by: Erin Wallner
Flagler Health+
To kick-off its expansion into Flagler County, Care Connect+ awarded Innovators Micro Grants to four Flagler County nonprofit organizations for the purpose of supporting new or existing programs that positively impact persons experiencing homelessness, hunger, behavioral health issues, financial instability, affected by COVID-19, lack of access to affordable housing, transportation, medication or health care in Flagler County.
Care Connect+ is a social health organization, developed by Flagler Health+, that connects area residents with a single access point to services that address social determinants of health in a coordinated way across communities.
The one-time awards of $5,000 were awarded to the following:
- Early Learning Coalition of Flagler & Volusia Counties for the Safe Baby Program - To assist families with children (prenatal -12 months of age) in providing the safest transportation possible and to increase the quality of parent-child interactions by providing car seats and pack-n-plays with sheets, along with education, at no cost to children of low-income families. The program exists in other counties but the micro grant will allow the program to expand into Flagler County.
- Children’s Home Society of Florida for the Family Transition Program – To help families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic stay financially afloat and continue to work toward family reunification. This multi-faceted community-based program works with vulnerable families in their homes, in the context of their neighborhoods, to help them meet the basic needs of their children and prevent child maltreatment and out-of-home placement.
- George Washington Carver Foundation for the LIGHTSSS Program –To provide materials and equipment needed to implement social and emotional learning curriculum. The LIGHTSSS program provides strategies and mentoring to students from a low income neighborhood.
- Abundant Life Ministries for the Phoenix Community Mental Health Program – To identify and refer Flagler County residents who are uninsured and under insured to mental health services in Flagler County and to identify partners who are not currently providing Medication Management services in Flagler County and are willing to partner with Phoenix Community Services to increase the number of providers thereby reducing the number of Baker Acts and crisis stabilization episodes. Phoenix Community Services is a multidisciplinary behavioral health care practice that offers behavioral health and substance abuse services to residents of Flagler County.
“The efforts of Care Connect+ will provide positive impacts in the lives of our residents. We appreciate the innovative investments Care Connect+ is making and their commitment to our community,” said Palm Coast Mayor Millissa Holland.
“Our model for addressing social determinants of health has resulted in significant outcomes like increasing access to care, decreasing homelessness and reducing food insecurity,” stated Flagler Health+ President and CEO Jason Barrett. “By leveraging the incredible work of local agencies, streamlining access to services and providing navigation services, we expect to see tremendous results for the residents of Flagler County.”
To better serve and coordinate care in Flagler County, Care Connect+ will open a new office in Palm Coast on March 1. The new office will be inside the Flagler Health+ Specialty Care office located at 50 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite C1, Palm Coast.
To learn more about Care Connect+ and its resources, visit careconnectplus.com.