Clinical & Support Options (CSO), a nonprofit community behavioral and mental health organization, has been utilizing Comcast Business’ internet, voice and TV solutions throughout its new mobile stations that are providing emergency shelter and medical care to those experiencing homelessness in Greater Springfield.
CSO’s Friends of the Homeless (FOH) program has always focused on being more than just an emergency shelter. So, when COVID-19 began forcing people to remain inside, they knew they had to create a safe space for those guests requiring quarantine and medical attention. After working closely with CSO, the City of Springfield developed three mobile stations in the Springfield Technical Community College parking lot that would act as not only a quarantining zone, but also offer medical services, like COVID-19 triage and testing, to those who may need it. In addition, CSO’s FOH program also assigns a case worker to each guest to help them find work and permanent housing, navigate state and federal assistance programs and provide access to behavioral and mental health support, as needed.
“With the ever-evolving pandemic, we knew we had to act on our mission and create mobile emergency shelters to ensure everyone, regardless of their situation, could have a safe place in which to get tested and quarantine,” said Karin Jeffers, President & CEO, CSO. “Comcast Business was the top of our mind when it came to choosing a tech partner that could help keep our guests comfortable and entertained, while also supporting our own technological needs. We’ve never seen the company work so quickly to make a project happen, and are grateful for their constant, reliable support.”
CSO has been a Comcast Business customer since 2013 and is currently using the company’s voice services, broadband connections and multi-site fiber network to keep the mobile stations running smoothly both on the front and back-end. In addition to providing Business TV entertainment service to help guests remain comfortable while they are quarantined, Comcast Business Internet also helps CSO access their behavioral health software and guests’ electronic health records needed for intake.
“There’s no room for downtime when it comes to addressing health and taking care of those in need, which is exactly why we understand the critical importance of providing fast, reliable internet and phone service,” said Paul Savas, Regional Vice President of Comcast Business for Comcast’s Western New England Region. “During these tough times, it’s more important than ever to respond to the needs of the local communities we serve, and at Comcast Business, we’re proud to support our frontline workers and essential services like Clinical & Support Options.”
