.
Oakland Connects helped a Clarkston woman and her four kids connect with resources for furniture, food, clothing, school supplies and Christmas gifts after they secured permanent housing last month.
We coordinated pick-up and delivery of beds and mattresses, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for Bloom House, a shelter for homeless mothers that welcomed two new families last month.
And we helped find permanent shelter for a Pontiac woman and her daughter that gave them the address they needed to be able to begin applying for jobs.
Oakland Connects is just one of the ways we’re creating opportunities for our residents to overcome the challenges that make it difficult to live their best lives.
It’s an investment that is paying handsome dividends for our residents.
To learn more about Oakland Connects, go to oakgov.com/oaklandconnects.
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