Representative – Payee Program
The Representative-Payee Program is designed to help Social Security recipients who are required by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to have a payee manage their finances. Louison House, Inc. has one staff person, Dickilyn Mackinnon, assigned as a Rep-Payee to work part-time with these clients on an individual basis. The representative payee receives the SSI/SSDI benefits for enrolled clients and works with the clients to prioritize and pay for the current and foreseeable needs of the beneficiary.
Neighbors Emergency Support Services (NESS)
Neighbors Emergency Support Services provides supportive intake and follow-up services to people experiencing housing instability or homelessness to assist them through the crisis period towards stable, safe housing. Beginning at the initial first call for assistance, often in crisis mode, and carrying through follow-ups with needs assessments through support and preventative services. This will include providing assistance with the Susan Yates Fund for moving, travel, and special needs. The Neighbors Emergency & Supportive Services (NESS) project includes triage and diversion, follow-up and supportive services, that lead to sheltering and housing. The program starts with an intake procedure for those seeking service and includes prevention and diversion to help the person remain where they are safely (without shelters, if possible) using area resources and NESS. Assessments are done through the intake and follow-up process to help Louison House provide necessary services that fit those most in need. Those assessed by NESS to be homeless and without safe, habitable housing are prioritized for sheltering. NESS Supportive services work with anyone to obtain housing and housing resources. NESS support services include obtaining IDs, doing housing and other resource applications, and transportation to appointments related to housing or income. A key element of NESS is the discussion with the individuals seeking help about their individual needs and then providing support and referrals as available to assist the person or family with their particular barriers to housing. NESS helps us to assist people before they come into shelter/housing and to prevent people needing to come into sheltering by helping them to stay where they are as long as it is safe, or by helping them to find other housing. The goal is to have fewer people returning to homelessness, more people having steady, safe housing, reduced numbers of homeless people on the streets, fewer overcrowded dwellings, and fewer people needing to “couch surf” or stay with others and endangering the housing stability of the people they stay with who are renters.