Long Week!

This week was a long one. I started out the week by giving a presentation at the Continuum of Care Committee on Homeless meeting. I spoke about the Brown Bag sessions I have organized for the upcoming year. I have schedule several sessions from now until December, including topics such as: 

Education Rights for Homesless Service Providers (McKinney-Vento Title 7) with Frank Migali, AZ Dep. of Education

Non-Profit Advertising Through Social Media Outlets with Matthew O'Brien, Mint Social Media Group

Financial Management for Social Workers with Sulie Richardson, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union 

National Alliance on Mental Health with Bill Kennard, Executive Director of NAMI

Navigating the Behavioral Health System with Chris Gallagher and Brenda Robbins, AZ Dep. of Health Services

Domestic Violence Awareness in the Homeless Community with the AZ Coalition Against Domestic Violence

I was also assigned with the task of finishing the Domestic Violence Arrest Protocols Summary Report, which summarizes the project that we have been working so hard on. The report includes information about protocols and procedures from every police department in the valley for domestic violence cases in an attempt to compare and contrast them to one another. In addition to this work, I had the assignment of organizing the 2011 Homeless Street Count orientation session. The Street Count is approaching fast and much work needs to be done still. All of these tasks that we are frantically trying to complete before the month's end are in preparation for the long and strenuous McKinney-Vento funding application. Before we submit this application, we must complete the goals and tasks of the year listed in MAG's 5 Year Regional Plan to End Homelessness. By completing these goals effectively, we are putting ourselves in a better position to receive more funding than last year's $23.5 million worth of assistance. 

If you have any questions or comments about any of the information sessions or the Street Count, please feel free to contact me at nlanza@azmag.gov. 

Thank you,

Nick