Agency Type: Public The Blair County Human Services Office is an administrative branch of the County Commissioners. This office arranges, by contract, with agencies to provide the following services: Adult (Adult Protective), Aging (Case Management), Children and Youth (Life Skills Education) Drug and Alcohol (Outpatient), Homeless Assistance (Case Management, Rental Assistance, Bridge Housing, Emergency Shelter), Mental Health (Resource Coordination), Mental Retardation (Employment Services), Generic (Counseling, Homemaker, Information and Referral), and Specialized (Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Teen Link Connection). The Human Services Office administers various state and federal grants. PROGRAMS: The activities of this office focus on the improvement of coordination, planning, management, and service delivery in the Blair County area.
A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) - Drug Free Communities grant helps to fund our Communities That Care Project. The Community Mobilizer is responsible for administering the Pennsylvania Youth Survey in all local school districts, offering technical assistance to schools, offering positive alternative activities for youth, and holding a yearly youth leadership camp. A Risk and Resource Assessment was completed and is updated continuously. Community outreach is one of the largest areas of this grant. Becky Mingle is the Blair County Community Mobilzer and can be reached at 693-3112 or by email: bmingle@blairco.info. You can visit the Blair Countians For Drug Free Communities web site at: www.drugfreeblaircounty.com 21st Century Community Learning Centers are available in 6 schools in 5 school districts: Altoona - (Penn Lincoln and Juniata), Bellwood, Claysburg/Kimmel, Spring Cove, and Williamsburg. These are afterschool programs for 4th, 5th and 6th graders, with a focus on academics. Each program is offered for two hours per day, Monday through Thursday, from October 1st through April 30th. The first hour of each afterschool program is focused on academics and enrichment activities are offered during the second hour. A Tobacco Grant from the Department of Health funds our Tobacco Grant Coordinator position. The Tobacco Grant Coordinator is responsible for completing many of the Deliverables from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Best Practices. The goal of this grant is to reduce tobacco use in the County. The Coordinator is responsible for all anti-smoking, anti-tobacco events, promotions, meetings, etc. throughout the county. She identifies all smoke-free workplaces, dining establishments, and public places in the county with the goal of increasing those numbers by 10% each year through the end of the contract period. She is also responsible for increasing the number of individuals who are aware of and utilizing the Pennsylvania Free Quit Line 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) services by 10% each year through the end of the contract period. Machel Drahnak is the Tobacco Grant Coordinator and can be reached at 814-693-3112 or by email: mdrahnak@blairco.info. You can visit the Breathe web site at: www.tobaccofreeblaircounty.com The Blair County Human Services Office is also the home of the Blair County Health and Welfare Council and the Blair County Healthy Community Partnership.
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