FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 9, 2013

Contact: Jim Williams, Communications Specialist, 303-441-1260

Boulder County Housing and Human Services Programs Get a New Look

De-stigmatizing access to services will be a major focus of outreach campaign

Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services (BCDHHS) launches a public outreach campaign today to raise awareness of its programs and help people feel more comfortable asking for assistance.

The colorful and straightforward campaign, entitled “Hope for the future, help when you need it,” includes a new logo for the department as well as a set of icons that represent the services BCDHHS delivers. The campaign includes print and outdoor advertising, and grassroots activities utilizing social media, web updates, lobby signage and related print materials.

“There are signs that the economy is getting better, but there is still tremendous need and many of us are still hanging on by a thread,” said BCDHHS Director Frank Alexander. “We want to make sure people know what services we and our community non-profit partners offer, and that accessing them is good for all of us. We know that the earlier we get our neighbors the help they need, the better it is for their health and well-being and the less expensive it is for us as a community.”

Since 2008, need for food assistance increased 144 percent in Boulder County and need for help with health coverage has risen 77 percent. Much of this is a result of people applying for help for the first time. For everyone who seeks assistance, BCDHHS focuses on a front-end, early intervention and prevention approach to services delivery that helps clients identify their full range of needs and matches them with the right supports.

In 2010, Boulder County voters approved Ballot Initiative 1A, known as the Temporary Human Services Safety Net (TSN), to help backfill significant federal and state cuts to funding for human services. The TSN has injected $5 million annually into critical programs in Boulder County, allowing BCDHHS and its partners to continue to move the services system upstream to help people earlier in their need.

This fall, federal healthcare reform will make health insurance accessible to most of the 50,000 currently-uninsured people in Boulder County who need it. BCDHHS expects a significant increase in inquiries from clients during this time. The new campaign, coupled with an updated website design at www.BoulderCountyHHS.org, will support the effort to help them.

“We want everyone in Boulder County to know this is your safety net; use it when you need it so you, your family and our community can be stronger,” Alexander said.

BCDHHS designed the public outreach campaign in collaboration with Boulder-based marketing firm, Pivot Communication.

–BoulderCounty.org–