Julie Happy, 509.625.7773
Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 12:27 p.m.
Last year in February, the City chartered a project to establish the Spokane EnVision Center Demonstration Site. The EnVision Center designation was granted by the department of Housing and Urban Development in spring 2018 after the City, the Spokane Workforce Council, and the Spokane Housing Authority jointly submitted a letter applying for the designation.
“Since then, a project team has established a service provider group consisting of over 15 providers that will work together to establish the Spokane EnVision Center and pilot the concept over 18 to 24 months,” said Community Housing and Human Services Director, Kelly Keenan.
The EnVision Center will create a center for collaborative wrap around services focusing on addressing clients’ needs in a smooth and coordinated fashion. This intent will be met by providers working together in functional areas that will be referred to as neighborhoods. Each neighborhood will address needs such as housing, cultural resources, finance, pre-employment, justice, health, and basic needs. Individuals who visit the center will be met by a staff member who will assist in their intake process, identifying their most critical needs. These needs will be addressed in a collaborative way with provider teams in the various neighborhoods working together to find the best services for each person’s unique needs.
The EnVision Center is currently in the final stages before opening for walk-in appointments in March 2019. During the time before the grand opening in March, center staff will meet several times a week to conduct staff training. This training will be led by the EnVision Center Site Coordinator, who will be assisted by the WorkSource Manager. The training is necessary to familiarize staff with center operations, available services, safety procedures, and other critical pre-opening information.
Training will be conducted starting on January 22, and will run through March 2019. During this time, the center will not be taking any walk-in appointments.
