County introduces warm hand-off program

Lamont McClure and the Northampton County Division of Mental Health announce a new program which became available May 16 – the Warm Handoff Program. The program will serve suicide attempt survivors who are inpatients in the behavioral health unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital--Muhlenberg (LVHN-Muhlenberg). Upon discharge, Northampton County residents will have the opportunity to be assigned a caseworker who will provide them with supports such as:

·Locating recommended services and navigating the referral process

·Assistance with understanding insurance and how to access services through it

·Linkage to peer and community supports in Northampton County

·Linkage to other Northampton County services if needed or requested

·Periodic check-ins from time of referral until three months following the patient’s discharge

“Navigating available services and supports can be overwhelming for any patient, but especially for those who are struggling with issues in mental health,” says Lamont McClure. “The Warm Handoff Program will assist people in making sure they are aware of all the resources available to them as they recover. I want to thank the administration at LVHN-Muhlenberg for partnering with us on this very important program.”

The program is voluntary and participants can exit at any time if they feel the Warm Handoff services are no longer needed. Northampton County is providing this program at no additional costs to patients or their insurance.

Household document shredding event June 4

First come, first served. 10 a.m. to noon, June 4, Department of Human Services building, 2801 Emrick Blvd. Please do not arrive before 10 a.m. to avoid causing traffic problems. Residents are limited to three boxes or bags per vehicle with a 25 pound weight limit per box or bag. Accepted items include accounting records, canceled checks, pay stubs, financial statements, investment transactions, legal documents, medical records, tax forms, etc. Staples, paper clips, rubber bands and folders are okay. Unacceptable materials include junk mail, magazines, catalogs, photographs, negatives and X-rays. Ring binders, metal strips and plastic sheet protectors or coverings will be refused.

Tax grant application deadline June 10

Hotel tax grant application are open now through June 10 with the Northampton County Department of Community and Economic Development.

Applicants must either be a federally registered nonprofit entity, 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4), or a municipal entity located within Northampton County. Eligible tourism and/or community development programs in the county projects and must be completed in the calendar year 2023. The grants are awarded by competitive process and distributed at the discretion of County Council. The recipients are expected to be announced in October 2022.

Interested organizations may apply by visiting www.northamptoncounty.org/CMTYECDV/Pages/Apply-for-Funding.aspx

Applicants must register and submit applications at web.northamptoncounty.org/DCEDForms/views/Login.html

For information and questions, call Karen Collis at 610-829-6314 or email kcollis@northamptoncounty.org

Grist Miller’s House project gets state grant

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) announce a grant of $753,397 awarded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Governor’s Budget Office. DCED applied for the grant on behalf of Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites (HBMS). The funds will be used for construction on the Grist Miller’s House, located at 459 Old York Road, Bethlehem ,in the Colonial Industrial Quarter. The building, constructed in 1782 and enlarged in 1834, is in need of structural repairs and must be brought into compliance with current building codes.

“The Grist Miller’s House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an important part of our local history,” says Lamont McClure. “It tells the story of early industries in Bethlehem and is a popular site for tours. The County of Northampton thanks the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for helping Historic Bethlehem preserve our history for future generations through this grant.”

Exterior work will include installing a period-appropriate wood shingle roof, repairing and painting the wooden windows and installing copper gutters and downspouts. The walkway between the Grist Miller’s House and the Luchenback Mill will also be restored.

Interior work includes refinishing the wood floors, painting the walls, repairing beams under the 1834 section, reopening the stairs from the basement to the first floor and installing electricity, plumbing, and an HVAC system.

Daycare facility proposed for Gracedale

The administrators of Gracedale Nursing Home are requesting County Council approve adding a daycare facility to the campus which will provide a financial incentive to attract CNAs, LPNs, RNs and other support staff.

“It’s difficult for every industry to hang on to workers right now, but especially so for those working in healthcare,” says County Executive Lamont McClure. “An on-site daycare center will help us recruit and keep new staff at Gracedale, providing benefits for both our employees and our residents.”

McClure is asking County Council to approve using $2 million of the American Recovery Act funds to construct and operate a daycare facility on Gracedale’s grounds, providing care for the children of employees during their work shifts. The facility would be administered by a private contractor.

An on-site daycare would also offer the opportunity of intergenerational programming, giving the children an opportunity to interact with Gracedale residents.