Program that helps people in need is losing funding

Mar. 8—EFFINGHAM — When Janet Pattillo needed to help an elderly friend, she didn't know where to turn.

The friend lived in a house in Altamont with no heat and minimal running water. Pattillo described the house as uninhabitable.

"Last winter, she lived under a heat blanket, one little space heater, and the ceiling was falling in," she said.

Pattillo wanted to do something before another winter came. However, she said the woman had no money except for Social Security, which wasn't much.

"So, I just started asking around. She needed to get on Medicaid. I had no idea how to approach that," she said.

Then Pattillo discovered the Effingham County Case Manager program at the Effingham Public Library. One of the case managers helped her fill out the forms and ensured everything was submitted.

"All I knew is I wanted to help this person. They laid the groundwork for what I needed to do and communicated with people in Charleston. Evidently, I would have had to have driven to Charleston to get the same help," she said. "They definitely held my hand through the process."

The woman, who used a walker, was enrolled in Medicaid and was able to move into an assisted living facility in Effingham.

Even though she only lived for a few more months, Pattillo said the case managers helped make a difference.

"If they hadn't helped me get this expedited, it's possible that she would have had to live another winter in that house," said Pattillo.

The Case Manager program at the Effingham library has helped nearly 6,000 people since it began in June 2020. But now that program is in danger of ending.

The program had been in place years before, mainly at larger libraries in college towns where they can be staffed by interns, according to Effingham Public Library Director Amanda McKay.

McKay said they always wanted the program at the library.

"We have folks coming in every day that need different types of assistance. They might be homeless, but they might also just need help applying for a job or filing for unemployment," she said.

It wasn't until the pandemic the opportunity came about to have one, thanks to COVID relief funds and some donations. Now that funding is ending. McKay estimates the program will run out of funds April 15.

"We are looking for other funding, other grants, just any other opportunity. We do have a relationship with EIU to see if there are any students that fit the bill," she said, referring to students pursuing human services degrees.

However, she said trying to find someone from this area, because it's an unpaid internship, is difficult.

The program costs about $80,000 a year to operate with two case managers, who are trained professionals. The case managers work out of a room in the library's basement, where Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., people needing help can walk in or call.

Many are referred to the program by social service agencies or nonprofits and through word of mouth. While many local and area agencies have a wide range of programs to help people — from child care to getting a job to housing — McKay said they require a certain amount of documentation. Because of the high volume of requests the agencies receive, she said they're not always able to sit down and do all that pre-work with a person.

"For example, in the housing program, you have to have an ID. If you're a homeless individual, there's a pretty high chance that you don't have your ID anymore — if you ever had it in the first place," she said. "So, they'll build a plan for the individual to help them start to navigate that. Then we refer back out to a lot of the different programs because we really have a lot of great programs here and a lot of services, but it can be overwhelming, too."

For some, like Linda White, the case managers are where they first turn when they need help.

White has received help from the case managers with a variety of things, including DHS benefits and Medicaid/SNAP.

"Sometimes, I get information in the mail and do not understand it. I take it in there, and they're able to decipher it and explain to me what it means. They're very helpful," she said.

The 74-year-old admits she is "technologically Amish" and doesn't have a computer. She is also just learning to use the features of her cellphone after having only had a landline for most of her life. Tools that are often needed to navigate those services.

"They made a phone call for me and were on the phone for 40 minutes just waiting. They're very devoted to what they do," she said. "They're very kind and very calm. They do anything they can do to help."

It's not unusual for the case managers to wait on the phone for long periods of time.

"A lot of times just applying for benefits or trying to get a hold of IDES (Illinois Department of Employment Security), that phone time might be a half hour or 45 minutes. We'll sit here with them. We'll call. We'll try and just be that support to help get it done," said Case Manager Kelly Buscher. "A lot of people come in here, and they're like, 'I don't know how to do this.' They just need support. They just need that one-on-one backup."

Although their hours are limited, Buscher said they often work beyond those hours to catch up on paperwork, client emails and phone calls.

"This helps to streamline time, so we get calls returned promptly," she said.

Depending on the circumstances, according to Buscher, they occasionally help people beyond those open hours when the need arises in complex cases or if they are still on the phone with an agency.

Buscher said some show up in a panic, but after finding an answer and setting up a timeline, she said they are much less anxious when they leave.

"We identify their primary need because depending on what they're seeking, one person may just want help with one thing, and another person might want help with five or six different things. What's most urgent — housing? Food?" she said.

Case Manager Maria Deaconescu said some don't know what's available for them, which is where they come in and connect them to different agencies that can help.

Buscher finds it rewarding to see the outcomes and what the individual has been able to accomplish with their help.

"If you're working with an individual with employment and they actually get a job, you're super excited," she said.

Tuesday Flowers got a job with their help.

Flowers dropped out of high school at a young age and was a stay-at-home mom for many years. She isn't computer savvy and has difficulty filling out job applications on her phone.

"Everything is online. It's not paper applications like it used to be. It's such a hassle. That was the resource I didn't have," she said.

Thanks to their help, Flowers has a job where she said she is advancing fairly quickly. They also helped her get a medical card.

"With my medical issues, I had so many, it's unreal. But now I got my medical card. If something goes wrong, I can go back there, and she helps me if there's something I don't understand about it," she said of the case managers. "You go in there, and you get it done, and then you feel better about yourself like you got something accomplished that you're trying to do."

Flowers now refers others to the program.

"Usually anyone I know, if they're having a hard time and need help, I usually send them there," she said.

CEFS refers clients to them daily and vice versa.

"They refer clients to us for housing; LIHEAP utility help; CIPT transportation; WIOA schooling; Literacy to better skills in reading, math, learning English; Meals on Wheels; Head Start; Weatherization, etc. Any need they may have. If we can't help, then we will refer to other places that may be able to help — Catholic Charities, FISH, Opportunities for Access, USDA, Douglas Township, etc." said CEFS Effingham County Coordinator Diane Depoister. "The homeless don't have access to computers or wifi, so Effingham Case Managers will help them apply for SNAP (food stamps), SafeLink (free government phone), apply for unemployment, get rides set up for out-of-area doctor visits. They help the elderly know what's available to get legal help, help with problems with Social Security, home repairs."

Depoister notes that the Case Manager program even has a room set up in the library for telehealth. Clients who have trouble getting to doctors' appointments can use it to make appointments through Zoom.

Depoister said all agencies work together to help those in need, and each is an integral part of meeting those needs. Without the Case Manager program, she said many clients would not get the services they need because they don't know where to go for help.

"They do such a great job of helping clients get the services they need. It would be a huge loss to this community," she said.

The Effingham County Case Managers can be reached at 217-663-5291 or email effcocasemanager@gmail.com. The library is located at 200 N. Third St. in Effingham.

Cathy Griffith can be reached at 618-510-9180 or cathy.griffith@effinghamdailynews.com.