City Of West Palm Beach Welcomes New Member Of On-Street Homeless Engagement Team

West Palm Beach FL

22 March, 2021

7:32 PM

Description

From the City of West Palm Beach: March 22, 2021 As part of its ongoing efforts to assist those who are homeless, the City of West Palm Beach Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) has hired Alexandria "Allie" Severino as its homeless outreach specialist. In her new role, Severino will be responsible for engaging with these individuals to connect them with organizations and available resources to secure stable housing or mental health/substance abuse counseling. In conjunction with Marcus Laws, the city's homeless services coordinator, and the staff at the Vickers House, Severino will help further extend the department's homeless outreach efforts throughout West Palm Beach, strengthen existing partnerships with local non-profits, and create new opportunities for future collaborations. "We are pleased to welcome Allie to the City of West Palm Beach team," said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. "Her certifications and experience in the areas of mental health, peer recovery and housing will help strengthen the city's continued efforts to assist the homeless and help address their needs." Prior to joining the City of West Palm Beach, Severino spent several years helping individuals overcome addiction and substance abuse and advocating on behalf of her clients for appropriate housing, counseling and social integration. Additionally, she has extensive experience working with local law enforcement, community leaders and elected officials. Severino is a certified peer recovery specialist and a certified mental health first aid instructor. Through its HCD, the City of West Palm Beach works to enhance the quality of life for its residents through the development of housing, social and economic opportunities. The department creates opportunities to support and empower low-income households and neighborhoods. The department also manages the Vickers House, a resource and assistance center offering the community a compassionate place to receive information, referrals, and counseling. Through its homeless services coordinator Marcus Laws, the City of West Palm Beach, with its partners, regularly engages with individuals who are homeless to connect them with programs and services. Severino will support these outreach efforts. In 2020, the City of West Palm Beach: Assisted more than 360 chronically homeless individuals; Provided mental health services to more than 130 homeless individuals; Helped nearly 70 individuals reconnect with loved ones through the department's Homeward Bound program; and Placed more than 60 people in emergency shelters or stable housing. For more information about the City of West Palm Beach's homeless outreach efforts, please visit www.wpb.org/HCD or call (561) 822-1250 (TTY: 800-955-8771). This press release was produced by the City of West Palm Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.