Meet Katey Billings, COO, and learn about Case Management

[embed]https://youtu.be/YSJZVenCRCQ[/embed]Meet Katey Billings, Grace Like Rain's Chief Operating Officer. She talks about who she is, her role in GLR, and answers questions about GLR's Case Management Program!1). What brought you to the GLR Staff?       I was blessed with the opportunity to have met Michelle through my previous position of working with CPS and being able to meet Michelle. Through that I learned about Grace Like Rain and really had opportunity to hear Michelle’s heart and vision of Grace Like Rain and I knew that it was something that I wanted to learn more about and be a part of. 2). What are Grace Like Rain’s Case Management Services?     Grace Like Rain’s Case Management Services is really pivotal in working with the families in our program. The Case Management really details in establishing short and long term goals for our families in getting them to steps of stability and self-sufficiency and creating these patterns to equip them in the goal of maintaining stability. We accomplish this through really spending intentional time of investing and getting to know the families in our program and working with them on creating these goals and also giving grace that it takes time, but we are here to walk through this with them and they are not in this alone. 3). What does COO entail for Grace Like Rain?      COO details really working with the Family Care team and Community Case Management on how we can all best serve the families that we work with and effectively working with other community partners and resources on serving our families well. This requires a lot of case management in identifying each families need and working with them on any type of crisis or barrier that they are walking through and establishing individualized plans for each family and creating relationships. 4). What is the application process?   We have two Open Application Periods of September and April. In order to qualify for the application period, an individual will have to have a referral submitted for them through a referral source such as an agency or etc. Once Grace Like Rain receives the Referral, then we invite the family to attend the Information Session  where we explain Grace Like Rain and the ministry.  During this process, this family also has opportunity to fill out a Grace Like Rain Application and then the next steps are completing an Intake Session with Grace Like Staff. 5) Why did we switch to a new Referral process and What is it?We really wanted to more effectively streamline the application process in order to not only have more process on walking with the family on navigating their identified needs, but it also allows the families to participate in the Program in relation to our Community Groups and areas such as our Life Skills classes and engage in relationship within Grace Like Rain. 6). What is different about our Case Management Services?Grace Like Rain is different because our Case Management is more relational and where we really take the time to be intentional with our families in building those relationships and creating a healthy support system for our families. We do this through working with volunteers that pour into our families as Family Case Managers and Coaches. A Family Case Manager is an individual who really walks with our families and pours into them through being someone that can be an accountability partner through making sure the family is meeting their goals and having those conversations of financial accountability. A FCM is someone who really positively models serving our families and loving them well through making sure the family is on the path to being successful in the program and working towards self-sufficiency. A Coach is someone that pours into the family in more of a mentoring role and really encourages and equips the family. This is someone that really is a support system for this family. 7). What about the families that do not qualify during the Application Process?    The families that do not qualify during an Open Application process, can still participate in other areas of Grace Like Rain such as our Community Groups. The Community Groups allow for the families to still engage in our program, build relationships with other families in the program and really invest in community. If Grace Like Rain feels that a family that may benefit from outside resources, then we will refer them to services that they will benefit from and we also will encourage that they are able to re-apply the next open Application period. 8). What are the 2 exceptions to our Application Process? The two exceptions would be our Grace Like Rain Shelter where we house families that are in the immediate need of homelessness and this allows for a 2-4 week timeframe of stability and intense case management. We are also partners in Family Drug Court where we receive a continuum of referrals. 9). What do you love about GLR?     What I love about Grace Like Rain is being able to be involved in the families lives and just see them make their goals and having the opportunity to just serve and love on them. It’s such  a privilege to know these families and see how much they overcome. 10). What you think makes GLR Different?       Grace Like Rain is different because we are all about relationship and just loving  families for who they are and where they are.  Grace Like Rain is a faith based organization so we get to be the hands and feet of Jesus through relationship and I think that’s what makes us different. 11). What is your favorite thing to do outside of GLR?     Busy mama!