Coping with Unemployment

Transcription

1 Coping with Unemployment RESOURCE GUIDE For Persons Seeking Employment in Tarrant and Surrounding Counties LIVE UNITEDTM

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Where to Start 3 Counseling 4 Emergency Assistance 6 Employment Resources 8 Family Finance 10 Health and Medical Care 12 Putting It All Together 15 Underwriting for this printing of the Resource Guide generously provided by Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County. 2

3 Where to Start Whenever you are faced with a problem and don t know who can help, an information and referral service is a good starting point. United Way s is a comprehensive information and referral service providing free, confidential, professional assistance to find help in Tarrant and surrounding counties. Certified information specialists put callers in touch with agencies and organizations that provide services such as day care, housing, employment, transportation and much more. So when you are faced with a problem and are unsure who can help, dial 2-1-1, available 24 hours, 7 days a week. To locate the help you need in Texas: Dial (press option 1) Alternate Helpline: (Toll free) Texas at United Way of Tarrant County Maintains information on services available to residents of Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise counties Community Council of Greater Dallas Maintains information on services available to residents of Collin, Dallas, Denton, Hunt, Ellis, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall counties 3

4 Counseling Losing a job puts stress on individuals and families. It s important to know that feelings of anger, frustration, panic, loneliness and depression are common. It s ok to have feelings. It s important to face them and share them. Various counseling services are located throughout Tarrant County to help you sort out your feelings. Below are just a few agencies that provide individual and/or group counseling services for free or at fees based on household income: Catholic Charities W. Thornhill Dr, Fort Worth Hours: Mon Fri 8:00am 5:00pm; evenings by appointment Website: Center Street Counseling Services Regency Pkwy #601, Mansfield Hours: Mon Thurs 9:00am 6:00pm; Fri 9:00am 12:00pm; weekends by appointment Website: Jewish Family Services/Jewish Federation Kingsridge Rd, Fort Worth Hours: Call for information Website: Lena Pope Home Family Matters Program Hours: Mon Fri 8:00am 5:00pm; evening appointments available Website: Three locations call central intake for all locations: 401 W. Sanford St, Ste. 1600, Arlington Hulen St, Ste. 150, Fort Worth Grapevine Hwy, Hurst

5 The Parenting Center W. Fifth St., Fort Worth Hours: Mon Thurs 8:30am 9:00pm; Fri 8:30am 5:00pm; Sat by appointment PAL (Parenting Advice Line) Hours: Mon Fri 12:00pm 3:00pm Website: Women s Center of Tarrant County Inc Hemphill St, Fort Worth Hours: Mon Fri 8:30am 5:15pm Website: Arlington Office W. Sanford, Ste. 1200, Arlington

6 Emergency Assistance Many organizations and churches throughout Tarrant County provide temporary assistance with basic human needs such as rent/ mortgage, utilities and food. The evaluation of needs is done on a case-by-case basis by the church/organization, with the amount of assistance based on the availability of funds. Some agencies serve only certain ZIP codes, while others provide assistance county-wide. Call United Way s to find out which agencies serve your area. Below are four primary agencies with services available to any eligible Tarrant County resident: Catholic Charities Fort Worth Services: Provides financial assistance with utilities, rent, primary medical care and more, as well as case management to eligible families in crisis depending on availability of funds. Eligibility: Must live in designated service area; must be within 200% of federal poverty level; and must have had a financial crisis within the last 180 days (defined as a loss of income that was unforeseen, unavoidable and a situation in which pre-planning was not possible). Intake: Call central intake at or walk in for application information; applicants must return required documentation. Hours: Mon Fri 8:00am 5:00pm Website: Three locations call central intake for all locations: 917 W. Sanford St, Arlington Harwood Rd, Bedford W. Thornhill Dr, Fort Worth Community Action Partners (CAP) S. Freeway, Ste. 2310, Fort Worth Services: Utility assistance through the energy crisis program to eligible households in an energy crisis, as well as information and referral and case management. 6

7 Eligibility: Clients must meet income criteria based on state and/ or federal poverty guidelines, as well as live within specified area. Intake: Call appointment line at Hours: Mon Fri 8:00am 5:00pm Website: Tarrant County Department of Human Services Circle Dr, Ste. 200, Fort Worth Services: Financial assistance for rent/mortgage, utilities and more is provided to eligible low-income Tarrant County residents. Eligibility: Households must meet specific income limits based on the federal poverty guidelines. Current information regarding income limits will be provided during the prescreening process. Intake: Call to request assistance and provide contact information. Website: Texas Health and Human Services Commission Dial (press option 2) Services: Administers health and human services programs for Texans, including Medicaid, SNAP (Food Stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), CHIP (Children s Health Insurance Program) and more. Hours: Mon Fri 8:00am 5:00pm Intake: Visit desired office; call to request an application; or go to to complete the application online or to request an application be mailed to you. Website: Arlington Office New York, Arlington Eastside Office E. Lancaster, Ste. 101, Fort Worth John T. White Office John T. White Rd, Fort Worth Mall Circle Office Mall Circle, Fort Worth Resource Connection Office Circle Dr, Ste. 110, Fort Worth South Freeway Office S. Freeway, Ste. 16, Fort Worth

8 Employment When seeking a job, start by looking at your present skills and talents. Assess the kinds of activities you enjoy and do well. Submit resumes to the personnel department of companies that interest you; don t wait for a company to advertise an opening. Contact the organizations below for more information on services available to those seeking to change employment status. CLC, Inc North Grants Lane, Fort Worth Services: Provides career advancement assistance to those who are unemployed, underemployed and/or in jobs not consistent with their career goals. Through partnerships with industry, business, government, schools and community organizations, CLC provides educational training and employment services, including services to job-seeking veterans and their immediate family members and surviving spouses. Website: E Berry St, Fort Worth Goodwill Industries Campus Dr, Fort Worth Services: Offers technology training and programs that produce workers who are highly competitive in the workforce. Programs include: Administrative Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Medical Office Assistant, Medication Aide, Nurse Aide Training, Professional Driver Training (CDL) and Continuing Education seminars for specific Microsoft Office applications. Scholarships and financial aid are available for those who qualify. Also provides vocational rehabilitation services for persons with physical and mental disabilities as well as for those who are economically disadvantaged. Website: 8

9 Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County Services: Workforce Solutions is a network of one-stop career centers located throughout Tarrant County to help individuals find a job as well as help enhance their marketable skills. Services provided include job search help, training, résumé help and online job search assistance. Visit the location nearest you. Website: Alliance Opportunity Center Aviator Way, Fort Worth Arlington Workforce Center 141 W. Mitchell, Arlington Eastside Workforce Center 4711 E. Lancaster, Fort Worth Mid-Cities Workforce Center 8711 Bedford Euless Rd, Ste. 205, Hurst Northside Workforce Center 2315 N. Main St, Ste. 110, Fort Worth Resource Connection Workforce Center 1410 Circle Dr, Fort Worth Women s Center Tarrant County Hemphill St, Fort Worth Services: Offers a job search, job matching and job retention program available at no charge to women and men in Tarrant County. Includes competitive job search training, assisted job search, resume writing, career exploration, job leads, on-site employer networking and job retention support. Information meetings held weekly. Includes job retention and advancement assistance for 12 months. Jobs skills training also offered to working or recently unemployed women and men. Services include career exploration, free skills training at local training providers, financial education, mentoring, links with community resources, and one year of retention/advancement assistance. Website: 9

10 Family Finance It s always smart to control your spending. But when facing difficult times financially, perhaps from a job loss or wage cuts, it is especially important to spend less so you can have more money to pay essential bills or to add to a savings account you can tap in an emergency. Here are some services that aid households to survive during hard times: Catholic Charities Financial Stability W. Thornhill Dr, Fort Worth Services: Provides information and skills to enable individuals and families to manage their financial resources wisely, create positive relationships with financial institutions, and make informed decisions regarding their personal finances. Services offered include: financial coaching; credit counseling; housing counseling as well as financial education/classes. Eligibility: Must be Tarrant County resident with household income of less than $50,000. Intake: Call for a schedule of class times or to set an appointment with a financial counselor. Website: Consumer Credit Counseling Service Woodland Park Blvd, Ste. 240, Arlington Services: Provide services to aid and rehabilitate financially distressed families and individuals by providing confidential and professional counseling with personal finances. Eligibility: Any person needing aid on money management, budgeting and the intelligent use of credit. Intake: Call for appointment. Hours: Mon Fri 8:00am 4:30pm Website: 10

11 Money Management International (MMI) (Central Intake) Services: Money Management International is a full-service credit counseling organization providing professional financial guidance, credit counseling, community-wide educational programs, debt management assistance and bankruptcy counseling/education services. Eligibility: No restrictions. Intake: Call to speak with a counselor or schedule appointment. Hours: 24/7 Website: S. University Dr, Ste. 200, Fort Worth N. Main St, Ste. 224, Fort Worth Housing Opportunities of Fort Worth W. Magnolia, Ste. B, Fort Worth Services: In-depth counseling with families who are delinquent in mortgage payments and at risk of foreclosure on their homes. Eligibility: No restrictions, serves primarily Tarrant County residents. Intake: Call for appointment. Hours: Mon Fri 8:30am 5:00pm 11

12 Health Care If you have no health coverage, there are a few options to explore. Your household size and income, not your employment status, will determine your health coverage options: The Health Insurance Marketplace helps uninsured people find health coverage. Visit or call to learn more. Medicaid provides coverage to those with limited incomes or disabilities. To see if you re eligible, visit or dial (option 2). CHIP (Children s Health Insurance Program) provides coverage for children in families with incomes too high for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance. To see if you re eligible, visit or dial (option 2). In addition, several agencies offer free and/or low-cost health care to the general public. Below are health care providers available to those who may be uninsured, insured or underinsured seeking general health care: JPS Health Network S. Main St, Fort Worth Services: JPS Health Network provides a range of health care services at more than 50 locations across Tarrant County, including John Peter Smith Hospital, community health centers, school-based health centers, a free standing cancer center and more. Eligibility: Available to any Tarrant County resident; fees based on family income and number of dependents. Website: Services available at the main location include: Cardiology Center S. Main St, Fort Worth Eligibility & Enrollment Center S. Main St, Fort Worth

13 Family Health Clinic S. Main St, 4th Floor Outpatient Bldg, Fort Worth Healing Wings AIDS Center S. Main St, Ste. 1600, Fort Worth John Peter Smith Hospital S. Main St, Fort Worth JPS Center for Cancer Care W. Terrell Ave, Fort Worth JPS Urgent Care Center S. Main St, 1st Floor Outpatient Bldg, Fort Worth Lifespan Family Medicine & Pediatrics S. Main St, Ste. 507, Fort Worth Patient Care Pavilion 1575 S. Main St, Fort Worth Post Hospital Discharge Clinic S. Main St, Green Elevator, 3rd Floor, Fort Worth Surgical Specialty Clinic S. Main St, 2nd Floor Outpatient Bldg, Fort Worth Trinity Springs Pavilion Psychiatric Serv S. Main St, Fort Worth Welcome Clinic S. Main St, 3rd Floor, Fort Worth North Texas Area Community Health Centers Services: Federally qualified community health center, providing comprehensive primary and preventive health services for children and adults, including immunizations; acute, chronic and routine examinations; management of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and more. OB/GYN services and STD screenings are also available. Eligibility: No restrictions no one is refused treatment regardless of citizenship or ability to pay. Intake: Appointments preferred; walk-ins accepted. Northside Community Health Center N. Main St, Fort Worth Southeast Community Health Center Mitchell Blvd, Fort Worth continued on next page 13

14 Tarrant County Public Health Department S. Main St., Fort Worth Services: Physical assessments, health screening, immunizations, WIC, nutrition and health education, family planning, case management and social services. Eligibility: Tarrant County resident. Website: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Department of Family Medicine Camp Bowie, Fort Worth Services: General health care, including preventive medicine, immunizations, family planning, specialty consultations and treatment. Clinics available at sites listed below. Website: Central Family Medicine Clinic Montgomery, Fort Worth Eagle Ranch Family Health Center Boat Club Rd, Saginaw Seminary Family Medicine Clinic E. Seminary Dr, Fort Worth

15 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER There are many things you need to do and think about as you face a period of unemployment. It is easy to feel overwhelmed. Keep it simple with these steps: 1. Act quickly to reduce spending. With less money coming in, you should take immediate action to reduce spending wherever possible. One area where reductions could make a huge impact is food expenses. Plan all meals and watch for coupons and other specials at grocery stores. Set up a food budget and stick to it. As appropriate, inquire at your child s school regarding free and reduced-price breakfast and school lunches. One agency that can provide guidance on how to prepare low-cost, nutritious meals is: Texas AgriLife Extension Service Taylor St, Ste. 500, Fort Worth Notify all creditors (bank, mortgage holder, landlord, etc.) of your situation as soon as possible. Try to negotiate reduced payments where appropriate and keep full records of these transactions. Also contact each utility company to show good faith and try to work out arrangements. 3. Prioritize your bills. If your income does not cover all your expenses, pay bills in the following order: rent/mortgage, utilities, transportation expenses and food. Of course, use your own judgment based on your situation. For information on topics not covered in this guide, call (press option 1). 15

16 For information not covered in this guide, call LIVE UNITEDTM 1500 N. Main St., Ste. 200 P.O. Box 4448 Fort Worth, TX Phone Fax Revised April 2014