Justin Ward has joined the staff of the Amarillo Public Library in a case manager position shared with the City of Amarillo’s Coming Home program.  From his office in the Downtown Library, Justin works with the public to provide assistance across a spectrum of crucial needs, including shelter and housing, food, transportation, healthcare, job search support, government assistance applications, phone/cell service accessibility, and obtaining IDs and birth certificates.

Director of Library Services Amanda Barrera says having a case worker at the library has been a long-time goal and Justin is uniquely qualified to connect citizens with the resources they need.  “Before taking on this new role, Justin worked with the Coming Home program and was very successful connecting citizens with the resources they need, and I’m thrilled to be able to expand access to services for some of our most at-risk patrons who visit the library.”

One of Justin’s most recent success stories involved a gentleman who had lost his housing while dealing with challenges presented by his severely autistic son and his own major health issues.  Justin was able to connect the individual with the Coming Home program to complete a vulnerability assessment and secure assistance from the United Way and other resource agencies.  The gentleman and his son are now moving into suitable housing.

Justin says locating appropriate services and completing the necessary paperwork can be a huge barrier for some of Amarillo’s most vulnerable citizens.  “That’s most of what I did to help this patron and I’m so glad he’s going to be safe and able to work on his own health issues and those of his son.  I’ll take every success story I can get!”

Justin’s schedule is subject to change because he divides his time between the Library and the Coming Home program, so appointments are recommended.  Justin can be contacted at 806-690-5477.