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Service Coordination <br />We provide assistance to a number of service coordination groups <br />including: Providers West, Emergency Service Providers, Mental Health <br />Aftercare Providers, Westonka Coordination Group, West Hennepin :-3uth <br />Service Providers. <br />Housing Advocacy Project <br />We are in the planning stages of this project which aims to make <br />affordable housing a "front burner" issue in the suburbs. We are <br />providing staff leadership to this joint project of the human service <br />councils. It is funded by the Minneapolis Foundation. <br />Legislative Agenda <br />We have a legislative agenda of nine categories and provi.• -tensive <br />staff time to working on these issues. We work with and pr 'e <br />leadership to a number of coalitions on these issues. We pi is'Ie <br />staff assistance to a joint lobby task force of the three human <br />service councils and CASH. <br />Community Education Services <br />WHHS conducts a variety of activities to inform the community of area <br />human service needs, issues and availability. Specific activities <br />include information and referral calls, letters of support (after <br />careful evaluation), technical assistance to area agencies and <br />presentations to area community groups on issues such as human service <br />resources, legislation, emergency needs and our service priority <br />reports. <br />Accessibility of Services <br />WHHS advocates • th decision makers such as Hennepin County and the <br />State of Minnesota to provide service in a decentralized format to the <br />residents if the West Hennepin County. This effort is critical for <br />suburban residents to have equal opportunity and access to services as <br />do their urban counterparts. We also work for the establishment of <br />new or expanded services when a need is documented through our <br />research and needs assessment process. <br />Examples of specific program development resulting from the efforts of <br />WHHS include: Community Action for Suburban Hennepin (CASH) which has <br />brought in $250,000 of federal and state anti -poverty funds; Bridge <br />West which provides crisis housing for youth; West Hennepin Community <br />center for Mentally Handicapped Citizens; Domestic Abuse Intervention <br />projects in several West Hennepin Cities: the MEED State Johs Program; <br />the Suburban House Doctor Program; four suburban residential treatment <br />programs for chronically mentally ill people; a food co-op in St. <br />Louis Park; County and Federal funding for Emergency Service Program; <br />the suburban federally funded Energy Assistance Program; Senior Health <br />screening programs; Metro West Coordinated Transportation Project; <br />parenting education programs in a number of school districts; Parents <br />Anonymous group; suburban detox programs; and decentralized county <br />programs such as the Ridgedale Community Center. In addition, we have <br />effectively advocated with Hennepin County for continued funding of <br />programs such as Pyramid Mental Health Center. <br />