By Philip Sean Curran
Monmouth County government and nonprofit service agencies will provide a coordinated approach to addressing homelessness and drug addiction and meeting other needs of county residents of all age groups.
“Working together, the county and the nonprofit organizations are now offering services in a cooperative way instead of having people working in silos,” said Susan M. Kiley, Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at a press conference June 11 to announce the creation of Monmouth ACTS (Assisting Community Through Services).
Dubbed a public-private partnership, it will focus on eight areas, including aging, homelessness, transportation and mental health and addictions. So far, a network of about 20 nonprofits is involved, like Family & Children’s Service, a social service agency located in Long Branch.
“So often times, the people we serve are in need of multiple supports,” said Colleen Verriest, chief executive officer of the organization. “And so the way I think ACTS addresses that is that it’s one place where there’s interconnectedness and…cross-communication among the providers to ensure that we’re serving the citizens of Monmouth in a more holistic way and knowing that not one agency can do it all.”
Monmouth ACTS grew in response to a study done a couple of years ago about the needs of the county. Consulting firm JANUS Solutions completed the study in 2016 and issued a report the following year.
Among its findings, the JANUS report said “the public is not aware of what is available or how to access what they need” and “service providers do not generally collaborate to offer comprehensive services to residents and that numerous opportunities exist for innovative strategies to better reach and serve residents.”
On the one hand, the report found the county was an affluent part of the state with low crime. But it was also a place where roughly 8 percent of the population of 630,000 people live in poverty, where 14.6 percent of the population is 65 or older, “greater than both state and national averages,” and where there was a problem with opioids, according to the report.
“Through the study, we found that Monmouth County residents are really struggling,” Kiley said. “And they’re struggling with basic needs. They’re struggling with addiction, mental health, homelessness and even having enough food to put on their tables.”
In 2017, the median household income in Monmouth was $91,807, higher than the statewide figure of $76,475 and nationwide of $61,372, according to the federal government. But Mary Pat Angelini, a former state assemblywoman and member of the county’s Human Services Advisory Council, said that despite Monmouth being a rich place, “a lot” of families here are hurting.
“When you think of a county such as Monmouth, you think there are no needs,” she said during the press conference. “And I’m here to tell you that there are plenty of needs in Monmouth County.”
Jeffrey R. Schwartz, director of the county’s department of human services, said after the event that homelessness is one of the “primary issues” his office deals with. The county is in the midst of building a 16-bed shelter at Fort Monmouth in Oceanport, due to open this summer.
Brookdale Community College president David Stout, also speaking at the press conference, shared how the college has teamed up with the county to provide a social worker, Sylvina Mendez, on the school’s Lincroft campus. He said that through an “innovative partnership” with the county’s Division of Social Services, she has office hours twice a week.
“She is transforming lives through her work at Brookdale,” he said. “Her extensive knowledge of county agencies and nonprofit organizations enables her to make connections for our students in need and their families. She’s been a link to providing valuable social services so that our students and their families can get assistance that they need.”
