WE CAN HELP WITH THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS ...

Adolescent Self-Sufficiency Collaborative Program
Case management services provided to pregnant and parenting teens who are 20 years of age or younger. The program focuses on school completion and provides participants with on-site 20 hours per week of GED/Life Skills/Parenting Classes. The program ensures that all participants are provided with a holistic case management approach to ensure they are provided with child care, health care, transportation, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, affordable housing, basic human needs and other supportive services to ensure teens are transitioned from poverty and into social and economic self-sufficiency. Includes teen fathers, and advocates paternity identification and focusing on male and female responsibility in an attempt to avoid second unwanted pregnancies.

Appliance Management Program
Provides clients with energy conservation audits in their homes to identify heat loss from appliances, light bulbs, water heaters, waterbeds, refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers and dryers, air conditioners, portable space heaters ovens and ranges and lights. The program provides information on smart shopping for appliances; energy education and the installation of electricity saving measures; conservation services to help increase cash payments from participants; walk-through audit in the home with customer participation; and lowers electric bills by approximately 11%, saving almost 1,000 kWh each year. Free refrigerators may be awarded to participants in need.

Article 23 Program
Provides comprehensive assessments and case management services to juveniles and their families seeking to file a wayward petition through the Rhode Island Family Court. Program Case Managers act as mediators to help families and their children address issues, which are affecting their emotional, physical, psychological and social well-being.

Basic Human Needs
Provides emergency funds to help pay for miscellaneous items that are not covered under other programs or used when other programs run short of funds. Examples include emergency prescriptions, eyewear, utility shutoff assistance, emergency shelter, emergency transportation, etc.

Boiler Repair
Provides eligible clients with emergency boiler repair services/replacement for heating systems that are beyond repair. The South County Weatherization Coordinator must obtain special permission from the Rhode Island State Energy Office to replace systems.

Commodities Distribution
Monthly distribution of canned goods, pasta, grain, juice, peanut butter, rice and flour and other foodstuffs as contributed through the State of Rhode Island. This program is run by community volunteers.

Elder Case Management Program
Provides senior citizens with case management services for elderly including abuse/neglect; community and home care; self-neglect; general assessments and early intervention. The program works in close coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs and the local Senior Centers. Support groups for family members and other caretakers and victims of abuse are provided on a regular basis.

Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP)
This program provides housing counseling and advocacy services through the McKinney Homeless Grant and the Department of Human Services (DHS).  Provides rental/mortgage assistance to those persons in eviction and foreclosure situations and assists with tenant/landlord disputes. South County Community Action  works with local building inspectors, housing authority personnel and management companies to secure adequate and affordable housing for the economically disadvantaged.

Even Start Family Literacy Program
This program is funded by the State of Rhode Island Department of Education to provide families with children under the age of 9 with the following services:
Early Childhood Education and Development
Employment and Training
Adult Basic Education
Pre-Employment/Work Maturity Skills
GED/ESL/ABE Instruction and Testing
Parent Involvement
Literacy Skills Training
Parent Education
Parent and Child Activities

Food Vouchers
As needed, vouchers are provided to eligible individuals and families to support their nutritional needs. Funds, provided by the United Way and The Rhode Island Foundation.

Furniture Bank Referral
SCCAA provides pre-screening and intake for the Rhode Island Furniture Bank for those families in need of assistance in purchasing furniture for their homes. A small fee is charged depending upon availability and items needed.

GED Preparation and Testing
Eligible individuals are provided adult education activities to include academic assessments; group sessions; tutoring; home-based studies; and computer assisted learning.

Head Start Program
The program is designed to provide children between the ages of 3-5 years, and their families, with an intensive program designed to provide low-income children and families with a comprehensive program which provides children and families with assistance in reaching their goals of self-sufficiency in a nurturing, healthy and safe environment conducive to learning.

Components of Head Start include:
Early Childhood Education
Nutrition Services/Assessment
Social Services
Literacy Skills Children/Families
Special Needs Services
Parent Involvement
Mental Health Services
Transition Coordination
The South County Head Start Program serves 176 children and families from Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, North Kingstown, Narragansett, Richmond South Kingstown and Westerly.  Our Head Start facilities are located in

Heating Assistance
Provides assistance to all of Washington County and West Greenwich low-income individuals and families, whether they own or rent their homes, with their heating bills during the winter season. The program generally runs from October through April, with eligible individuals and families receiving a primary grant to help pay their heating bills. Approximately 2,000 individuals and families are assisted annually.

Literacy Improvement Program
Provides job training, GED preparation, family literacy, and civic responsibilities classes to low-income at risk individuals in the Washington County/West Greenwich area.

Mental Health Counseling and Treatment Program
Provides treatment and counseling services to individuals and families in need of mental health counseling, in individual and group settings. Third party insurance is accepted and no one is denied services due to inability to pay. The Program is staffed by licensed mental health professionals and is JCAHO Accredited.

Shelter
Assistance is provided to eligible individuals and families in need of temporary, emergency shelter.

Substance Abuse Outpatient Counseling/Treatment Center
Individual, group, and family counseling services is provided through this program. Third party insurance is accepted, including Rite Care and NHPRI. Self-Pay, and Sliding Scale Fee is available to all patients. The sliding scale fee is based on income. No one is denied services due to inability to pay. The Substance Abuse Program is staffed by licensed Substance Abuse Counselors and is licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Health. The Program is JCAHO Accredited.

Toy Distribution
Distribution of holiday toys donated by Hasbro to low income residents. Over 3,000 new toys are distributed each year.

Weatherization Assistance
Provides attic/cellar insulation, water pipe wrap, air sealing, caulking, furnace cleaning, efficiency testing of heating systems, and replacement of storm windows and storm doors.

Youth Responsibility
Serves youth who are not pregnant or custodial parents, but are at risk of becoming parents. Both males and females are involved in the program and are provided with a science-based curriculum to assist them in assuming responsibility for their actions and the possible consequences of those actions.