Program & Team Spotlight: RISE (Metro, II, Fulton)

This month’s program spotlight covers three programs: RISE Metro (50 units in Clayton County for single adults), RISE II (voucher program for 20 units in the City of Atlanta for for families and single adults), and RISE Fulton (15 units in Fulton County for single adults 55 years and older). The director of all three programs, Ailene Gordon, shares a few updates.

Which team members or team updates do you want to recognize?

I want to extend my deepest appreciation to Bridget Fogle and Callie Johnson for managing an increased case load among our RISE programs while we are working to fill a Care Coordinator vacancy in RISE Metro. Once we are fully staffed, I’m excited to plan more client activities.

What kind of client activities are on the horizon?

I want to resume monthly community meetings for our programs and offer virtual and in-person options. These are important for our clients to share questions and concerns, and the meetings help them stay informed about program updates. We’re also looking at doing some health and wellness type of programs and events where we bring in partners to offer education, giveaways, and connections to community resources. I continue to look for partners and resources that can provide additional services for our clients; this is obviously beneficial for our clients but also our team members who appreciate the extra support.

Are there any other notable updates within these RISE programs?

RISE Metro entered a partnership with Heart to Nourish Hope, which is a nonprofit organization that serves as Clayton County’s point of entry for Clayton County residents seeking housing and supportive services. We’ve also been collaborating with Life Rediscovery Center for client referrals and for providing mental health services, and with the Clayton Center to provide mental health services for our clients.

Additionally, several clients from our programs have received Section 8 vouchers and we’ve had some clients leave the program for other housing arrangements. This is great news as these clients got the stability they needed to move on to other housing opportunities. Now we are working to fill a few vacancies that will give more people in need a chance to achieve stability.

April 2024