When FAIR Case Manager Juliana Matz first met with Mr. K*, he had been out of jail for over a year. He was having a hard time securing a job due to his criminal record and his multiple disabilities. Because of his lack of income, he was behind on paying his monthly probation fees. He had begun receiving letters from the probation office stating that, if the fines weren’t paid, he may be held in contempt of court, with potential consequences of getting his driver’s license suspended and getting re-arrested.
Immediately, Juliana was able to help him address these short term concerns of obtaining income and addressing the probation fees. After discussing various employment programs and opportunities with Juliana, Mr. K started to work part time the following week. They also put in an application for SNAP benefits. By the end of his first month working with Juliana, his monthly income had increased by over $1,200. Next, Juliana connected with our partner, Sarah Whittington from the Justice and Accountability Center, to better understand the letters Mr. K was receiving from the probation office. Sarah laid out all of his options for addressing his debt, while minimizing any additional fees and legal consequences.
After addressing these most urgent issues, Mr. K and Juliana began to address some of his long-term goals: applying for disability benefits, and connecting to education programs. Mr. K received SSI as a child, but didn’t know how to reapply as an adult. He is currently unable to work at a level where he can fully support himself due to his disability, and Juliana was able to show him that working part time and receiving benefits is a possibility. They have been working on his SSI application, which will be ready for submission in the next few weeks.
Lastly, one of Mr. K’s other long-term goals is furthering his education so he can better support himself. Mr. K is very young and does not have much family support; therefore, he is very determined to equip himself with the tools and education to reach financial stability and avoid re-incarceration. Juliana recently connected him to two different programs that could assist with covering the cost of his education. They are in the process of comparing these two options and will determine which one best fits his goals and needs.
