Since 1988, Community Support Services has empowered individuals so they may live satisfying and productive lives, a mission that has been strengthened through 2021. Throughout the pandemic, CSS has continued to improve the mental and physical health of its community, encourage hope for adults living with severe and persistent mental illnesses, and serve those in need.

Dear Community,

The challenges of COVID-19 continued with us from the previous fiscal year. But, as Community Support Services always does, we forged ahead to meet the needs of our clients, our employees, and our community – improving health, encouraging hope, and serving those in need.

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We expanded and renovated. We implemented new ways to support our staff and clients. We showcased the role artistic expression plays in recovery, and we celebrated our renewed accreditation.

Highlights:
  • A long-discussed renovation project came to fruition, transforming an underused space in our Cross Street building into a clinic providing additional space for primary care, nursing and podiatry services, as well as a flu shot clinic and COVID vaccination and testing site.
  • We continued the expansion of Stoney Pointe Commons, adding 45 new one-bedroom apartments for homeless individuals and those with disabilities.
  • We found a new way to support the area’s homeless population as social distancing made shelter space more scarce in winter months. This included creating a “pop-up” emergency overnight shelter where those in need could get shelter, food, and clothing when the temperatures plummeted.
  • CSS joined a national yearlong initiative to become a trauma-informed organization, with a focus on the effects of trauma on staff members, as well as its prevalence with clients and patients. Resources focusing on resiliency were shared with staff, and trauma-informed approaches were implemented throughout the agency.
  • After an intense peer review process, we were notified that CARF International had granted us a three-year accreditation for our services. This was especially rewarding, as we had added two new programs to the survey, and we achieved the highest level of accreditation – “no recommendations,” which is achieved in less than 3 percent of reports completed by CARF.
If the past two years have shown anything, it’s that CSS can be counted on to prevail in times of extreme uncertainty. These past challenges have galvanized our resolve to provide the best care and support for people living with severe and persistent mental illness in our community.

We look forward to the year ahead with hope and determination.

IMPROVING HEALTH

Renovations transform
Cross Street space to
serve medical needs

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Renovations transform Cross Street space to serve medical needs

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An underused area in our Cross Street location took on a new life after renovations in the fall of 2020. The space formerly housed the Consumers Education Outreach Center (CEOC), which offered informational materials and was staffed by volunteers from Choices community social center. The center occupied the space for at least 15 years, until Choices was relocated in 2019.

Renovations transformed the 2,500-square-foot space into three exam rooms, a patient waiting area, medical assistant office, storage room, and staff conference room. One of the exam rooms has been outfitted with a bariatric exam table to accommodate larger clients and is used for overflow appointments. The new conference room accommodates medical team meetings, telehealth sessions, training, and consultations with other clinical and medical providers. In addition to limited primary care services, nursing visits and a podiatry clinic, the exam rooms also have provided an area for clients and others to receive flu shots and COVID vaccinations, as well as a place for COVID testing. Future plans include a dental clinic, regular primary care, medical specialist visits, and additional screening and preventative service clinics, such as hearing screenings and diabetic retinal exams.

A substantial donation helped offset the cost of the medical equipment and office furniture.

ENCOURAGING HOPE

Stoney Pointe additions
provide housing for homeless
and those with disabilities

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Stoney Pointe additions provide housing for homeless individuals and those with disabilities

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After significant delays due to COVID-19, Tober Building Co. wrapped up construction on Phase 2 of Stoney Pointe Commons in late summer of 2020, with new tenants moving in at the end of August.

The construction, which began in the fall of 2019, included the addition of 45 new one-bedroom apartments to the already existing 68 units, creating a U-shaped building. Twenty-three of the new units are designated for homeless individuals, and 22 are for those with a disability.

Although the new units look like the previously built portion of Stoney Pointe, the new construction included ToVee modular units, which were built in a factory and then shipped to the construction site. They then were installed using a crane and welded together. The advantage to the modular approach is that it allowed construction time to be cut in about half, compared to conventional construction.

The front desk is staffed at all times, and tenants are able to access case management, as well as services for psychiatry, nursing, substance abuse and employment. They also can use an on-site computer lab and free Wi-Fi. All tenants pay 30% of their income toward rent. After one year, they can choose to leave with a community-based voucher.

Stoney Pointe is a collaboration between CSS, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, ABC Management (which manages the property), and Tober Building. Tober is the developer and 49% owner of the facility, while CSS is the majority owner. The Phase 2 project was awarded tax credits for development of the additional units.

SERVING THOSE IN NEED

Emergency overnight
shelter provides safety
from frigid winter.

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Emergency overnight shelter provides safety from frigid winter

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COVID concerns continued into 2021, posing new problems as the temperatures dropped over the winter. CSS and other area agencies were concerned about available space at local homeless shelters, which had been significantly limited due to social distancing requirements.

To address the problem, CSS teamed up with other homeless service providers in Summit County’s Continuum of Care and transformed the former Family Promise facility at the Homeless Outreach property into an emergency overnight “pop-up” shelter. The shelter was managed by the Peter Maurin Center, which also recruited volunteers to help staff the shelter and donate food and other items. In addition to shelter for the night, visitors were provided with food, clothing, and toiletries.

The space was outfitted to fit nearly 40 overnight visitors, with the capability to expand if more space were needed. The new space offered a kitchen area, restrooms, and individual sleeping areas separated by partitions. Areas to provide quarantine or isolation rooms were available, if needed. Individuals needing emergency shelter were invited to stay overnight when the temperature dropped to 15 degrees or lower. About a quarter of those using the emergency shelter were new to CSS.

HEALING ART WITH AN IMPACT

SEE SPONSORS

SUPPORT FROM OUR DONORS

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ASPIRE TO EXCELLENCE

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TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE

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Trauma-informed Care provides a safe and supportive environment for all clients and staff

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In June of 2020, CSS was selected to be part of the National Council of Behavioral Healthcare’s Trauma Informed Care Learning Community. The yearlong initiative aimed to educate everyone in the agency how trauma is part of the staff experience, as well as being prevalent with clients and patients. The goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment for all clients and staff.

Moving to become a trauma-informed organization, with an emphasis on resiliency, aims to create a framework built on understanding, recognizing, and responding to all kinds of trauma, according to the National Council for Behavioral Health.

The effort included resources to foster resilience among clients and staff, and to help prevent secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue. Trauma-informed approaches have been implemented throughout the agency and aim to improve intake, screening and assessment for trauma and resilience. Throughout the year, team members worked to achieve goals in the seven domains that are part of being trauma informed: Safe and secure environments, screening and assessment, consumer voice/choice advocacy, workforce development, evidence-based and emerging best practices, performance monitoring, and building community partnerships.

REPORTING FOR THE COMMUNITY

We pull from many sources to provide
quality behavioral health and wellness
services for those in need within our community.

VIEW FINANCIAL REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2021

Individuals Seen:

3,964

Days in Residential Treatment:

10,400

Individuals Seen in Primary Care:

1,421

New Active Cases:

872

Total Primary Care Encounters:

4,573

New Referral Cases:

1,197