Social Services Resources - Sewickley Public Library

There are many local, state and national resources for social services available to community members. Below is a list of resources to help those in need of food, shelter, healthcare, financial assistance, COVID-19 related assistance, and more. Find more specific resources regarding Resources for Immigrants and Newcomers here.

Resources

Local Organizations

Allegheny County Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Community Service – provides a wide variety of prevention supports and services to assist individuals and families, including resources for food, shelter, family services, tax assistance, and more . Many of the supports have income eligibility requirements.

Allegheny Link – The mission of the Allegheny Link is to simplify and streamline access to services and supports in an effort to help individuals and families maintain their independence, dignity and quality of life. The Allegheny Link assists Allegheny County residents

with any disability – find needed services
over the age of 60 – remain safely in their community
who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness – find stable housing
who are pregnant, or parents and caregivers of children to six years of age – get referrals to home-visiting programs

Union Aid Society – The Union Aid Society has been a “safety-net” for the Quaker Valley community for over one hundred years. We help our Quaker Valley neighbors find the assistance they need in an emergency. We can refer you to community resources as well as provide immediate relief. Our executive director is a licensed social worker and can help when you are experiencing a crisis.

United Way of Southwestern PA 2-1-1 – Every day, highly trained 2‑1‑1 call specialists provide referrals to:

Basic Human Needs Resources: food banks, shelters, rent and utility payment assistance
Physical and Mental Health Resources: crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling
Employment Support: financial assistance, job training, education programs
Support for Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities: home-delivered meals, transportation, health care
Youth and Child Care Programs: after school programs, summer camps, mentoring, protection services
Regional Disaster Preparation

Food

Sewickley Community Center Food Pantry – a food pantry serving Sewickley and the surrounding communities

Free Food & Resource Distribution Sites in Southwestern PA – interactive map to locate food pantries, soup kitchens, summer meals, formula, etc.

Big Burgh – resources for housing, food, diapers, essentials

Food Resources for Pennsylvanians – list of resources available for PA residents

Pennsylvania Women Infant Children (WIC) – providing nutrition services, breastfeeding support, health care and social service referrals, and healthy foods to pregnant women, mothers, and caregivers of infant and young children

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -helps Pennsylvanians buy food. People in eligible low-income households can obtain more nutritious diets with SNAP increasing their food purchasing power at grocery stores and supermarkets.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) – program established to ensure kids continue to have access to nutritious meals when school is not in session

Shelter

412 Youth Zone – a safe and welcoming one-stop center for young people ages 16-23 that are transitioning out of the foster care system and are eligible for independent living services or are experiencing unstable housing.

Allegheny Homeless Shelter Directory – a list of homeless shelters and services for the needy that provide help to those in need for Allegheny County, PA

Allegheny County Homeless Services – Allegheny County offers a wide array of housing options and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including: emergency shelter, permanent housing and supportive services; street outreach, engagement and case management; and prevention strategies. Over 30 agencies provide approximately 120 programs to meet the diverse needs of individuals and families in a housing crisis. Services are accessed through the county’s coordinated entry system (the Allegheny Link).

Allegheny County Housing Unit (For Everyone) – The Allegheny County Department of Human Services Housing Navigator Unit works with tenants, landlords and service providers to ensure that their relationship works for all participants

Big Burgh – resources for housing, food, diapers, essentials

Women’s Center & Shelter – Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh is more than an emergency shelter for adults experiencing domestic violence and their children. It is a safe harbor that provides specialized care and support for survivors who have experienced all types of intimate partner violence from physical to emotional through Emergency Shelter, Legal Advocacy, a 24-Hour Hotline, Support Groups, and more

Families/Children

Beverly’s Birthdays – Every child, regardless of personal, or financial circumstances deserves a very special birthday. Beverly’s Birthdays provides birthday cheer for children experiencing homelessness and families in-need. From the “birth” to the 18th birthday, and special milestones, in-between, they spread cheer 365 days a year! They also offer free Community Baby Showers.

Big Burgh – resources for housing, food, diapers, essentials

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – Pennsylvania’s program to provide health insurance to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance.

Crisis Text Line for Kids/Young Adults – Live, trained counselors are on hand when kids text HOME to 741741.

Finding Your Way in PA – This app helps connect students and families experiencing homelessness with local services and resources. Available as a web app or downloadable in the App Store or Play Store. Users can search for and request assistance with services and resources in their current location, local communities, and throughout Pennsylvania to connect them with helpful supports.

Healthcare/Mental Care

Birmingham Free Health Clinic – Birmingham Free Health Clinic is community partnership between the Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations (PHCUP) and The Salvation Army, and serves uninsured and other medically vulnerable groups by utilizing an exclusively volunteer group of health care providers.

Crisis Text Line – Text Hello to 741741 – Crisis Text Line is here for any crisis. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from our secure online platform. The volunteer Crisis Counselor will help you move from a hot moment to a cool moment – chat about coronavirus, anxiety, school, emotional abuse, depression, suicide, etc.

Crisis Text Line for Kids/Young Adults – Live, trained counselors are on hand when kids text HOME to 741741.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – Pennsylvania’s program to provide health insurance to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance.

JFCS Counseling Services – Providing a team of social workers and professional counselors, with areas of specialization ranging from child therapy and blended families to marital discord, anxiety and depression.

JFCS Guardianship Services – Protecting and caring for our community’s most vulnerable individuals. If you feel an individual is incapacitated and unable to manage their own financial resources and/or is unable to make informed medical decisions, a guardianship referral may be warranted.

Medical Assistance/Medicaid – Medical Assistance (MA), also known as Medicaid, pays for health care services for eligible individuals.

Mental Health America – resources for mental health help.

Mental Health and Recovery Resources – a list of mental health resources including: substance abuse, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, crisis support, and family support

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 – Text/chat services available 24/7 across the US

Open Path Collective – Nonprofit that provides more affordable therapy to those who need it

PA Health Insurance Options – resources for those without health insurance

PAAR (Pittsburgh Action Against Rape) – PAAR is dedicated to assisting victims of sexual abuse and ending sexual violence in our community. Their experienced, trained counselors and advocates provide services that are completely confidential, and just a phone call away

POWER (PA Organization for Women in Early Recovery) – Treatment for substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders as well as recovery support services are available and can be safely provided

Psychology Today – Resource for finding a therapist

Resolve Crisis Center (UPMC) – Crisis intervention and hospital diversion service. Anyone who resides in Allegheny County can access these services, regardless of ability to pay or type of crisis.

The Trevor Project – This website for LGBTQ+ youth offers text, chat, and phone help.

United Way 2-1-1 – Call 211 – PA 2‑1‑1 Southwest is part of the national 2‑1‑1 Call Centers initiative that seeks to provide an easy-to-remember telephone number, chat, text, and a web resource for finding health and human services– for everyday needs and in crisis situations.

Mental Health Apps

Find these helpful mental care apps in your device’s app store:

Breathe2Relax – portable stress management tool that teaches diaphragmatic breathing
Calm – provides people experiencing stress and anxiety with guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, and relaxing music
COVID Coach – Developed by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, COVID Coach is designed to help you build resilience, manage stress, and increase your well-being during this crisis.
Happify – psychologist-approved mood-training program
Headspace – learn the skills of mindfulness and meditation by using this app for a few minutes per day
Lifesum – broad resource for all things healthy living
Pacifica – online tools to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression
PTSD Coach – Created by VA’s National Center for Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder offers everything from a self-assessment for PTSD, to opportunities to find support, positive self-talk, and anger management.
MindShift – “One of the best mental health apps designed specifically for teens and young adults with anxiety.”
Mood Kit – Provides users with over 200 different mood improvement activities. Developed by two clinical psychologists, MoodKit helps you learn how to change how you think, develop self-awareness and healthy attitudes.
Mood Tools – Supports people with clinical depression by aiding the path to recovery
Quit That! Habit Tracker – Helps users beat their habits or addictions
SAM – Self-Help for Anxiety Management – might be perfect for you if you’re interested in self-help, but meditation isn’t your thing
Smiling Mind – daily meditation and mindfulness exercises – unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life
TalkSpace – online therapy
Ten Percent Happier – 500+ guided meditations on topics ranging from anxiety and stress to parenting and sleep
Twenty-Four Hours a Day – offers 366 meditations from the book, making it easier for people in recovery from addiction to focus on sobriety wherever they are.
What’s Up – helps cope with depression, anxiety, stress and more

Financial Assistance

COVID-19 Mortgage and Rent Relief – assistance for renters and homeowners relief due to COVID-19

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – helps families living on low incomes pay their heating bills in the form of a cash grant

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Recovery Crisis Program (COVID-19) – In response to the coronavirus (COVID- 19) health emergency, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is accepting applications for its Recovery Crisis Program through August 31, 2020.

PA ABLE – A PA ABLE account gives individuals with qualified disabilities (Eligible Individuals), and their families and friends, a tax-free way to save for disability-related expenses, while maintaining government benefits. Federal and state law authorized the creation of PA ABLE accounts.

PA CareerLink – job search and career training resource for Pennsylvanians

PA Unemployment Benefits – file for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania

Property tax and rent rebates – rebate program for eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – resource to help low-income families become independent while they receive cash assistance benefits.

Other Financial Resources due to COVID-19 – financial resources for COVID-19 related issues including: vehicle loans, student loans, credit card payments, short term and emergency loans, and insurance-related issues