FSSA addresses vaccine accessibility
The Indiana Family and Social Services administration (FSSA) has been hyper-focused on making vaccines accessible to all Hoosiers and addressing various needs that have arisen as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
During the state update on Wednesday, March 24, FSSA Secretary Dr. Jennifer Sullivan explained the many ways that the organization has been providing assistance through various partnership and programs.
She noted that, through a partnership between the Indiana Department of Health, FSSA, Walgreens, and community-based providers, about 4,000 residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities who live in congregate setting are being vaccinated. Those who receive services but do not live in congregate settings are being contacted to schedule appointments.
To reach homebound residents, local EMS departments are administering doses to Hoosiers in their own households. Dr. Sullivan shared that 3,400 residents in that category have registered for a vaccination in 90 Indiana counties.
In addition to those portions of the population, health officials have been providing vaccines for members of the homeless population. as of Wednesday, March 24, an estimated 5,500 residents who rely on emergency shelters were being vaccinated through on-site, through mobile clinics, or by a federally qualified health center.
Dr. Sullivan also discussed how individuals working with the 211 resource service have stepped up and expanded operations to Help Hoosiers with a number of needs. The call center has helped schedule more than 290,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments and has answered over 810,000 calls. To provide some perspective about that number, she noted that the average number of calls received by 211 is around 20,000 calls per month and they’re now answering that many in one day.
In addition to assisting with scheduling vaccine appointments, 211 operators have been helping residents fill out applications for the Indiana Emergency Rental assistance Program through the Indiana Housing and Community Development authority (IHCDA).
Dr. Sullivan explained that this program is designed to decrease evictions, increase housing stability, and prevent homelessness by providing eligible renters with up to 12 months of rental assistance and/or utility and home energy assistance. So far, the 211 team dedicated to handling questions about this IHCDA opportunity have answered 4,186 calls related to the program. More more details about the program, visit indianahousingnow.org or call 211.
Providing mental health resources and assistance is another way 211 operators are helping Hoosiers. Last summer, the Be Well Indiana Program was introduced. This program allows individuals to call 211 at any time in order to speak with an experienced and compassionate counselor who has received specific training to help with issues that have come along with the pandemic.
Sullivan explained, “In January, in the depths of winter, the Be Well Crisis Helpline saw its busiest month, answering just under 2,000 calls or about 64 calls a day. In total, to date [March 24], the team has answered 10,624 calls.”
according to Dr. Sullivan, the top issues that individuals are calling about include isolation and withdrawal, anxiety and fearfulness and issues with sleep. She noted that more than half of all callers have received a referral to help them seek out additional mental health or substance use recovery services.
Those are several examples of how adults in the state have been receiving assistance from FSSA but the organization is also helping Indiana’s children as well.
“Finally, let’s talk about kids.” Dr. Sullivan shared toward the end of her recent presentation, “This pandemic has impacted them so much, especially there school routines. For children who rely on their school for nutrition, it can be critically important. There’s help.”
Sullivan stated that students who have lost access to free or reduced-price lunch due to school closures or virtual learning are receiving supplemental benefits through the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (PEBT) program. She noted that as of last month, $330 million in federal funds have been issued to feed children and planning for summer is underway.
Dr. Sullivan concluded by sharing how proud she is that FSSA is an active partner in these efforts and thanked the governor for giving her the platform to update Hoosiers about these issues and resources during the state update.