Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) is a federal block grant program that provides funds to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty and remove obstacles to self-sufficiency in communities. The CSBG program provides support for Community Action agencies, Snohomish County is a public Community Action agency, who assist poor families and individuals to become more self-sufficient. Federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is managed by the Washington State Department of Commerce.
COMMUNITY ACTION MONTH
MAY 2012
2012 CSBG Funded Programs:
In the fall of 2011, at the Community Services Advisory Council's (CSAC) request, the Office of Housing and Community Services (OHCS) conducted focus groups to further understand the dental needs of Snohomish County low-income adults. Dental was the top identified need from the 2010 Low-Income Needs Assessment (LINA) (2.6 MB). From this information gathering, it was determined that a meaningful collaboration and coordination between dental service providers and programs was needed in Snohomish County. The intention was to assure that a comprehensive array of dental services could be rendered to low-income adults in Snohomish County.
The following information contains links to organizations outside Snohomish County government. Clicking the link will open a new window, navigating you away from the County's website.
The CSAC made the recommendation to fund a dental collaboration, lead by the Snohomish Health District, in partnership with Snohomish County's OHCS. Collaborating partners include: Community Health Clinics of Snohomish County, Everett Gospel Mission, and Senior Services of Snohomish County.
Additionally, the CSAC made the recommendation to fund the second year of the Investing in Families pilot project, specifically Snohomish County Legal Services (SCLS), YWCA and Volunteers of America's (VOA) Dispute Resolution Center (DRC).
2011 CSBG Funded Programs:
In 2008, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Building Changes, Snohomish County launched a 20-month planning process to transform systems to better address the needs of families experiencing and at-risk of homelessness. The plan has been developed within the context of Snohomish County's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness developed by the Homeless Policy Task Force. The Snohomish County initiative to be launched through this plan is known as Investing in Families and is intended to complement and supplement the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness with a road map for transforming systems for ending family homelessness.
The CSAC made the recommendation to fund familiy/civil legal and mental health services. These priorities were derived from the top identified needs of the 2006 Low-Income Needs Assessment and the Snohomish County Investing in Families Landscape Assessment. CSBG funds were used as part of the funding for the Investing in Families pilot project and funded three (3) agencies. These agencies were: Snohomish County Legal Services (SCLS), YWCA, and Volunteers of America's (VOA) Dispute Resolution Center (DRC). Note: these links will direct you to these organizations' websites through a new window, navigating you away from the County website.
For more information on the Investing in Families pilot project, please visit the Investing in Families website. Note: the Investing in Families website is part of the Workforce Development Council of Snohomish County, WDCSC. Clicking the link will open a new window, navigating you away from the County's website.
- Snohomish County 2010 Low Income Needs Assessment
The Snohomish County Human Services Department is pleased to announce the release of the 2010 Snohomish County Low Income Needs Assessment. The Needs Assessment is a study of needs and services for low-income households in Snohomish County. Snohomish County Human Services conducted, in cooperation with Cornerstone Strategies, a consultant, a low-income needs assessment to help public and private agencies plan for service delivery.
The County’s Human Services Department and Cornerstone Strategies worked with community focus groups to identify and discuss current needs for low-income individuals living in Snohomish County. The Needs Assessment is based on the results of a survey of low-income clients representing 1,484 low-income households. The households represented by the respondents included approximately 2,783 persons (1,351 adults and 1,432 children).
For more information, download the 2010 Needs Assessment Report or contact:
Jeffrey Watson, Division Manager
Housing & Community Services Division
425-388-7116
Or
Andrea Kolacz, CSBG Program Manager
425-388-7244
Comments or suggestions about this web page?