When families face challenges like housing instability, mental health concerns, transportation issues, or unexpected crises, access to the right supports can make all the difference.
Through a $2 million Full-Service Community Schools grant awarded to United Way of Erie County in 2020, United Way partnered with UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor and Erie's Public Schools to address these barriers directly within the district’s Community Schools. Traditionally, services were confined to the school day and the school building. Now, case management support can extend beyond school walls and beyond school hours, increasing access for families.
In just five years, the grant, which concluded in September, transformed what began as a pilot in the five original Erie's Public Schools Community Schools into a district-wide, embedded support system. Today, three case management supervisors, 18 case managers, and dedicated administrative staff serve students and families across the entire district, demonstrating the success and long-term sustainability of the initiative.
Over five years:
- 614 individuals (387 students and 227 family members) received formal case management.
- Case managers logged 6,847 attendance-related touchpoints.
- 332 successful mental health connections were facilitated.
- 1,725 successful basic needs connections were made for food, housing, clothing, utilities, and more.
- Case managers achieved a 69% successful connection rate to referred services.
The partnership with Safe Harbor also launched a Diversion Program at East Middle and Strong Vincent Middle Schools, providing social-emotional skill-building as an alternative to juvenile justice involvement. Of 30 referrals, 17 students successfully graduated from the program, staying connected to school and out of the justice system.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
One example from Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary, a United Way Community School, illustrates how access to case management support can impact a student and their family.
A teacher noticed that during indoor recess, one student consistently played alone. After observing more closely and asking questions, she realized he had little to no toys at home. He didn’t know how to play the games his classmates were playing, so he simply chose not to participate.
Through coordination between the Community School Director, Courtney Tirak, and Safe Harbor case manager Matt Bruschi, the team began adding books, art supplies, and small games, including one familiar from his classroom, into the family’s regular food deliveries. Matt intentionally delivers the items when the children are home, reminding them to share and take care of their new toys as they slowly build a home library.
His teacher now reports that he is joining in at indoor recess.
This partnership has reshaped how schools, community providers, and systems collaborate. It clarified referral pathways and helped shift conversations around attendance from punitive responses to supportive, solution-focused strategies.
“As case managers, we assist with what a family or student may need to be successful at school and at home, and then we help them access those resources. But more than that, we join them in the process, empowering families so they can maintain these supports for ongoing success.” - Matt Bruschi, Safe Harbor Case Manager at Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary.