Looking for work or housing without a telephone number? Community Voice Mail can help!
Community Voice Mail is groundbreaking technology for those without phones in Clark County. It provides 24-hour access to telephone messages from potential landlords and employers, case managers, and family. Community Voice Mail is an effective tool to find jobs and housing! Vancouver's CVM program served 783 clients in 2009!
Check out this NEW VIDEO from CVM National on YouTube featuring CVM users and their thoughts about the program!
How does it work? The CVM provider gives the client an instruction card and a touch-tone phone to set up their free voice mail account. First, the client dials in, and then records a simple greeting and a secure password. That's all there is to it! Enrollment usually takes less than 5 minutes. The new number is activated immediately, and the user is empowered with a tangible tool they need to succeed.
What are the benefits of having voice mail? Users can check messages from any phone, anywhere: pay phones, social service agencies, or the phones of friends or family. Users with email addresses can also receive notifications in their email inbox alerting them to waiting voice mail messages. A CVM number looks like any other local telephone number and therefore does not signal the client’s status as a homeless or phoneless person. In this way, CVM users are able to reflect the stability and credibility associated with having a personal home answering machine.
Where can I apply? Community Voice Mail is available through these social service agencies in the community. Ask about enrollment if you receive services at:
Clark County Health Dept. - Harm Reduction Center
Clark County Health Dept. - HIV Case Management
Columbia River Mental Health CRMH (Clearview)
DCP State Department of Corrections (Probation)
Dept. of Social & Health Services, Columbia River CSO
Disability Resources of SW WA
Early Head Start
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette
Innovative Services NW
Job Corps (Vancouver, WA)
Lifeline Connections
NW Justice Project
Open House Ministries
Partners In Careers
Salvation Army
Share - A.S.P.I.R.E. Housing
Share Homestead
Share House Inc.
Share - Orchards Inn
Share Outreach-Project Access
The Lord's Gym
The Wellness Project
Transitional Lodging Unit
VA Medical Center
Veterans Assistance Program
Vocational Rehabilitation
YWCA - Safe Choice
Why do people use CVM?
Who will call your CVM number?
Jobs
Employers
Housing
Landlords
Escape Domestic Abuse
Case Managers
Obtain Healthcare Results
Healthcare Professionals
Childcare and School Contacts
Teachers and Childcare Workers
Legal Services
Lawyers and Advocates
Friends and Family
People Who Care About You
How can I find out where the listed agencies are located? You can find the addressess for some of the agencies' listed above by clicking this Google Maps link.
What if I don't receive services at any agency listed above? If you don't receive services through any of the listed agencies, contact us at cvm@icfth.com.
The Clark County Community Voice Mail program is part of the national network of CVM sites, empowering people in crisis and transition by distributing free 24-hour voice mail nationwide – directly linking individuals to jobs, housing, safety and stability. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, the CVM National Office website is: www.cvm.org.
Clark County CVM is funded by grants from CTED (Community, Trade & Economic Development), WTAP (Washington Telephone Assistance Program) and the Clark County Department of Community Services. No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, national origin, age, citizenship, political affiliation, belief, or sexual orientation, be denied employment or benefits, or be discriminated against as a participant, administrator or staff person under this program.
