Latest news with #MentalHealthAssociationOklahoma
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New initiative to address homelessness and keep Norman clean
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) — A win-win initiative is coming to Norman, addressing homelessness while also keeping the city clean. 'A Better Way: Opportunity Knocks' is a partnership between Mental Health Association Oklahoma (MHAOK) and the City of Norman. The program is aimed to addresses opioid and substance misuse, and prevents overdose by connecting the homeless population with an alternative. 'It's really about breaking down the barriers to housing and employment, having steady income is a big part of obtaining and maintaining housing,' said Kayla Mills, clinical director for MHAOK. The van will travel across town with up to eight participants at a time. It's even handicap accessible. 'We don't have anywhere else to go': OU Motel closure adds to metro's affordable housing shortage They'll go out three days a week and focus on different spots around Norman that need some cleaning up. At the end of each day, participants will earn $65 in cash, along with a hot meal and other services. 'Also have the opportunity to work with a case manager to get certain services, social services, housing, steady employment, permanent employment, those kinds of things so that they can move forward,' said Michele Loudenback, environmental and sustainability manager for the City of Norman. The program is already showing success in Tulsa. Since launching in 2018, participants have collected over 8,000 bags of litter and last year alone, 67 individuals found permanent jobs. Norman City Council, nonprofits seek new location for homeless shelter 'There is a gentleman in Tulsa… He has since moved out of state, I want to say he lives in Kansas City now and he's working in some warehouse making six figures a year and couldn't have gotten there without this program,' said Mills. Mills says criminalizing homelessness doesn't fix the problem. 'The solution is finding things like helping them obtain gainful employment and stabilize their mental health and reducing their substance use, that's the solution and A Better Way: Opportunity Knocks isn't a handout, it's a hand up, it's helping them break down those barriers,' said Mills. While the majority of the funding for this program is through the City of Norman's opioid settlement funds, a portion is from the Sanitation Enterprise Fund. You'll start to see the van in action by June 1, if not sooner. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Norman is partnering with Mental Health Association to prevent homelessness. How will it work?
Amid increased homelessness issues in Norman, the city is partnering with a Tulsa-based nonprofit to expand a new initiative that would connect members of the unhoused with employment opportunities and supportive housing. Mental Health Association Oklahoma, a longtime organization tackling mental health issues, announced the initiative 'A Better Way – Opportunity Knocks' in Norman on May 9. The program, being funded by Norman's opioid settlement funding, is meant to address substance abuse and prevent overdoses by engaging with the local homeless population directly at encampments and shelters. Participants are offered a two-week program that would involve a daily meal and compensation for a day's work. Cash payment would be provided at the end of each shift, and after completing the program, staff will connect the participant with a case manager to help them access housing resources, permanent job placements, behavioral health care and other wraparound services. Carrie Blumert, CEO of Mental Health Association and a former Oklahoma County commissioner, said the start of the Norman program represented the nonprofit's first expansion outside of its headquartered facilities in Tulsa and the Lottie House in Oklahoma City. 'Something that we pride ourselves on at Mental Health Association is we say we're boots on the ground,' Blumert said. 'We go to where people are. We will go under a bridge. We will go to someone on a street corner and engage with them and build trust with them and get them access to services.' More: Homeless people in Oklahoma want jobs. It's easier said than done | Opinion The initial 'Better Way' program launched in Tulsa in 2018 and has seen success over the years. According to Mental Health Association officials, Tulsa participants have collected more than 8,000 bags of litter over the last seven years while working with beautification projects in Tulsa's parks and other public spaces. Last year, 67 participants in Tulsa transitioned into long-term, full-time work, and between January and August 2024, at least 14 people moved from the streets into stable housing. Elements of a similar approach with providing supportive services for the unhoused population also have seen demonstrable success in Oklahoma City, with the Key to Home Partnership's Encampment Rehousing Initiative. Mental Health Association Oklahoma is among dozens of partner agencies for that program, which has so far housed at least 355 people since 2023. Related: As homeless demographics change, Point In Time count informs where services most needed But issues with homelessness have become a flashpoint of debate in Norman. Last year's Point-in-Time Count in Cleveland County found 240 people experiencing homelessness, with at least 91 sleeping outdoors, an increase of 23% from the 2023 survey. A recent controversial bill from Lisa Standridge, a state senator representing Norman, proposed zoning restrictions prohibiting new homeless shelters from being approved within 3,000 feet of a school, public library, city park or child day care facilities in cities with fewer than 300,000 residents. The bill died in the House in April. Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila, who will leave office on July 1, had supported Standridge's bill because he said the city lacked enough financial resources to adequately support the homeless population. Similarly, he said the city's 'Better Way' initiative had been in the works for more than two years but was delayed largely due to issues with securing funding. But the city's opioid settlement funds, being paid out over 18 years, helped finally make the program a reality. ''A Better Way – Opportunity Knocks' is more than just a program; it's a call to action,' Heikkila said. 'Through these work opportunities and direct access to services, this program offers a path for those who are ready to take personal responsibility for their future. This program is also a reflection of our willingness to think creatively about real funding solutions, and by strategically using resources such as opioid settlement funds, we are turning the damage done by a national crisis into an opportunity for local healing and long-term impact.' More: Oklahoma bill aims to prevent Norman from using city funds for a homeless shelter, author says Mental Health Association staff and Norman officials celebrated the new partnership during a May launch event in downtown Norman. Michele Loudenback, the city's environmental and sustainability manager, said residents can expect to see a van branded with 'A Better Way' logos roving the streets by June 1. 'It's just been a process of fine-tuning the program and finding the funding,' Loudenback said. 'And we've had quite a bit of conflict between business owners and some advocates in the community, and I think all cities have this tension, so I think this is also going to be a great way to ease some of that conflict, too, and bring that connection so that people can see each other.' This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma nonprofit, Norman partner on homelessness initiative
