Help when you need it

Social and family services in Sullivan County

By JACQUELINE HERMAN
Posted 11/30/22

LIBERTY, NY — “What I hear from the public,” said Giselle Steketee, “is that they are afraid of the process.”

Steketee is the deputy commissioner of the Sullivan …

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Help when you need it

Social and family services in Sullivan County

Posted

LIBERTY, NY — “What I hear from the public,” said Giselle Steketee, “is that they are afraid of the process.”

Steketee is the deputy commissioner of the Sullivan County Department of Social Services (DSS). She works for commissioner John Liddle, who is head of the entirety of social and family services. The department covers a broad spectrum of care, including mental and public health, immunizations, and drug and alcohol abuse.

The buildings at the public health complex on Community Lane date back 100 years and were formerly a TB center and infirmary.

Steketee is in charge of a variety of programs: food stamps (SNAP), energy assistance (HEAP) and two departments begun during the pandemic to deal with rent issues, ERAP and LRAP. Child support and family issues, such as conflicts and abuse within homes, come to her attention, as well as preventative measures such as intervention and foster care.

Temporary Assistance, which deals with immediate needs for water, electricity, trash removal, housing and food, is also within her purview.

Additionally, there are partnerships with other departments and community resources, such as the Office for the Aging, Independent Living, Action Toward Independence and Catholic Charities.

Steketee has experience from the nine years she has served as the director, as well as a previous 13 years of helping people with disabilities in her work at Crystal Run Village of Orange County.

“I encourage those in need to apply,” she said. “Elibility requirements have expanded since the pandemic, and if you are in need, most likely we can find some sort of aid for you.”

Language is not a barrier, as there are interpreters for 39 languages. A telephone conference can be set up that utilizes a double-ended phone to reach an interpreter. There is no cost and “it is very seamless,” Steketee said. The languages most commonly spoken are Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Korean and Chinese.

Thelma McIver stands in front of a Toys for Tots box.  She is head social worker examiner and assistant to Giselle Steketee.
Thelma McIver stands in front of a Toys for Tots box. She is head social worker examiner and assistant to Giselle Steketee.

Heating your home

The HEAP season began in November and goes through mid-March. Applications for HEAP can be filled out in person and dropped off, mailed in or submitted online. First-time applicants must be processed in person in a room with two clerks. Results are determined within 48 to 72 hours. Recipients then must coordinate the delivery of their heating source. Air conditioning support begins in May and the emergency utility season starts January 3, 2023, covering fuel, gas and water. Forty to 50 vendors meet in conference annually with the DSS to discuss issues, ensuring smooth operation.

HEAP funding assists with a heating equipment program for homeowners, providing up to $4,000 for repairs and $8,000 for replacement. There is a clean-and-tune program that keeps heating systems in good working order, providing up to $5,000 to have trained professionals inspect, service and possibly replace heating equipment, including furnaces.

The cooling assistance benefit program runs from May 1 through September 30; it requires a medical condition. Eligibility is determined once every five years, and a participating vendor must be used. Up to $800 to $1,000 is provided for a window or portable A/C unit or fan, including installation. The HEAP direct line is 845/807-0142.

A food pantry helps ensure people have enough to eat.
A food pantry helps ensure people have enough to eat.

Other donations take care of needs beyond hunger.
Other donations take care of needs beyond hunger.

An outdoor lockbox permits 24-hour accessibility.
An outdoor lockbox permits 24-hour accessibility.

Assortment of needed services

  • In coordination with the New Beginnings Community Worship Center, the Toys for Tots program collects toys for children and is supported by the 75th anniversary of USMC involvement. Donations are from employees.
  • The Kindness Drive, which collects coats, hats and scarves is sponsored by the Sullivan County Wellness Committee and Sullivan County Youth Bureau. It runs until Friday, December 16. There are other drop-off sites locally as well.
  • A food pantry is well stocked with non-perishables and personal hygiene products, and is available to those with applications in process and to the homeless.
  • DSS also directs the Temporary Emergency Housing program for those displaced due to homelessness, evictions, condemnations, being stranded in the area, or due to couple breakups; and provides shelter, sometimes in a hotel.

There is extra funding through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at the state level for the “Code Blue Season,” a period of time when temperatures fall below 32 degrees. It began under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order #151 to help anyone in need of a place to stay warm. One warming center is open seven days a week, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. until March at the United Methodist Church in Liberty. Another will soon open at the Ted Stroebele Center in Monticello, NY.

The annual budget is proposed each fall, and this year it has expanded to include a new position of senior housing coordinator. Future hiring will seek Spanish-speaking applicants.

Pandemic rulings are still in effect for medical assistance and SNAP, but now there is no mask requirement.

To encourage people to apply, a phone app is available to photograph and upload documents: NY Doc Submit, available at sullivanny.us. A lockbox to drop off applications stands at the entrance of the building at 16 Community Ln. in Liberty, and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Open hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sullivan County Department of Social Services, food stamps, energy assistance

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