The Kids to Seniors Korner Program is a synergistic private/public collaborative which involves seven local partners: Saint Mary's Mission Outreach/Program Fiscal Agent; Reno and Sparks Police Departments; Washoe County Sheriff's Office; District Health Department; Social Services and Seniors Services.
The Kid's Korner Program was initiated as a small project by the Reno Police Department and the Washoe County District Health Department in 1996. A Reno Police officer and a Public Health Nurse made weekly visits to motels to check on the welfare of children and provide access to community resources to deal with health and welfare issues. As the program grew, Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Sparks Police Department, Washoe County District Health Department, Washoe County Social Services and Saint Mary's aligned to create a partnership to meet the critical needs identified by the project. Because seniors are also vulnerable, the Senior's Korner Program was developed to identify and assist at-risk seniors. The two programs merged in 2003 to better meet the needs of Washoe County's most vulnerable citizens.
This alliance presents opportunities to provide a combination of services to at-risk populations such as low-income children, families and seniors. Working from a large mobile clinic, the partnership utilizes a two-tiered service delivery system, which includes a multi-disciplinary team that follows a "Knock 'n' Talk" philosophy - bringing a team of professionals into a targeted low-income neighborhood (and areas highly populated with homeless families, such as shelters, motels, etc.), knocking on doors and talking to children, their families and seniors regarding their needs.
Once needs are identified, registered nurses, social workers, HSSS works, law enforcement officers and interpreters coordinate and case manage to provide medical/social service assessments, health, safety and nutrition education, referrals, follow-up services and home visits. Over 58,000 children, families and seniors have been served in Washoe County neighborhoods since 2001. In 2008, nearly 4,000 Knock 'n' Talk visits were conducted, 3,135 immunizations were given and more than 9,590 kids, families and seniors were touched by the program.
For more information about the Kids to Seniors Korner program, contact Keri Pruitt at (775) 770-3306 or keri.pruitt@chw.edu.
Links to related programs and resources:
