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DOMAIN: HEALTH

Domain: Health

Need/Goal Statement: MOC's clients lack reliable access to high quality, affordable, culturally and linguistically competent health care. To increase access to holistic health care for our clients, MOC will build internal capacity to address the spectrum of health needs from health information and education, to primary care, and Behavioral Health. MOC's health services will include a special focus on addressing the disparities in access to care and health outcomes experience by people of color.

Develop a cadre of trusted community health workers (CHWs) to provide health education and outreach (A)

BENCHMARK 1: Ensure all existing staff with interest are supported in the CHW certification process

Build in-house capacity to provide primary care medical services to targeted group(s) of clients (A & I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Identify and consult with local medical champion to design model of primary care to be offered at MOC, including identifying target client group(s) (e.g., Head Start clients/families; people of color w/ specific health care needs like diabetes; etc.)

Expand capacity to provide culturally appropriate, anti-racist Behavioral Health Services to clients (A & I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Train MOC staff in Mental Health First Aid to facilitate referral process to MOC BH

DOMAIN: EDUCATION

Need/Goal Statement: North Central MA lacks the necessary capacity to meet families' varied child care needs. Over the next two years, MOC, the region's Head Start provider, will work collaboratively with higher education, skills training providers, and existing child care providers to expand the region's capacity to provide a range of child care options that meet all families needs and that can scale up and down as conditions in the economy dictate. A special focus will be placed on engaging families of color and educators of color to ensure more appropriate representation of people of color as both customers and providers of early education and care services.

Domain: Education

Support expansion of the local early education and child care workforce by partnering with higher education and skills training providers in innovative ways (C)

BENCHMARK 1: Partner with FSU and Mount Wachusett Community College to recruit students interested in part time employment opportunities within child care "infrastructure" (e.g., bus drivers, bus monitors, facilities)

Expand region's capacity to engage families of color in early education and care opportunities (C)

BENCHMARK 1: Work with local CCR&R organizations to target advertising toward people of color 

Ready programming and facilities to meet pandemic-related health and safety standards to maximize MOC's capacity as a early education & care provider (A)

BENCHMARK 1: Make necessary improvements to MOC-owned and affiliated buildings and systems to ensure air quality, classrooms, and shared spaces meet or exceed OHS standards for virus control 

Build staff capacity to be "ready" to pivot (A)

BENCHMARK 1: Ensure adequate technology, training and supplies for a pivot to/from remote operations

DOMAIN: WORKFORCE

Domain: Workforce

Need/Goal Statement: Low-income community members in North Central MA lack the necessary skills and supports to find and maintain employment that pays a living wage. Utilizing our Bundled Services approach, MOC will provide holistic services to people (re)entering the workforce in order to set them on the path toward sustainable employment with the opportunity to grow meaningful and economically viable careers. MOC will also build agency capacity to offer internship opportunities and financial incentives to people of color to support the diversification of the local workforce, particularly in the areas of early education and care and health care.

Provide Bundled Services to residents seeking re(employment) to support training, search, placement, and maintenance (I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Become a SNAP E&T provider via National Partnership/MASSCAP initiative

Provide internship opportunities, in-house, in the fields of child care and/or health care, for low-income community members, particularly those of color (I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Partner with FSU's Future Educator Academy as practicum/placement site for people of color

Provide financial incentives to people of color to pursue career pathways in early education and care and health care (I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Create structure for and HR policies and procedures around tuition forgiveness, reimbursement and/or loans

Foster an attitude of entrepreneurship among our communities' youth of color by launching a Youth Innovation Center ( (A & I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Renovations on Adrian L. Ford Center for Change complete

Support people of color in maximizing income and building net-worth by providing access to financial resources and products (i.e., Financial Empowerment Center) (A & I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Formalize bi-directional referral pathways between MOC programs and FEC

Develop innovative strategy around Universal Basic Income (A & C)

BENCHMARK 1: Research UBI models, including challenges around maintaining eligibility for benefits and opportunities for prioritizing people of color while allowing for good research design

DOMAIN: HOUSING

Domain: Housing

Need/Goal Statement: North Central MA lacks sufficient safe, affordable housing for low-income community members. As a result, low-income community members are struggling to afford housing costs (i.e., rents, utilities, etc.). This struggle has been exacerbated by the high unemployment rates resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. To address the lack of available housing, MOC will purchase and rehab housing stock to increase the supply of low-threshold, market-rate quality units. MOC will also offer Emergency Assistance ($) and comprehensive case management services to help community members avoid eviction.

Provide emergency rent/mortgage/utility assistance to low-income households (I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Secure/allocate funding to Emergency Assistance

Provide comprehensive case management and Financial Empowerment services to households receiving MOC emergency rent/mortgage/utility assistance (I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Enhance existing referral protocols to ensure access to new local, state, and federal benefits programs (e.g., Low-Income Water Assistance, Emergency Broadband Benefit, etc.)

Purchase multi-family properties and rehab to provide high quality affordable housing for low-income community members (A & I/F)

BENCHMARK 1: Purchase 10-15 housing units, over 2 years, and rehab

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Package Housing Stabilization model for local landlords to reduce evictions locally (A & C)

BENCHMARK 1: Using Housing Stabilization case management model developed for MOC units, develop sales pitch to local landlords to provide housing tenancy preservation services develop sales pitch

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601 River Street

Fitchburg, MA 01420

info@mocinc.org

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Tel: 978-345-7040

Fax: 978-343-7360

© 2023 by Making Opportunity Count 

 

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