Catholic Charities Southern Minnesota

Family and individual counseling programthe family and individual counseling program provides hope and help for individuals, couples, and families experiencing difficulties. We offer sensitive, confidential counseling and mental health services that address a wide range of needs, including but not limited to, mental illness, marital problems, parenting difficulties, life transitions, and grief/loss issues. Our aim is to promote physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being to all, regardless of age, ethnic/cultural background, faith/non-faith tradition, or economic circumstance. We believe that when we help our clients gain understanding and skills with which to cope with life's problems, we enable them to lead more productive and satisfying lives that in turn positively impact all those with whom their lives intersect. A very important point is that a person does not need to be Catholic to receive our services.counseling services are provided by trained and licensed professionals. Insurance is accepted and may cover the cost of services, but a sliding fee scale based on household income and family size is available for people who do not have insurance coverage. During this reporting cycle, 454 individuals, couples, or families directly received counseling services. During the past fiscal year, Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota partnered with st. mary's university to provide counseling services on campus to students. Clients no longer struggle with the stigma of having a counselor and are willing to discuss their problems with our qualified staff. We have one counselor on campus and we will add one more when there is a demand.our counseling clients come from many walks of life; they are men, women, and children, single and partnered, citizens and immigrants, homeless and well-resourced. We are honored to meet each one on their journey with kindness and the skills to help them cope with isolation, loss, conflict, trauma, anxiety, and depression.

Adult advocacy/guardianconservatorthe adult advocacy(gc) program provides a person centered approach to assist individuals who have been deemed incapacitated by a judge of the district court. A guardian is someone who has been given legal authority by a court to make some or all personal decisions for an individual who is unable to make his or her own decisions because of an injury, illness or disability. A conservator is someone who has been given legal authority by a court to make decisions regarding a person's property and financial affairs.the individuals we serve may have developmental disabilities, serious and persistent mental illness, chemical and/or drug dependence, physically frailty or impairment, cognitive impairment, or complex medical diagnoses. Our clients live in a variety of settings including residential group homes, corporate foster care, skilled nursing care centers, assisted living facilities and independent living settings. the guardian & conservator program has been renamed the adult advocacy program. the vision of the program is to create a community empowered to improve quality of life. the mission of the adult advocacy program is to provide person centered services that improve wellbeing and prevent harm. the program offers both court appointed and non-court appointed services. Court appointed services are ordered and supervised by the court at all times. Non-court appointed services follow formal directions by the individuals served. Services offered by the program are guardianship, conservatorship, power of attorney, trustee, personal representative of the estate, health care agent and supported decision maker. Staff are guided by the professional standards of the national guardianship association. Individuals served may have developmental disabilities, serious and persistent mental illness, chemical and/or drug dependence, physical impairment, cognitive impairment, or complex medical diagnoses. the individuals served live in a variety of settings including residential group homes, corporate foster care, skilled nursing care centers, assisted living facilities and independent living settings depending on what is the least restrictive housing to support their individual needs. Specific examples of services provided to clients through the adult advocacy program include attending medical appointments; giving legal consent for treatments, medications and procedures; finding better suited placement or living arrangements for clients when needed; shopping with and for clients; coordinating the sale of real estate or other valuable items on behalf of clients, managing finances, assisting in locating and obtaining entitled services (such as medical assistance, social security and/or veterans benefits) and employment; and overall coordination of services to ensure that the highest quality of care possible is offered to each client. We strive to advocate, promote independence and pursue the least restrictive setting for our clients.

Catholic Charities refugee resettlement program (ccrrp) has a rich history of serving primary refugees in our community since 1975. the refugee resettlement program meets the regional needs of the refugees designated to resettle here, either through family reunification or as "free cases" assigned to our local community. New refugees are at their most vulnerable as they enter the united states. As the only resettlement agency in southeastern Minnesota, ccrrp seeks to address the most fundamental needs of all new refugees such as access to shelter, food, clothing, income, medical care, education, and employment. Operating under the umbrella of united states conference of Catholic bishops/ migration and refugee services (usccb/mrs) in collaboration with department of state/bureau of population, refugees, and migration (dos/prm), ccrrp carries out refugee services to address needs by providing direct case management and networking with the intention of building financial independence. Financial self-sufficiency is achieved through acquiring safe and stable housing, asset building, financial literacy training, and basic employment soft skills training which assists refugees in gaining the ability to secure employment, a more sustainable and significant source of financial independence. We also provide cultural, transportation, shopping and budgeting orientations. We welcomed 119 individuals in fiscal year 2022. Refugee individuals and families we cared for came from burma (myanmar), ethiopia, afghanistan, syria, and somalia. We saw cases consisting of one individual to cases comprised of two to six individuals. As a program, our greatest strength is our intensive client-centered case management. Goals established for refugees are intended to: address immediate social/educational needs, attain a stable environment, develop skills for employment, understand basic financial principles, and promote seamless integration. the process we utilize entails an intake and assessment, goal development, intervention, referrals, monitoring and reassessing throughout the service period and transitioning services seamlessly to other service providers at the end of the 90-day resettlement period. the goal of resettlement is empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills that will assist them on the road to self-sufficiency. Refugees want what many americans want: to feel a part of their community, gain employment, and ultimately find a place to call "home. "Catholic Charities refugee resettlement continues to facilitate the match grant employment program, which assists refugees that arrive with work history and some fluency in finding employment within 240 days after their arrival. Match grant services include resume building, employment soft skills training, interviewing skills training, job search assistance, and post-employment advocacy and mediation. We are currently serving 63 individuals in the match grant program this year. Ccrrp also facilitates the refugee cash assistance (rca) program. Rca is an eight-month government funded cash assistance program for refugees that arrive as singles or married couples without children. Through a usccb parishes organized to welcome refugees (powr) grant we worked with community volunteers to purchase groceries for newly arrived families with cultural good items giving them a sense of welcome and food security in the first few days in their new home. We thank all the volunteers that have dedicated hundreds of hours to be family mentors for families and help guide them in their new community as well as befriend them, living the words of "welcoming the stranger." In fiscal year 2022, we continued to see our community's welcome of refugees through donations of essential household items (beds/tables/chairs, new pillows, etc), children's welcome baskets, hygiene bags, cleaning supply kits, and survival kits. These kits/baskets continue to be a wonderful way for individuals and groups that want to support refugees in our community, to assist them in gaining the basic items needed as they establish themselves in the community. Each family, depending on the size, receives an estimated $1,000-$2,000 dollars in donated items, completely from the generosity of the people in our community. We are so thankful for the support from all the communities in Southern Minnesota that have helped us this year.catholic Charities refugee resettlement program's mission is to meet the needs of newly arrived refugees by providing one-on-one case management to guide them on their new journey and empower them in their new life.

Emergency shelterscatholic Charities operated 3 emergency shelters for adults experiencing homelessness. the winona community warming center is an overnight seasonal shelter serving approximately 75 adults each season and providing 900 nights of shelter. the wcwc is open november 1st-march 31st from 9pm-7am. the winona community day center is a drop-in emergency day shelter. the wcdc opened as a response to the covid-19 pandemic closing many of the public spaces. Cc provides shelter, meals, laundry, showers, and connections to mainstream resources for adults, serving approximately 200 individuals annually. the rochester community warming center is year-round, low barrier, night by night shelter serving adults experiencing homelessness 8pm-8am which equates to approximately 500 unique individuals and 10,000 nights of shelter. We provide two light meals, breakfast and dinner, laundry, showers, and referrals to county housing programs. Partnership with olmsted county government Catholic Charities entered into an agreement with olmsted county government to provide staffing at two supportive housing buildings in rochester, the creek and the 105. the creek is an alternative stay 90 day emergency shelter, providing residents with individual rooms, case management and support to make progress on a housing plan. the creek houses up to 12 individuals using a low barrier, housing first, and harm reduction model. the 105 is a permanent supportive housing program, serving adults with high barriers to marketplace housing. Cc's team provides support to the residents to assist in maintaining housing. the 105 houses 18 individuals in a housing first, harm reduction model. the mission of the mediapps program is to improve the health and well-being of lower-income uninsured or underinsured individuals in our service area by helping them obtain needed prescription medications they cannot afford on their own. With skyrocketing medication and insurance costs, many people simply cannot afford to meet their deductible, pay their co-pays (which fluctuate per the direction of insurance companies) or pay the cash price of their medications. And most insurance companies don't cover medical devices or over-the-counter items that are prescribed by physicians. Mediapps consists of two parts: emergency cash assistance and the patient assistance program. Emergency cash assistance provides immediate help to individuals residing in winona, fillmore, and houston counties. We assist individuals by paying for prescriptions or medical supplies that have been prescribed to them by a licensed provider. To be eligible for emergency cash assistance a person must have a household income of 300% or below the federal poverty level. Emergency cash assistance addresses a short-term need, often during an emerging crisis when a person is suddenly without insurance and/or a means to purchase their medication. We work with local pharmacies to secure prescriptions at the lowest cost possible and often use discount cards and coupons for the cash price of medications.most insurance policies do not cover prescribed over-the-counter vitamins and supplements, pain relievers, adult incontinence briefs, and nutritional shakes (ensure/boost). the emergency cash assistance helps many people who cannot afford to pay for these items on their own. We also assist individuals by paying up to a specified dollar amount toward hearing aids and eyeglasses. Individuals who do carry prescription insurance coverage are considered on a case by case basis for emergency cash assistance and are often seeking help to cover medication co-pays at their local pharmacy. There are limitations to how much a client or household can receive through emergency cash assistance each year. the patient assistance program (pap) is a long-term solution and involves working directly with pharmaceutical companies who offer cost-free medications to individuals who qualify for their programs. We assist clients with the application process which requires the mediapps coordinator to obtain required signatures and written prescriptions from the patient's prescriber. We currently work with prescribers located across southeastern and central Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin. Eligibility requirements vary from company to company. the mediapps coordinator assists each client through the entire pap enrollment period by tracking medication orders, acquiring new prescriptions, placing refills, and coordinating reapplication into each program when yearly enrollment ends. Many of the medications we assist clients with treat chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd), asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and more. Needless to say, these medications are critical to maintain one's health. the mediapps coordinator also advocates for each client by referring them to other programs or agencies when necessary. Mediapps does not charge a fee and our unique services are unduplicated in our area. Referrals come from medical providers, pharmacies, county social service departments, insurance companies and other agencies. the mediapps program employs one part-time coordinator who works 32 hours per week in the program. In fiscal year 2022, the mediapps program:" provided immediate emergency cash assistance to 99 unduplicated individuals for prescribed medications/medical devices/supplies at a cost of $31,611. " Secured 385 prescriptions valued at $576,594 through patient assistance programs which served 97 unduplicated individuals in eight counties." Provided emergency assistance for six individuals through the bishop's fund for a total of $1,049.13testimonials" "i think it would be better if i rolled over and died. I don't want to sound sarcastic but the government sets these deductibles. I want to live for a long, long time but some days. (through tears) i so appreciate all your help." " "thank you for all the help over the years. It's been lifesaving, really."" "it's certainly, especially now, going to make my life much, much easier. And i appreciate it more than you could ever know. I thank god for that often. I thank god each night for mediapps. What my condition could have been and what it is today - i would have been out of money. It's been a godsend. I think about such blessings when they come to me and i think it's a god thing. This is a god thing. "each and every person deserves the opportunity to live a long and healthy life and not have to worry about whether to buy groceries, pay the rent, heat, gas or purchase the medication needed to stay well and thrive. the mediapps program is committed to serving those that cannot afford their prescription medications.