Socio-Economic Improvement

Plan

Social Crisis Intervention and

Guidance Officer

JP Steinberg
Professor Barnes
POLI-161 Honors
Ocean County College Fall 2014

Steinberg 1

Table of Contents
I.

Coming Home: Assessment .............................................................................................................. 2

II.

Community Resources, Networking and Referrals ......................................................................... 13

III.

Where Theres a PATH, Theres a Way: Outreach and Intake ....................................................... 20

IV.

Promise! Advocacy, Acceptance and Placement ............................................................................ 25

V.

A Special Response: Problem Solution ....................................................................................... 29

VI.

Social Crisis Intervention & Guidance Officer ............................................................................... 34

VII.

Points to Consider for Presentation and Development: .................................................................. 36

VIII.

Terms Used to Describe Project: .................................................................................................... 39

IX.

Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 40

X.

Addendum ....................................................................................................................................... 41

Steinberg 2

I.

Coming Home: Assessment

This project manifested as the result of much day-dreaming and imagining living in a society
where an individual or family could reach out to its community for a helping hand, in a time of
great need, and receive it. The particular idea, outlined following this recount, came about after
my family and I were approaching the end of a highly turbulent time of couch-surfing and much
controversy with The Ocean County Board of Social Services (OCBOSS). At the time, I just
served about nine months of a one year sentence after having had a brush with the law in
Baltimore, Maryland and, upon reuniting with my wife, Mary, and oldest child, spent three
months living with friends and family until we exhausted every option we could think of and
found ourselves faced with outright imminent homelessness.
About a month after my arrest in Baltimore, my wife was evicted from our one bedroom
apartment in Jackson, NJ. It had become impossible for her to maintain the rent and utilities, in
addition to caring for our daughter, after having been a stay-at-home mom for about a year and
having relied heavily on my income. Not only was the financial burden too great, she was
experiencing tremendous emotional distress due to the present circumstance.
Mary was receiving unemployment benefits as well as a nominal amount of food stamps
which was just enough to feed herself and our daughter, keep the electricity on and have some
money to keep gas in her vehicle to get around. She paid what portion of the rent she could
afford, but wound up falling too far behind for the management to forgo eviction proceedings.
From jail, several states away, there was very little I could do other than advise her and insist that
she go to the few agencies and organizations that I had heard of such as O.C.E.A.N. Inc., Social
Services and several local churches. Everywhere she went the response was the same; they told
her they were unable to help because the couple of hundred dollars a week she was receiving

Steinberg 3

from unemployment was too great to qualify for any sort of benefits and assistance. I felt
desperate and overwhelmingly helpless; I could only imagine what she was going through.
I was arrested in mid-August, by October she was officially evicted and given a couple of
weeks to vacate the property. Fortunately a few family members and friends were able to come
help her move our belongings into storage at a relatives house and her and my daughter were
able to crash at a friends place temporarily. Between then and the time I came home from jail
they engaged in the proverbial couch surf, bouncing from one place to another until finally being
allowed to stay somewhat indefinitely with a friend of the family in Neptune.
Of course, its one thing to couch surf on your own, its another to do so with a child and yet
even more complicated and troublesome with two adults and a child which was the case when I
was released and had nowhere else to go.
Many jails have reentry programs for inmates which include halfway houses, rehabs and
employment. However, these programs are often tailored to assist inmates serving longer more
considerable sentences, generally more than a year. For those inmates doing short bids in county
jails there is not always enough time to participate in a comprehensive reentry program. And as
in my case, since I was incarcerated in a state where I did not officially reside and did not plan
to, there were no programs available to me other than the few I had already completed while
housed in the facility such as anger management, parenting classes, relapse prevention and yoga.
Since county jails have a high turnover rate and tend to be extremely over populated, social
services are not always able to provide enough resources and counseling to inmates within a
reasonable amount of time so they are often released with little to no options but to fend for
themselves, rely on the charity of friends and family and do whatever it takes to survive. This

Steinberg 4

may be one of the most prominent factors leading to higher rates of alcoholism, drug abuse,
relapse and recidivism.
I did take the time, while incarcerated, to formulate my own plan as to how I was going to
matriculate as a viable and productive member of mainstream society once again as I had been
able to many years before having taken a turn down a dark path of mental illness and substance
abuse. I knew it was possible and where there was a will there had to be a better way!
I wrote Mary numerous letters outlining how I planned to come home and ask for temporary
assistance from the government, settle into our own place and I would go to college to get a
degree so that I may be more viably employable. I knew that at almost forty years of age a
simple minimum wage job with no formal education was not going to cut it. We already had one
small mouth to feed and I was sure we would reproduce again. Mary and her family are, for the
most part, Ocean County natives and we wished to remain so. It is a place we are familiar and
comfortable with. When I first came home, the family friend where Mary was staying allowed
me to join her and my daughter for the time being.
Our stay there was not a comfortable one, but it was a roof over our heads and we were
together, which was all that really mattered at the time. After a few days of much needed rest and
re-familiarizing myself with my daughter who was about one and half, we began to revisit what
semblance of a plan we had laid out and explore our options. The accommodations were very
temporary and far less than ideal for a family of three. We felt crowded and unwelcome; the
tension seemed to grow exponentially each day. What benefits I had derived from the yoga and
anger management techniques I learned to practice were diminishing quickly. I feared I would
begin to think my only option was to return to conducting illicit business to raise enough money

Steinberg 5

to get my family out of there and in our own home sooner than later. Patience and perseverance
had to be in the top tier of my toolbox of coping skills.
Very quickly, Mary and I realized we werent going to survive on her unemployment and
food stamps alone. She no longer had her vehicle as she was not able to afford to maintain it; she
sold it to a relative for very little. It was an older truck not worth very much and in need of
considerable repair. We had to rely on what limited public transportation is available in
Monmouth and Ocean Counties along with rides from friends and relatives here and there. On
my third day home, Marys friend gave us a ride to the OCBOSS building on Hopper Avenue in
Toms River. This is where it all truly begins to unfold!
Having been incarcerated for close to a year and my family consequently having become
homeless meant that we didnt have a true base of operations where we could keep all of our
belongings valuable or otherwise. We had to share one cell phone which we could barely afford.
Thus making it difficult to keep track of our legal documents such as birth certificates, social
security cards and any other paperwork we might have been asked to produce upon applying for
government benefits. The only address we had to receive mail was Marys moms house in
Jackson, New Jersey (in Ocean County) from which everyone had to vacate after having fallen
so far behind in the mortgage that she was facing foreclosure and could no longer afford to
maintain any of the utilities. Marys mom, Angela, was not eligible for any assistance from
Social Services or O.C.E.A.N. Inc. due to her level of income. For these reasons we were unable
to stay there as the house was uninhabitable, especially by children.
Anyone who has had to spend a day waiting to be seen by a case worker on the third floor
of building three of OCBOSS on Hooper Avenue knows just how taxing a process it can be, even

Steinberg 6

more so with a child in tow. The waiting room is not very accommodating, warm or welcoming
and the atmosphere is generally one of stress and desperation. It is safe to assume the people
sitting around waiting to be seen are not generally in a positive mind frame due to their current
circumstances, which is certainly understandable. The wait times can be long to very excessive
as it was for us that day.
One thing I would like to point out is that, as of then and still to the best of my
knowledge, there is no one to consult with before sitting with a worker and applying for benefits
without disclosing your personal information and situation so as to determine your best course of
action or figure out whether it makes sense to stay until you are called, in case you might not in
fact be appropriate or eligible for any of the services and benefits offered by Social Services.
And if it is determined you and your family are not, there is not a thorough and comprehensive
on site referral service for other agencies and organization in and around the county.
Finally, after a long tiring wait, we were sent upstairs to see a case worker. Mary already
had an open case through which she received enough food stamps for her and our daughter and
Medicaid for the both of them; she did not get cash benefits because her unemployment was
considered too great for a family of two. Upon explaining our present situation, we were advised
that our only option was to add me to her account which would increase the amount of food
stamps and I would probably be approved for Medicaid. I asked if we could receive cash benefits
as well but they assured us that Marys unemployment was calculated as more than enough for a
family of three to live in Ocean County. Needless to say, we left there disappointed to put it
mildly.

Steinberg 7

Distraught, frustrated and upset; Mary and I left Social Services late that afternoon, close
to closing time, tired and hungry not in the best of moods. We knew we had to come up with a
solution to our woes much sooner than later. We were wearing out our welcome where we were
staying and our finances were dwindling fast along with our initial happiness to have been
reunited after much time apart. Of course I thought about getting a job, but how was I going to
manage without a stable home base and some semblance of mental health? Where would I find a
job that would see my family housed and fed quickly with a current and considerable criminal
background and no formal education, no decent clothes, no transportation other than the bus line
a few miles walking distance away? There was still the matter of obtaining all the legal
documents required when being hired almost anywhere.
I thought if we could just get some temporary assistance I could carry out my plan to go
to school and work my way towards a viable career. During my incarceration, Mary and I also
discussed the possibility of creating a proposal to try and start a small family mobile food truck
business. We both love to cook, are very good at it and it was an idea that I had brewing for
some time. Regardless of the game plan, things were going to take time; patience and
perseverance were key and maintaining some level of inner peace had to be my primary focus.
Our situation was quickly becoming dire, our host was demanding we give her money
and they were eating all of the food we bought with little to no consideration for our finances.
Sympathy and compassion from friends and family was dwindling fast and understandably so;
everyone had their own hardships to deal with. I had the idea to apply for benefits on my own
since I was not already receiving any sort of benefits, and having been recently released from jail
I figured I would be eligible for food stamps and a small amount of cash. I also knew that if I
went to the local One Stop Career Center I would either get help enrolling in school, become

Steinberg 8

eligible for a grant to start business or have a much easier time finding employment as an exconvict. Fortunately there was one not far from the house; I was able to walk there.
I was advised by the owner of the house we were staying in that there was a Social
Services office much closer than the one in Toms River on Hooper Avenue, thats when I first
discovered we were in Monmouth County and not Ocean. It didnt matter to me at the time.
Ultimately, it didnt make a difference what county we lived in, the important thing was
following through with our plan and keeping my family together and safe. Within a few days I
was approved for benefits in Monmouth County, now we had almost doubled our income and
felt as if we were on our way towards a goal.
Marys dad rented the basement apartment in the house were we stayed. At first he
welcomed me and we got along. However, as the days passed the novelty began to wear away
rapidly. Mary and I were having a hard time getting along, most likely due to the tremendous
amount of pressure we were under. We had no privacy and very little space. As much as we tried
to respect the fact that we were in fact in someone elses home, we started letting the situation
get the better of us. For me, it was particularly difficult to maintain composure. One day Mary
and I had a pretty nasty argument, we spewed some vulgar language at each other and it was
apparent that everyone in the house heard the whole debacle.
Marys father was very displeased with what had transpired, he and her brother
confronted me about it. I was in no mood to be cornered and interrogated about my relationship
with the mother of my child at such a critical point in time. I was at the point of a breakdown.
My reaction to the confrontation was one of immediate defensiveness which was met with a
punch from Marys dad. The incident didnt go much further than me picking my glasses up off

Steinberg 9

the floor and her dad deciding to leave the house for the night. When the rest of Marys family
got wind of what had transpired, her sister, who lived in Jackson at the time, told us to come stay
with her. She lived in a two bedroom apartment just off of County Line Road and her two little
boys only stayed with her on the weekends so it would be far less crowded.
For the most part our stay at her sister Annies home was pleasant. We had more privacy
and space. We also felt more at home and familiar with the area which gave us some peace of
mind. After a difficult couple of weeks in Neptune and the nine months prior that I spent in jail
and Mary couch-surfing and taking care of our daughter alone we, almost arbitrarily, took a
much needed break from worrying about our plan. We had a little money coming in from our
collective benefits and it seemed as if we would be able to stay with Annie long enough to take
our time and make steady progress.
A couple of weeks passed, I applied for several jobs to no avail. Annie began to insist we
contribute to the rent, to which we were not in any way opposed but we had to agree on a
reasonable amount that we could afford. I do not recall how much we determined we could
manage, it was very little. Unbeknownst to us, Annie was behind in her rent and was receiving
notices from the management warning her top pay up for face eviction proceedings. This only
came to light when Mary began to wonder why her sister was so adamant about us paying her so
much more than she knew we could so she happened to poke around and found one of the letters
from the management on the kitchen counter.
When we confronted her about the situation, she got highly upset and became
unreasonable. We offered to fork over all of the money we had if it would make up enough of the
rent in arrears to avoid an eviction. Instead, she insisted we pack our belongings and leave her

Steinberg 10

home as soon as we could. Mary tried to reason with her, her efforts were futile. When Mary
explained to her sister-in-law, Carol, what had befallen, she told us we could come stay with her
in her two bedroom apartment in Seaside Heights where she lived alone.
Carol was an addict in recovery, about 8 months pregnant and living on welfare and
rental assistance. Mary knew her well for years and helped raise her first child during a very
difficult time for Carol. We were very appreciative and grateful to her for allowing us to occupy
what would be her babys room until she actually needed it. She also agreed to accept only fifty
dollars a week from us and we would all buy and prepare food together. She seemed happy to
have company from people who were drug free and were willing to do much of the household
chores which were difficult for her at this stage of her pregnancy.
Carol disclosed to me that she was in active recovery and that she had recently become a
client of Ocean Mental Health through a program they ran called Ocean-CREST, a crisis
intervention facility that does community outreach and crisis response throughout Ocean County.
While incarcerated, I began to practice some beginner yoga, meditation and EFT to alleviate
much of the emotional distress I had been struggling with for years. Since my release and after a
tumultuous time bouncing from one place to another, my regular adherence to a routine of stress
reduction and management practices had diminished greatly. The idea of reaching out to an
organization for help made perfect sense. I called to schedule an assessment and the next day
they came to Carols house and not only did an assessment, they began the intake process.
The following day I planned to go to the Ocean County Courthouse to see what could be
done about settling a pending criminal case I had from 2009 for possession of illicit substances,
at which time I learned that Judge Daniels had issued a warrant for my arrest while I was

Steinberg 11

incarcerated in Baltimore. For whatever reason, he would not hear my case that day and decided
to execute the warrant. The court officers remanded me into custody immediately and I wound
up serving ten days in the Ocean County Jail waiting to appear before the Judge.
When I was finally brought into the court room wearing a tan jump suit, hand cuffed and
shackled, I did my best to stand up straight when my name was called. I did my best to remain
calm and collective and attempted to explain to the judge that I had a plan to go to school, to start
a business, that I had been abstinent from recreational substances for a considerable amount of
time and would remain so. Mary, our daughter, Lily, and my dad were in the audience and also
stood up when my case was called. The prosecutor insisted that I was a danger to society and I
should be made to serve one year for the charges I had incurred several years prior.
Fortunately, Judge Daniels is known to be a fair and compassionate man. He saw fit to
release me to two years probation and attached the usual fines associated with such charges. I
have since completed the sentence satisfactorily although I am still chipping away at the fines.
Mary and I returned to Carols place and began to figure out the next steps we needed to
take to become an independent family. Ocean-Crest took me in as a client and referred me to a
therapist and psychiatrist within their agency. I began to attend weekly support groups at their
facility as well. I spent a good portion of every day at the public library using the internet to
research what options were available to families in our situation. I looked for jobs, I looked into
going to college or vocational training, I started to learn about the Small Business Administration
and research what services were available to ex-convicts in recovery. Things seemed to be
coming together slowly but surely.

Steinberg 12

One day I came home from the library and Mary had an unexpected, very creative,
surprise set up for me. She liked to bake a lot and was always making some sort of muffins,
cookies or bread. She was sitting at the kitchen table and when I walked in the house, she asked
me to go to the oven and take out the buns she had in there. I put on an oven mitt, opened the
oven door and reached in to grab the baking pan on the top rack. I hadnt realized right away that
the oven was not on and was not hot. As I pulled the pan out and went to place in on the counter
I noticed a pregnancy test where there should have been baked goods. It read as positive of
course. Considering the circumstances, this was not an ideal surprise, none the less I was excited.
Of course, this changed things quite drastically; we not only had to figure out how to feed
and house the three of us, there was soon going to be four!
Very shortly thereafter something changed in the dynamic concerning the relationship
between us and Carol. Within a matter of days she was no longer as warm and friendly as she
was initially. For reasons I cannot be entirely sure of, nor do I wish to speculate, she informed us
we could no longer stay with her. She and Mary got into a pretty nasty fight and exchanged some
harsh words. At that point we were entirely out of places to go, that was it, no more friends or
relatives homes where we could crash. What to do!?!?

Steinberg 13

II.

Community Resources, Networking and Referrals

We had been made aware of a program run by the Ocean County Board of Social
Services called Special Response whereby homeless individuals and families could be placed in
emergency shelter while waiting to be approved for temporary rental assistance to then find their
own place. It was early enough in the day that we decided to hop on the bus and head over there.
We didnt see any other options; our situation was now absolutely desperate. Special Response is
located in the Social Services complex on Hooper Avenue in Toms River across the parking lot
from the building where people go to apply for welfare. We had never been to that building
before and had no idea what the process entailed. We waited in a long queue before reaching the
receptionists desk where she asked for ID and entered our names into a computer placing us on
an extraordinarily long list to go upstairs and speak with a case worker.
We wound up waiting until closing, 4:30PM, at which time they no longer see potential
clients. Instead, if you are there seeking emergency shelter, they place you in a nearby hotel and
tell you to come back very early the following morning so that your case may be assessed. They
were sure to explain if our names were not among the first to arrive well before 8:00AM we may
have to again wait all day.
We did not have to wait quite as long the following day, perhaps only a few hours. When
called, we were directed to the third floor where we sat at the desk of one of the Special
Response case workers. She began to ask us the usual gamut of questions any case worker would
ask upon performing an assessment and intake. Of course we were forthcoming with every bit of
information pertaining to our income, employment, living arrangements, and whatever personal
identifying information she required. Once we disclosed that Mary was receiving unemployment,
I was receiving benefits from Monmouth County and that we had been crashing with what

Steinberg 14

friends and relatives would have us; it became evident that we were not eligible for Special
Response. We were denied assistance and told to go to Monmouth County for help.
It was midday on a Thursday when this took place, fortunately in the middle of summer.
At this point we were entirely out of options and running low on energy and optimism. We
pleaded with the worker, assuring her that we had no place to go and no way to get to Monmouth
County Social Services, let alone before closing time. The worker told us to wait a minute and
left us to go consult with her supervisor. When she returned to her desk she told us that they
would place us in a hotel for the night but that would be the last time. We asked her if there was
any way to avoid going back to Monmouth County because we had no transportation, very little
money for the bus and were more familiar and comfortable with Ocean County where we lived
before my incarceration, where Mary was originally from and where we ultimately planned and
wished to live upon my release from jail.
She advised us that we would have to apply for benefits from the OCBOSS in building
three across the parking lot, where we had initially gone prior to our life becoming as messy as it
now was. The following day we showed up at building three early in the morning and made the
queue. Our wait was not quite as long, we were called upstairs to see a worker by about
11:00AM.
After having disclosed all the necessary information to the worker we were again told
that we were not eligible for benefits at this time and that we should go to Monmouth County for
help. It did not matter what we said or how much we attempted to plead our case, the answer was
firm and final. The worker gave us a photocopied piece of paper with about five or six phone
numbers to different places where we might find help including The Atlantic City Mission, a

Steinberg 15

shelter in Atlantic City, New Jersey, The Salvation Army, Interfaith Hospitality Network and
several others. Mary, Lily and I went outside and sat in the grass underneath a tree besides the
building. It was about lunch time so we had ourselves a little picnic while I commenced making
phone calls.
My first call, of course, was to the Monmouth County Social Services office. Since I was
in fact receiving benefits from them I wanted to find out what our options would be if we
managed to make our way there before closing time. After a conversation with the worker it was
made clear that I would be housed in a shelter along with Lily, but because Mary did not have a
Monmouth County case and was receiving benefits from Ocean County along with
unemployment she would not qualify for any sort of housing. Even after explaining that I could
not just leave her to fend for herself under the circumstances, the worker told me there was no
way around it; those were the rules and that was my only option.
My next step was to call the numbers on the list the Ocean County worker had given me.
I left the Atlantic City Mission for last because we had heard some horror stories about the place
and were advised that we may not want to go there with a child if we could avoid. Not to
mention, it was a fair distance away and a little more than we could afford for the bus. Every
other number on the list either told me that we were not eligible or appropriate to receive their
services for one reason or another or they did not presently have enough funding to house a
family of three. Some of them gave me other numbers I could call. One of the numbers on the
list was for PATH (Progressive Assistance to Transition from Homelessness); I left a message on
their voicemail.

Steinberg 16

As I made my way down the list of numbers, one of them was for Journey to Wellness
(JTW). JTW is part of the Mental Health Association of New Jersey in Ocean County (MHA). A
very friendly man by the name of Bud answered the phone. He told me that his organization did
not provide emergency housing but that he could make a phone call to someone who might be
able to help. He asked for my number and assured me he would call me back shortly.
In the meantime, I told Mary to see if she could get a hold of a phone number or any
contact information to Tent City in Lakewood by using the internet on her phone. We were avid
campers and we had tents and camping gear in storage that we could get to if need be. She found
a phone number that turned out to be Minister Steve Brighams, the man in charge of Tent City, I
left him a message. After about an hour of phone conversations that seemed to be going nowhere
fast, I was mentally exhausted and decided to finish eating my lunch and wait to see if anyone I
left messages for called back.
Some of the people hanging out outside of building three smoking cigarettes or waiting
for rides told us that if we really had nowhere to go, we could wait until after 5:00 PM, when
social services closed for the day and call 211. They explained that since it was a Friday 211
would put us up in a hotel nearby for the entire weekend so we would at least have a place to
stay until Monday. We kept that in the back of our minds as a viable option if nothing worked
out in the next few hours.
After a short time, the phone rang, it was Minister Steve. He said he got the message and
called us back right away. I explained the severity of our situation to him and asked what he
thought we should do. I told him we were avid campers and that we didnt mind camping for a
handful of days until we figured something out. Since it was the middle of summer it might be

Steinberg 17

no different than one of our regular outings. He was not thrilled about the idea, mostly because
Tent City was going through a rough patch with the local legislators and law enforcement and he
was not keen on the idea of having a small child there. He decided he would have us, but only for
the weekend and that he would help us figure out what to do before Monday.
I hung up with him and Mary called her mom for a ride to get our camping gear and drop
us off at Tent City. Angela arrived at Social Services to pick us up within the hour. We were on
our way.
Shortly after we piled in the car the cell phone rang, it was a number I did not recognize,
and I assumed someone was responding to one of the messages I had left. It was a man who
introduced himself as Jeff Wild. He said he got a call from Bud, the gentleman from MHA I had
spoken to earlier, and that he just got off the phone with Minister Steve. He explained that he
was the lawyer representing Tent City and that he runs The Coalition to End Homelessness in
New Jersey. He also expressed he did not like the idea that we were on our way to Tent City,
even if was just for the weekend, because the police were patrolling there regularly and might
have a problem if they were to discover a minor child as young as two there. He was afraid that
they might have DCP&P (Division of Child Protection and Permanency, formerly DYFS) take
the child, consequently causing tremendous problems for us.
We told him of the desperateness of our situation and explained how we were out of
options, at which time he said that The Coalition received regular donations which they kept in
an emergency fund for these exact scenarios and that he would be willing to put us up in a hotel
for the weekend. As it turned out, he planned to be in the Toms River area that weekend and
offered to pick us up early Monday morning and drive us to Special Response to represent us and

Steinberg 18

see if there was a way to figure something out. Before hanging up, he assured me that if we
headed over to the Red Roof Inn on Water Street in Downtown Toms River there would be a
room reserved for us. He also advised me to call a man by the name of Mike McNeil, Director of
STEPS (Solutions to End Poverty Soon), and fill him in on the situation, which I did right away.
Mike is also Ocean Countys Fair housing Officer, Housing Chair for the Montclair
NAACP and a liaison to the OCBOSS. After speaking with him it was decided that he would
meet us at Special Response Monday morning and request an emergency meeting with Meredith
Sheehan, supervisor of Special Response at the time.
After all, we decided to set our worries aside for the weekend and make an effort to enjoy
our stay at the hotel. We knew we would not be able to accomplish much on Saturday or Sunday
and were in much need of some distraction. We ordered pizza, watched a few movies and took
Lily to the park.
Come Monday, Jeff picked us up as promised and when we got to Special Response
Mike McNeil was there with one of his associates. Meredith was expecting us and had agreed to
give us a chance to meet in her private office to discuss our case.
Jeff and Mike asked if we would like them to accompany us into her office, I suppose to
provide some level of moral support and advise us if and when appropriate or need be. Both
Mary and I were quite nervous, we really did not know what to expect, we intended to just be
honest and hope for the best. We decided not to have Jeff and Mike sit with us. We truly
believed this was going to be the opportunity we so desperately needed to plead with someone
above the authority of a case worker who could and likely would decide to help us. The outcome
was quite the contrary.

Steinberg 19

Meredith already had as much information as she needed in a case file on her computer as
far as the standard identifying and financial data required when applying for benefits. She began
to ask us a series of unconventional questions in addition to whatever data the caseworkers had
already collected from us, for example: where were we living before I was incarcerated, where
had we been staying for the past thirty days, what were we planning to do in regards to seeking
employment and permanent living arrangements. Although all of our answers clearly pointed to
us having close ties and a recent considerable history residing in Ocean County, she told us that
she was denying us assistance based on not having had a plan upon coming to the county. We
even told her how I had written Mary numerous letters from jail outlining my desire and plan to
attend Ocean County College when I came home. We even offered the letters as evidence and
she said that would not alter her decision.
Once we exited her office she shared her decision and reasons for it with Jeff and Mike.
They were disappointed to say the least and a bit confused. After some deliberation, Meredith
agreed to place us in a hotel for one more night and she made sure to insist that this would be the
last time. We thanked Mike for taking the time to be there and he went on his way after letting
me know that he was going to investigate further and exhaust any and all possible options. Jeff
drove us to the hotel and conveyed the same message as Mike. We felt confident that we had two
willing and capable advocates fighting for us.

Steinberg 20

III.

Where Theres a PATH, Theres a Way: Outreach and Intake

At the hotel I was in no position to relax and let the time pass without taking it upon
myself to explore what options might be at our disposal which had not yet been examined. I
referred to my long list of phone numbers and called one that I had not heard back from, Family
Promise of Southern Ocean County (FPSOC). This time a lady answered the phone, her name is
Cheryl Polo, Director of FPSOC.
Cheryl was very warm and friendly; she stayed on the phone with me long enough to hear
about everything that had transpired over the last couple of months. She was acquainted with Jeff
Wild and Mike McNeil and also felt confident that together they could figure something out. She
explained that her organization does indeed house homeless families temporarily and works to
advocate for them, however it was a process that would take at least a few days in order to
determine our appropriateness and eligibility. I was very forthcoming with her about my recent
incarceration and history of substance use. She explained that they normally do not accept any
one into the program with such a background, but she was not going to make that determination
just then over the phone. She documented as much information about us as she could in the time
we spoke over the phone and let me know that she would have to consult with her board.
When I finished speaking with her I noticed a missed call and a voicemail. It was a
worker, Tom Finnerty, from PATH, one of the organizations I left a message for on Friday. I
called back and got a hold of him right away. Tom explained that his organization advocates and
helps to house homeless individuals and families and that they operate under Ocean Mental
Health of which I was already a client and that because I was, he could expedite an assessment
and intake if we were deemed appropriate and eligible for their services. I gave him a brief run

Steinberg 21

down as to our present situation and he let me know that he would be in the field and could meet
us at the hotel to do an assessment in a short while. Before the afternoon was over he arrived.
Tom came into the hotel room and sat at a small dinette table with me with a clipboard
and some forms. After he recorded what pertinent usual information a social worker would need
to open a case we began to discuss what might be the best course of action. He explained to me
that they were federally funded and options would be somewhat limited. I thought about our
initial plan to stay at Tent City and pondered the possibility of staying at a legitimate family
campground for a handful of days until better accommodations could be made. There are a
number of family campgrounds around the county where we have stayed that are far more
affordable than the hotels Social Services and The Coalition placed us in.
Tom said he was an avid camper and hiker himself so he was not against the idea, but he
had to discuss it with his associates to see how they felt about it. This was certainly unorthodox.
Since we had the hotel room for the night, he returned to his office and assured me he would
have an answer by the end of the day. In the meantime he asked me to look for nearby campsites
and figure out the cost. Mary and I did this together since she was an Ocean County native and
more familiar with local camping.
Cheryl called back not long after Toms visit to let me know that she was contemplating
our situation and attempting to reach out to all the board members. She also told me she had an
out of town trip planned the following day for a little over a week and that she may not be able to
do anything for us until her return. Something in my gut told me that, while our present
circumstances were still in quite iffy, there was beginning to be a faint and distant light at the end
of a long dark tunnel.

Steinberg 22

Jeff called during the afternoon and asked me to reach out to a friend of his by the name
of Connie Pascal, Vice President of New Jersey Legal Services at the time. He said I should
relate our story to him and that he might be instrumental as an advocate. Over the phone Connie
came across as a very kind, caring and compassionate individual. He listened intently to what I
had to say and he told me that he would monitor our case closely and maintain constant
communication with Jeff and Mike to keep abreast of things as they unfold. He also said he knew
of Cheryl and he would reach out to her and do what he could to persuade the board to accept us
into their program. He was also familiar with PATH and reassured me that we were in good
hands.
Tom returned to the hotel later that afternoon close to dinner time, he needed us to sign
some paper work and wanted to tell us in person that the agency agreed to let us stay at a
campsite. I told him about Jeff, Mike, Cheryl and Connie and we agreed that the best thing at this
point was to push to have us housed by Family Promise. I also told him about Cheryl leaving
town for a while and he figured since we were saving PATH quite a bit of money by staying at a
campsite as opposed to a hotel, they could afford to put us up until Cheryls return, about eleven
days.
The following morning Tom sent one of his associates, a social worker by the name of
Mark Ackerman, to pick us up and take us to the camp site. We called ahead to make sure a site
was vacant and made a reservation. On our way there, Mark made sure we understood that we
should not disclose to anyone at the campground that we were homeless and being placed there
by an organization. As it happened, this was a good idea. The lady who checked us in was the
owner and manager of the resort. She hadnt realized that we made the reservations for well over
a week and she began to tell us they do not allow tent sites to be occupied longer than five days

Steinberg 23

because, at one time, they ran into problems evicting homeless people. We told her that we came
from out of town to visit family in the area and we were avid campers who preferred nature to a
hotel room. She made an exception for us. Mark used his personal credit card to pay for the site
instead of a company card so as not to raise suspicion. I think we pretended he was my uncle and
was paying for the site as a gift.
The campground at which we stayed is a seasonal family RV resort in Barnegat called
Carefree. At the time they were charging around twenty five dollars a day for a tent site with
running water, electricity, access to bathrooms and showers and a multitude of family friendly
activities and accommodations including a swimming pool and a giant bouncing pillow. We
were still getting some money from Marys unemployment and my benefits from Monmouth
County, so we were able to stock our cooler with food, purchase plenty of fire wood for the week
and ice to keep our perishables fresh.
During our stay at Carefree, Mark came to visit us quite frequently in order to carry out
his duties and obligations as a social worker. There was plenty more paper work, assessment and
counseling to be done. As well, one of the counselors from Ocean-CREST, named Adam,
proceeded with the outreach and intake procedures in order to facilitate my being a client and
begin weekly one-on-one therapy and help me attend weekly support groups for individuals
struggling with mental illness and/or substance use issues.
At this point I should mention that in 2005 I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) after having endured a highly terrifying episode involving physical abuse and
psychological torment which left me emotionally scarred and greatly unable to cope with

Steinberg 24

stressful situations. This is part of what led me down a dark path towards substance use and
consequential incarceration.
Mark and Adam were both instrumental in Mary and me beginning to learn to navigate
the social services institutions and helping us to remain afloat during such turbulent life events.
During our stay at the campground we maintained close constant communications and met about
every other day. Mark would bring us ice and keep tabs on our progress while he kept us in the
loop as he communicated with individuals from Ocean and Monmouth County Social Services,
as well as Cheryl Polo, regarding the goings on of our case. Adam drove me to and from
meetings and therapy as well as grocery shopping and food pantries. Meanwhile, Mary was able
to rest as she grew more pregnant each day and Lily was simply having a blast camping and
playing with all the other kids in the pool and on the bouncing pillow.
Aside from the daily rigmarole of phone conversations and planning, our stay at Carefree
was a very pleasant one. We became friendly with the owner, Barbara and her husband, Gene,
and have since returned each summer as a family tradition for weekend stays.

Steinberg 25

IV.

Promise! Advocacy, Acceptance and Placement

As it neared the end of our stay, we made an appointment to meet Cheryl in person at the
Family Promise day center in Barnegat, incidentally not far from the campground. Mark drove us
to the meeting and attended as our advocate. The day center, which houses Cheryls office, is in
a house on Route 9 in an affluent historical center of Barnegat. It is surrounded by quaint antique
shops, galleries and restaurants. It is within walking distance of the Barnegat Bay as well as
several landmark sites and museums.
Upon making Cheryls acquaintance, it became apparent that she is a kind, warmhearted
individual whom carries out her functions as a social worker with care and compassion. It was
evident that she operated with professional courtesy and a tremendous amount of respect.
Inside the day center it appears more or less like a house, sans bedrooms. There is a
sizable comfy living room with a television and large toy box for kids, a fully stocked homely
kitchen, two bathrooms, a large space where the dining room would normally be equipped with a
couple of computers, printers and a telephone and the basement has a washing machine and
dryer. There is also a large backyard with a nice wooden patio and a swing set.
Cheryl sat with us at a large table in the middle of the dining room. Her line of
questioning went beyond the basic indentifying demographic data collected during assessments
and intakes done by case workers in the social work field. It felt more like we were having a
conversation and had some element of being interviewed for a position. It took much longer than
any of the sit downs we had over the prior week, including our meeting with Meredith Sheehan,
Special Response Supervisor.

Steinberg 26

I began to disclose a lot of personal and private details about mine and Marys life
together; details about why I was incarcerated, why I was diagnosed with PTSD, as well as
details about events that led to my incarceration and what I had been doing to cope with stress
and my symptoms since my release. Upon recalling events at one point, I began to cry.
This was the first time I truly felt as if someone in the field of social work was deeply and
genuinely interested in and concerned for our wellbeing. It was not so much that I was confident
she would accept us into the program, but I got the feeling that if there was any way she could
help it, she would. And if not, there would be a very good reason.
Cheryl explained to us that she had to perform a thorough background check on the both
of us and then had to consult with the board before making a final determination and that this
process could take up to several days. We could not go back to the campground because we
already stayed longer than they usually allow and did not want to press our luck and wear our
welcome out there. Mark communicated what transpired at Family Promise to Tom Finnerty and
got the approval to put us up in a hotel for a night or two, until Cheryl could give us a definitive
answer.
At this point, Mary and I were running out of steam and certainly had no idea what to do
next. Mark advised us that if we were not accepted into Family Promise his only immediate
solution would be to place Mary and Lily into a shelter for mothers and children and take me to
the Atlantic City Mission. Although he truly did not wish to break us up, it was the easiest and
quickest solution he could come up with.
That evening after we checked into our hotel room and had a bite to eat, Cheryl called. It
seemed unreal; she told me she was going to accept us into the program! I called Mark right

Steinberg 27

away to give him the good news; of course he was happy for us. Cheryl did explain that she was
not going to be able to house us immediately since they did not have any families in the program
at present and since she had been out of town they were not set up with enough hosts and
volunteers to take us in right away; it might be a day or more before they were ready.
The way Family Promise works is through a network of local congregations which host
families one week at a time by allowing them to spend the night in either a common area or
classrooms on foldable cots. The congregations call on volunteers to host and supervise each
night as well as to prepare meals and sometimes provide activities and entertainment as well as
counseling and guidance if desired or needed. Family Promise itself is a secular organization and
at no time do the volunteers encourage participation in any religious practice although the
families are welcome to do so.
Cheryl did not tell me this at the time, but she had to make exceptions above and beyond
any she would normally allow when accepting us into the program. To begin with, they have a
fairly strict rule against taking in any one with a current and considerable criminal record, they
normally do not accept families where at least one adult is not currently employed or enrolled in
school or vocational training and they prefer to host families who possess their own vehicle
because it becomes logistically troublesome to arrange and organize volunteers to drive the
families to and from the day center seven days a week on top of all the other responsibilities they
take on with no compensation.
Another fact that Cheryl only disclosed to me after having known me for some time, is
that she never actually performed a background check; she accepted our words as honest and
truthful. Had she done so, it would have delayed the intake process further and Mark let her

Steinberg 28

know that PATH was running out of funds to keep placing us in hotels. She had faith in our
desire to get our acts together and fix the mess that had become of our lives. Evidently, she did
not want to see our little family split up after having been through so much together as much as
we did not want that to happen.
While Cheryl rounded up some volunteers and made arrangements with Saint Mary of
The Pines Church in Manahawkin for us to stay there for the first week, it was up to Mark to
figure out where we would stay in the meantime without exhausting PATHs funds. He reached
out to Jenn Bauer, Director of The HOPE Center in Toms River, a non-profit which provides
limited assistance to the needy. She was able to put us up in a hotel for a couple of days while we
waited for Family Promise to welcome us.
Cheryl managed to get us oriented and settled into the program within that time. Adam
and his coworker Rob, from Ocean-CREST, picked us up from the hotel and drove us around to
collect some of our belongings that had been scattered throughout Ocean County in places we
crashed and dropped us off at the day center that afternoon. That evening we had dinner with a
volunteer by the name of Pat, and her husband, in one of the classrooms at Saint Marys and we
spent our first night sleeping soundly in another classroom where they set us up with cots, sheets,
blankets, pillows and a television with a DVD player. Phew!

Steinberg 29

V.

A Special Response: Problem Solution

We stayed with Family Promise from the beginning of August to the end of November of
2012, when we moved into the apartment where we now live in Toms River, New Jersey. Our
stay in the program exceeded their usual cap of three months due to the complexity of our case
and extraordinary effort it took to iron out all of the kinks, cross all the Ts and dot all the Is.
While the board members I met were all wonderful nonjudgmental individuals, I could not help
but feel a sense of hurry and helplessness at the same time. I knew they were keeping close tabs
on our progress; understandably so, taking into account Cheryl vouched for us knowing nothing
more than what we had shared with her during the initial intake.
Once we settled into the routine of the program and became familiar, relaxed and
comfortable I had to set some wheels in motion and make haste. Even though Family Promise
was a blessing, it was a temporary solution to a very serious problem. We still had no solid plan
as to where we were going to live and how we were going to secure employment and afford our
own way.
Mark maintained our PATH case open and remained our advocate the entire time we
were in the program. He acted as our representative and intermediary to the OCBOSS. With his
and Cheryls guidance, and intervention at times, I was able to cancel my benefits from
Monmouth County and transfer myself onto Marys already open account in Ocean County.
Exceeding the income level to qualify for full TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
benefits, which include SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) or food stamps,
cash allowance and Medicaid because Mary was receiving unemployment, was no longer a
hindrance because it happened to run out just before we were accepted into Family Promise.

Steinberg 30

The primary criteria to qualify for temporary rental assistance from Special Response is
that an individual or family be receiving TANF or General Assistance (the same as TANF for
individuals as opposed to families), have resided in Ocean County for at least thirty days and
have no place to live. It was not long after being in Family Promise, which is considered
transitional shelter, that we met those requirements, except that having to transfer my benefits
from one county to another met extraordinary delays. At first I thought this was a normal part of
the bureaucracy innate to such government agencies. If it hadnt been for Marks involvement
and savvy, I might still believe that.
The fact is, after about a month or so in Family Promise everyone began to become quite
frustrated at the roadblocks we seemed to be hitting with seemingly no explanation. Cheryl and
Mark both were perplexed as to why the red tape was taking so long when we had clearly done
all we could to clear up any confusion and provided any and all proper documentation in a timely
manner. Then one day, Mark took part in a conference call with one supervisor each from the
Monmouth and Ocean County Social Services. What he discovered during this call was that one
of the case workers in Ocean County had made a note in our file stating that he or she believed
we were committing fraud because of the way we had applied separately for benefits from both
counties.
Mark actually questioned me privately about it one day and assured me that as a matter of
doing what one felt was right to survive and take care of their family it was perfectly
understandable and, at that point, there was nothing anyone could do about it. That could not
have been further from the truth.

Steinberg 31

Another snafu we ran into during our stay at Family Promise is an interesting occurrence
that I cannot in fact say is true; it is pure speculation on my part. When one is denied any
benefits from Social Services you are entitled to what is known as a fair hearing. It is basically a
way of challenging their decision and having your case heard before a judge who can overturn or
uphold a case workers and supervisors decision. Everyone applying for benefits has the right to
a fair hearing. However, one has to be officially denied for whatever benefits and services they
are applying.
We were indeed told by a case worker several times as well as the supervisor, Meredith,
that we were denied for Special Response. However, unbeknownst to us, at no time was our
application legitimately processed and officially denied, so when asking for a fair hearing, the
office which handles that procedure told us they could not locate any denial on record and
therefore could not honor our request. Puzzling!
Needless to say, in the long run everything worked out for us. We pulled together a solid
team of advocates and social workers who not only rooted for us, but guided us every step of the
way and asked for nothing in return other than our eventual and continued success. All that was
ever expected of us was persistence, perseverance and consistency and patience by all means.
We may not have been able to endure without everyones constant moral support and
encouragement. At no time did we simply become complacent and accepting of the obstacles in
our way, instead we refused to take no for an answer only to be brushed aside and allowed to fall
through the cracks and become another statistical victim of a highly flawed system.
As convoluted as the Social and Human Services institutions may appear, there is surely
a way to make it work. With enough knowhow and fortitude one can utilize every aspect of

Steinberg 32

every department and compartment to piece together a mosaic of services and benefits that can
become a spring board into an independent, viable and productive life. At the time of this
writing, Mary and I are awaiting an extension of housing benefits to stay in this apartment a third
year on a row. I am finishing up my next to last semester at Ocean County College majoring in
Liberal Arts and completing requirements for the CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug
Counselor). I have remained in constant recovery for just over three years and, when not
inundated by schoolwork, I attend a weekly peer-run support group at the Mental Health
Association of New Jersey, Journey to Wellness.
People generally believe that out of every negative experience something positive will
surely come, call it karma if you will. The outline and synopsis attached to this anecdote serves
to be the evidence of just that.
It is my intention, upon writing this narrative, to share my story and experiences in hopes
that everyone takes something from it. For some, you may simply come to know an experience
which you were not familiar with and do nothing more than enjoy a good read. For others, you
may better understand something you did not before and gain an ability to sympathize and, more
importantly empathize with. For many, you may already understand this sort of experience and
not only empathize with but relate to it. For all, hopefully you have gained an insight and a view
of someones reality that is neither good nor bad, rather it is a path which one must undergo and
learn from.
From time to time, we all believe we have the right ideas about how to affect changes and
have a positive impact on the world around us. No one can truly tell us whether we are right or
wrong. We can only share our ideas and, from them, formulate new ideas, and from that keep

Steinberg 33

expanding until we have as close as possible to a perfect idea which, until implemented, we do
not find the flaws and figure out how to correct them. I do not profess to know just how to repair
the cracks in our social and human services institutions, nor do I believe I have the ability to
singlehandedly help everyone in need as much as I wish I could. What I do believe is that if
many of the right people with some of the right ideas pool together and cooperate and
collaborate, we can all make a considerable significant difference in the quality of American life.
We can be the example we ought to be for the rest of the world instead of the sore spot we have
recently become.

Steinberg 34

VI.

Social Crisis Intervention & Guidance Officer

Social - Of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group. The
welfare of human beings as members of society.*
Crisis - A difficult or dangerous situation that needs serious attention.*
Intervention - To become involved in something (such as a conflict) in order to have an influence
on what happens.*
Guidance - The act or process of guiding or the direction provided by a guide.*
Officer - A person who has an important position in a company, organization, or government.
One who holds an office of trust, authority, or command.*
* Definitions taken from Mirriam-Webster Dictionary.

A Social Crisis Intervention & Guidance Officer, herein referred to as SCIGO, is a

governmental position held by a number of individuals who shall constitute a Crisis Intervention
Team, herein referred to as CIT. The duties of a SCIGO include, but are not limited to, acting as
liaison between individuals and families in crisis, herein referred to as PIC (Person/s in Crisis)
and crisis will be termed TON (Time of Need), and the Board of Social Services, herein referred
to as BOSS, as well as any other agency or organization which the PIC may be eligible to receive
services and/or benefits from. In order for a SCIGO to intervene and guide, advise or refer
anyone during a TON, the individual or family must consent to being represented and assisted by
the SCIGO and CIT. The CIT will have a designated Zone of Operations, herein referred to as
ZOP, which will not only include the CITs county of origin, but shall also be extended to the

Steinberg 35

surrounding areas, when deemed necessary, in such cases when all options have been exhausted
in their ZOP and the CIT must look to other counties where there may be available resources.
It shall be the duty of a SCIGO and the Crisis Team to assess the situation at hand and
decide the best course of action, herein referred to as COA. This will require that the SCIGO not
only have access to and be familiar with an abundance of resources, but that the officer also be
able to consult with representatives and supervisors of all the agencies, organizations, institutions
and facilities, herein referred to as CRCN (Community Resources Crisis Network), in and
around the Crisis Teams ZOP within a reasonable timeframe in order to act quickly and assure
the most appropriate and reasonable COA for the PIC.
The CIT and each individual officer shall command the respect of and be regarded as an
authority by all that are part of the CRCN that they are required to interact with. Upon being
given explicit permission to do so by the PIC that the SCIGO is representing, the officer will be
allowed to speak for their client/s at any given time during the crisis until such time as the client
relinquishes them of this responsibility, but they can reinstate such responsibility at any time as
deemed necessary by the client and officer.
SCIGO - Social Crisis Intervention & Guidance Officer
CIT - Crisis Intervention Team
ZOP - Zone of Operations
PIC - Person/s in Crisis
COA - Course of Action
CRCN - Community Resources Crisis Network
TON - Time of Need

Steinberg 36

VII.

Points to Consider for Presentation and Development:

Objectives & Measurable Outcomes:

1. Easier and quicker facilitation and distribution of benefits - by coaching/counseling
clients in the navigation of available social services.
2. Reduction in unnecessary/difficult workload for social services and other nonprofits by lessening influx of cold calls from ineligible/inappropriate consumers.
3. Determination of qualification and eligibility before contacting appropriate
organization/agency a. By compiling lists of guidelines and requirements from each agency/organization.
b. Assessing each client thoroughly and determine Axis V.
c. Request medical and psychiatric diagnosis if necessary.
4. Improved mental health, reduction in addictions/relapse - Reduced crime rates and
recidivism.
a. By subscribing to Maslows Hierarchy and ensuring that first and second rung are
attained.
b. Helping to establish stronger communities ties and maintaining close family units
in times of crisis and subsequently.
5. Increased employment resulting in more tax revenue and stimulated local economy.
6. More accurate statistics and census data.
7. Increased funding for beneficial services.
8. Stronger sense of community, safer neighborhoods, more access to education and
healthcare.
9. Increased voter turnout.

Steinberg 37

Empathy over sympathy By developing Exercises in Empathy Regular annual outings for staff and peers
which entail a total immersion in scenarios and situations resembling and mimicking
homelessness and poverty i.e., spending a night sleeping in cardboard box, having a meal
at soup kitchen, volunteering overnight in a shelter, etc. The aim is to enable SCIGOs to
engage PIC with a significant level of empathy and compassion in addition to
professional courtesy and kindness as well as helping the SCIGO to be as nonjudgmental
as humanly possible.
Anecdotal / Experiential knowledge By seeking and encouraging credentialed
individuals who wish to work in this field as a result of having had personal experiences
with crises in theirs and/or their loved ones lives.
Political and community support.
Transportation and central office with kitchen and full bathroom.
Officers should be in the field with presence in social services waiting rooms.
Service Learning. Integration with OCC campus and curriculum.
According to a Wikipedia entry

Service learning is a method of teaching that combines classroom instruction with

meaningful community service. This form of learning emphasizes critical thinking and
personal reflection while encouraging a heightened sense of community, civic
engagement, and personal responsibility. The Community Service Act of 1990, which
authorized the Learn and Serve America grant program, defines service learning as:
"a method under which students or participants learn and develop through active
participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of
a community; is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of
higher education, or community service program, and with the community; and helps

Steinberg 38

foster civic responsibility; and that is integrated into and enhances the academic
curriculum of the students, or the educational components of the community service
program in which the participants are enrolled; and provides structured time for the
students or participants to reflect on the service experience."
Funding sources. Petty cash.
There is much to be determined as to whether a SCIGO should operate as a government
agent or the organization should be a non-profit or privately funded institution. Initially it
made sense to create this as an official state or county office. However, upon researching
and expanding on the original idea it seems as though it makes more sense to create it as
a non-profit. As has been explained by numerous well-seasoned knowledgeable
professionals in this and other related fields, legislation and regulation tends to
complicate altruistic endeavors more so than promote the seamless interdisciplinary
integration of professional human and social service agencies and organizations.

Steinberg 39

VIII. Terms Used to Describe Project:

-

One part social worker, one part lawyer: a SCIGO could perhaps take on a limited and
interim power of attorney after the client signs a temporary waiver and appropriate
release forms.

Ombudsman: a person (such as a government official or an employee) who investigates

complaints and tries to deal with problems fairly.*

Broker: a person who helps other people to reach agreements, to make deals, or to buy
and sell property (such as stocks or houses).*

Clearinghouse: an organization that collects and gives out information about a specific
thing.*

* Definitions taken from Mirriam-Webster Dictionary.

The above list of terms was compiled after having met with some of the individuals who
appear in the acknowledgments section of this paper. Each time I met and shared the idea for this
proposal with someone I would come away with a better understanding of just what was
developing and how it might be strategically shaped into a bona fide and practical program.

Steinberg 40

IX.

Acknowledgements

The following list consists of individuals and organizations that have been instrumental in
helping develop this plan along the way either by lending advice or giving professional input,
feedback and constructive criticism to which I would like to extend much gratitude and
appreciation. Some of the individuals on this list have also expressed a desire to be more
involved as the project solidifies. Names appear in alphabetical order.
All members of the Ocean County Mental Health Board
Anthony Zazzarino, MA, LPC, CPRP, DRCC Instructor Rutgers School of Health
Related Professions
Barbara Mawer, M.S.W., L.S.W. Student Development Specialist Ocean County
College
Cheryl Polo Director of Family Promise of Southern Ocean County
Connie Pascal Former Vice President of New Jersey Legal Services
Donald Flett Politician
Jeffrey J Wild Trustee of The Coalition to End Homelessness New Jersey
Jennifer Bauer Director of The HOPE Center
Jill Perez Ocean County ADA Coordinator
John Greene Hypno-Couselor, EFT Practitioner and Intructor, Founder of Mind Body
Institute
Michael McNeil Director of STEPS (Solutions to End Poverty Soon), Fair Housing
Officer and Housing Chair for the Montclair NAACP
Michelle Green Director of Mental Health Association of New Jersey, Toms River
Office
Patricia Barndt Politician
Reverend Peter Hartney St. Paul Lutheran Church Beachwood, NJ

Steinberg 41

X.

Addendum

As I wrap up, putting the finishing touches on this paper this second to last week of
the 2014 Fall Semester and prepare to turn it in to Professor Barnes less than twenty-four
hours before it is due, several points have come to light. While anecdotal and experiential
knowledge can by no means be dismissed or discounted in the development of new ideas
which seek to affect positive changes in ones community and society as a whole, many
professionals tend to prefer concrete data in order to determine the need to produce goods
or implement particular services. By trade, I am not a researcher, but I do research. I am
not a statistician, but am able to collect and interpret data. I am not yet a credentialed
social worker or counselor. What I am is a man, a husband and father, a student and peer
who has witnessed enough disparity amongst people of every socioeconomic sector, from
every ethno-cultural origin.
I have not only observed the conditions living in poverty can produce in ones life, I
have been and to a great extent am still a product of my own acquaintance with life well
below the poverty line. That being the case, it is not my aim to garner sympathy and
charity, nor do I intend to pursued you to believe that the current human and social
services institutions need be replaced with something else. Indeed, there are many
cracks in the system; a real solid cohesion between the many agencies and
organizations that exist is exceedingly lacking. And while they all perform well on an
individual level and certainly reach and assist a great percentage of those in need, one
cannot simply ignore those who are unintentionally allowed to fall through the cracks.

Steinberg 42

According to The US Census Bureau, Ocean County is home to almost 600,000

people, just over 200,000 households, of which over 2/3rds are over the age of sixteen. Of
that 2/3rds, about six percent are unemployed. When I looked at households receiving
benefits, I was particularly interested in those which fell in brackets under $50,000. The
reason for this is I recently calculated a rough estimate of how much my family would
have to earn on our own in order to afford everything which is currently paid for by
government benefits; we would have to net at least that much. That estimate only
includes our current rent and utilities, food, transportation and a few dollars left over for
odds and ends such as the occasional new pair of shoes and clothes for the children as
they outgrow the ones they have, not taking into account tuition for school and any
luxuries or amenities.
It is especially interesting to note that three of the highest income brackets have the
highest percentage of families in Ocean County receiving Food Stamp/SNAP benefits.
This is not necessarily surprising, but to one unfamiliar with the way eligibility for
benefits is determined it may be misleading. Eligibility is determined by calculating the
number of individuals legally residing in one household versus the total income as well as
the cost of living for the entire household. So, about 43% of households income fall
below $50,000, yet household incomes in the $50,000 to $150,000 range make up over
50% of families receiving benefits.
We need not examine census data in great detail to note that there is an obvious need
to improve the standard of living in Ocean County. A comparative economic chart of
three year estimates showing 2008 to 2010 and 2011 to 2013 from the Census Bureau
reflects that unemployment and the amount of people receiving benefits have increased.

Steinberg 43

After Hurricane Sandy, just over a year ago, Ocean County engaged in a massive
collaborative undertaking to combat the immediate emergency. Social workers,
counselors, schools, civil service agents, clergy and volunteers turned out by the droves.
Churches opened their sanctuaries for sleeping and eating, Social Services bussed people
to other counties and states, non-profits opened food pantries which still operate today. It
shouldnt take a natural disaster to address an emergent dilemma. In the social work field
there is a term known as NIMBY which stands for not in my backyard. The unfortunate
reality is that these problems are not only in our backyards, they are often knocking on
our front doors even if we choose to ignore it.