By Torrie Walker
Her Campus, Howard University
RALEIGH, N.C. — For many residents, finding affordable housing, healthcare or mental health support can feel overwhelming. At CASA NC's Annual Community Wellness Day on June 12, community organizations came together to make those resources easier to access.
Held at CASA NC's Sun Hill location in Raleigh, the event connected residents with housing information, health screenings, behavioral health services and community resources all in one place.
"This is our third year of hosting a Community Wellness Fair," said Joyce Hicklen, who has worked with CASA NC for 22 years. "Not only do we provide supportive housing for individuals who have disabilities, who may have experienced homelessness, who may have been incarcerated, but we also have a program called BHIT, the Behavioral Health Intervention Team."
Through its Behavioral Health Intervention Team, CASA helps residents navigate challenges that extend beyond housing, including access to healthcare, food assistance and other support services.
"We found within the last few years that there's just not enough case managers and there's not enough social workers to serve every human being," Hicklen said.
Organizations from across the region participated in the event, offering information on healthcare, behavioral health services, veterans resources and affordable housing opportunities.
Among them was Southeastern Healthcare, which provides integrated community-based care for seniors, adults with disabilities and underserved populations throughout North Carolina.
"We offer services focused on community health, senior adult services and behavioral health services," said Selena Uribe, a representative with Southeastern Healthcare.
Southeastern Healthcare provides certified peer support services, psychosocial rehabilitation, individual and group therapy, adult day health programs and other community-based services designed to connect residents with care and support.
"We connect underserved communities and populations to needed resources within Wake County," Uribe said.
The organization also educates residents about health screenings, senior services and wellness programs while encouraging healthy lifestyles and preventive care.
Housing remained one of the event's central focuses. CASA NC offers affordable housing opportunities across Wake, Durham and Orange counties for individuals experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, veterans and young adults aging out of foster care.
Through partnerships with local agencies and referral organizations, CASA NC helps connect some of the region's most vulnerable residents with stable housing opportunities.
"We work with people that are homeless, disabled, veterans and foster kids that are aging out," said Tara Pouncey, senior director of operations at CASA NC.
According to Pouncey, CASA NC partners with organizations including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, SouthLight, Alliance Health and local housing authorities to connect residents with housing opportunities.
Residents generally pay approximately 30% of their income toward housing costs, helping make housing accessible for individuals living on fixed incomes or disability benefits.
Housing specialists are available to assist applicants throughout the process, helping them locate required documents and complete applications when needed.
"We made the application process very smooth and very easy," Pouncey said.
Throughout the event, attendees visited resource tables, spoke with service providers and collected information about programs available in the community. Organizers said the goal was to ensure residents know where to turn when they need assistance with housing, healthcare or behavioral health services.
As affordable housing, healthcare and behavioral health needs continue to grow across Wake County, organizers said events like Community Wellness Day are about ensuring residents have somewhere to turn for support.
"What we do is we come in and bridge the gap," Hicklen said.
