I have "finally" one good story for Social Services,rather ONE good story about a social worker out of many here in Ocean County, but many issues remain with this agency, and one long standing issues was confirmed, and must be brought to light! I will shed light on that issue further below.Recently, a homeless single mother,and her four children showed up at my home. These visits are not unusual as an advocate. The moment I receive visits like this, or phone calls the flash backs begin, which take me back to the time my family was homeless, and poorly treated by the system, so I don't waste time to ask vital questions. I'm also very open with letting those in need know I not only encourage them to reach out to me, but want to help in any way I can as the evidence I collect grows.This mother was assisted with shelter through EA (Emergency Assistance),which allowed her through the TRAP (Temporary Rental Assistance Program) to be placed in a hotel, and to start looking for permanent housing through a voucher in the amount of 1,800.00 a month the state would pay for a house/apartment once she found one.Unfortunately, this mother has her son enrolled in the Toms River school district, and Social Services made clear, if she did not go to a work program Monday-Friday from 8am-3:30 pm she would lose all help, and be homeless again. This work study program was located in Toms River as well, but they placed this family in Barnegat! Mean while the mother does not have transportation, so in essence she was set up to fail! Why wasn't she placed in Toms River, so her son could remain consisted in school, and to satisfy services the board placed on this family? I have seen this happen to countless families over, and over again. The social worker tells the intake seeking shelter, they do not have any hotels available in Ocean County, or they have to ship the homeless to Atlantic City Rescue Mission making thing's very difficult for families! Let me jump back a little to 2004,so the following thing's I share will be clearly understood, and show how lack of compassion abounds in this office more often than not! I grew frustrated confronting social workers myself about why they do this? Mainly, because I was told hotels in Ocean County are full. I had to go to the source to find some truth in their defense!I decided to go from hotel to hotel, and place families myself while they waited for Social Services to approve the help they were denied through the appeal process. I had no funds to pay for accommodation, but I had a plan, which worked well for families receiving TANAF (Welfare.) The logic was, if the family was receiving some money it could be applied to shelter in a hotel, but the trick was getting the same reduced rates Social Services receives from local hotel owners. Basically, if a hotel is contracted with Social Services this allows hotel owners to receive payments from this agency to place families at a reduced rate,but if, the family isn't placed by Social Services they have to pay the full rate,which exceeds welfare cash assistance.Forward, I introduced myself to every hotel owner, spoke on behalf of the family in need of shelter, and explained why I do what I do because most owners ask what agency I'm from?! I've been amazed by the amount of compassion these hotel owners have because they ended up reducing the hotel rate for the family in need! I keep in contact with these hotel owners, hence have established a relationship with them, so I'm able to get a family placed at a rate they can afford, until the battles is won at Social Services.Be advised. When meeting with a family, single person,or whom ever has a need a lot of time must be spent with them before advocating.I have to make sure the need is real,and to determine the cause of homelessness. I will not advocate for someone with an illegal drug dependency to get placed in a hotel by hotel owners I've befriended. I need to count on the fact the rooms will be maintained, and issues aren't brought in, so I can maintain a good relationship with hotel owners.Intervention needs to be set in place, and the issue addressed before high risk groups, such as these are placed on their own, and, if they refuse treatment, then I can not help someone who doesn't want to help themselves first. With that being said,I can say with certainty when this single mother was placed in another town there was availability in Toms River because I spoke to a number of hotel owners who said they have vacancies , so why was she shipped to another town? The short of it was thankfully we got her case over turned by making a few calls, and she was placed in the same town services are provided, and set up with shelter! The social worker was compassionate to the fullest extent, so it is important who you get,however I am one person, and I'm certain many are falling through the cracks, which brings me to my next point. A single mother walked into Social Services with her children seeking shelter. This mother has a five year old son who is enrolled in the Lakewood school system, and she has been struggling with being homeless. The school board said, if she changes her son's school one more time they will have to involve DYFS,so she seeks help from Social Services, and she's told there is no room here in Ocean County! The mother insisted to be placed in Ocean County because of the threat made by the school board, yet the social worker refused to budge, so the mother say's, then I will have to sleep in my car before losing my son! The social worker tells her, if she sleeps in her car she will have to involve DYFS! This needs to stop and it must STOP now! This is a brutal attack, and a slaughtering of families already oppressed by poverty! What are the funds for, all the training these workers go through, the BA's, and all else are useless, if there is no integrity, nor compassion to address the broken! DYFS is a whole other agency, that, also needs to rise to the plate of doing what is right concerning families in poverty, but that is another story for another time! The worse part about it another social worker who's name I cannot mention told me prior to my hearing about this mother, that most workers are taking this "quick to call DYFS" stance, but she stands against it! You don't kick people while they are down, then use it against them! I do not understand how a worker who does something such as this sleeps at night,and if this was done out of burn out from work, then it's time to take a medical leave, or quit the field of Social work all together! Do you know how many great woman, and men today came from poor backgrounds,but it took compassion, and support to help get them there! Do we have such little faith in those in need, that we have to cast them away, and tear their families already in a struggle apart? These acts have not gone unnoticed, nor unheard, and I can testify with great certainty these inhumane acts will not last much longer! There are too many eyes, too many testimonies, documentation, and more evidence that will be brought to light sooner, than later! Most of it is already in the hands it's suppose to be in.
