Neighborhood Services, Inc

Provide residents with a broad range of programs including personal and financial protection, financial management services, and budget and life skills coaching. Committed to providing long term service to a majority of our clients in protective services service programs who have documented mental health issues and resulting long-term incapacitation.
NSI is committed to initiatives that strengthen neighborhoods and assist indidivuals in developing indepenced and improving quality-of-life through self empowerment programs.

Description:
Guardianship:

The Guardianship Program provides protection services when the court determines an individual to be unable to care for self, property, or both, thus becoming a ward. Guardianship and Durable Power of Attorney are the program’s two legal disciplines. We provide several types of guardianship, but the more common types are plenary guardian of the person, plenary guardian of the estate, or plenary guardian of person and estate. When appointed guardian of the person we are responsible for decisions of a personal nature including health care, living arrangements, social interactions, and end of life issues, etc. As guardian of the estate, our realm of responsibility revolves around property, whether it be real or personal. When appointed guardian of the person and estate we perform a dual role. Guardianships are appointed and are reviewable by the courts. Durable power of attorney is considered an advanced directive or legal document giving authority to act on one’s behalf when and if they become unable to care for self, property or both. Generally, power of attorney is not reviewable by the court systems. Substitute judgment, a key element of the program, involves consultations with the ward or client, medical staff, care givers, family, friends, legal, financial and religious communities.

Representative Payee:

Clients are referred to the Representative Payee Program after they have demonstrated and been medically determined unable to successfully manage their government entitlements. Therefore, forcing the Social Security Administration to withhold their Social Security Disability or Special Supplemental Income (SSDI/SSI) until a representative payee can be found. The program protects client resources, provides basic life skills coaching, pays bills and fines both current and past due, finds safe affordable housing, and ensures resources go toward the maintenance of the individual or family unit. The long term objective of the program is to enable its’ clientele to obtain and maintain non-institutional housing and to be as self-sufficient as possible given their mental limitations.

Permanent Supportive Housing:

The Permanent Supportive Housing Program opened in June 2006 with its first four residents. In spring of 2007 we will be adding another four residents. Criteria for the program, the resident must meet the homelessness definition as established by United Way of Lancaster County’s State of Housing and Homelessness Impact Report. A resident must also have a disability. Residents will have a private bedroom/sitting area, and shared common areas such as kitchen, showers/bathrooms, laundry, and community room. Residents may live here indefinitely. They will go through a regimented daily routine focusing on basic life and interpersonal skills necessary for independent living. Residents will attend educational classes with practical application sessions ranging from cooking a meal to cleaning a toilet. Meals are provided and monthly activities are arranged for social interaction.
EARN Retention Program:

The EARN Retention program is one of our newer programs and is contracted through LETA to provide case management to adults entry or re-entry into the workforce. Case Managers provide assistance to adults throughout their first six months of work. During this time we assist with alleviating barriers to employment ranging from transportation, clothing, childcare, etc. We encourage and motivate the employee to attain self sufficiency through employment. If a person looses a job during the six months of retention case managers assist them with finding new employment. Jobs with benefits are encouraged.

WIB/Stevens College/ABC Pre-Apprentice Construction Course:

Neighborhood Services is the Program Coordinator for this Construction Class sponsored by the Workforce Investment Board, Stevens College, and The ABC Builders and Contractors Academy. We accept applications and referrals by self, adult probation and parole, or other agencies for this 240 hour pre-apprentice construction course. Certified Instructors from Stevens College teach the entry level course to students 18 and older to assist them in getting employment in the construction field. Upon graduation the student will have several certifications:
• ABC Pre-Apprentice Construction Certification
• OSHA Construction Safety Certification
• NCCER Certification
• Hilti-Power Tool Certification

During the class a career day/job fair is held with students filling out applications and providing resumes to potential employers. Case Managers assist the students with finding employment and alleviating barriers to employment. Classes run for approximately six weeks Monday-Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm.

History:
Neighborhood Services is a United Way member and a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, dedicated to serving persons in need of protection and supports programs that empower neighborhoods and individuals to reach their full potential.

The Agency was founded in 1964 as a coordination and referral program and then moved into protective services in 1975 with the Social Security Administration’s Representative Payee Program. In 1979, Neighborhood Services began offering Guardianship protective services to persons who are wards of the State because of diminished mental capacity, requiring someone to make decisions for them, as stipulated by a court order.

Neighborhood Services serves the community in a number of areas. Protection is provided through our Guardianship and Representative Payee Programs. Neighborhood Services is the fiscal agent for the Federal Weed and Seed Program.

Contact people:

Gilbert Abney, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Kay Knight, Assistant Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (717) 392-1604

Address:

134 S Prince St Lancaster, PA 17602 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified

Directions:

From Route 30; Travel to 222/272 South. This becomes Prince Street. Follow Prince Street for several blocks. Cross over King Street and our building is approximately 2 more blocks down on the right side of the street.. . . (more)

Last updated on June 22, 2009