HICKORY, NC (August 13, 2019) — This week, Hickory Police Department welcomed Casey McCall as the City’s new Community Navigator.
“Every day, our officers encounter individuals in the community who need help getting back on a path to self-sufficiency. Noticing this great need, a new position was established to serve this population and help them break the cycle of homelessness,” said Police Chief Thurman Whisnant.
As Community Navigator, McCall will be responsible for coordinating and directing services across all resources and local partners for homeless individuals in Hickory, who have a variety of complex health, social, and functional needs. He will work as a case manager, focused on serving the unsheltered homeless, assessing each individual’s barriers preventing sustainable housing and employment. He will then work with each individual to develop an action plan and establish an assistance network to help each meet his or her identified goals.
Along with Hickory Police Department and the City of Hickory, McCall will continue working in partnership with various community organizations to ensure efficient coordination of services, as well as provide community education and work to develop housing, employment, and transportation opportunities for individuals in need.
McCall has a long history of serving the Hickory community. Before coming to work for the City, McCall was the Director of Shelter Services for The Salvation Army of Hickory for over nine and a half years. His experience working directly with those in need at The Salvation Army and his knowledge of the complex needs of the homeless will be tremendous resources for advancing the City’s efforts to help the homeless population in Hickory.
“I’m excited to join the City of Hickory team and look forward to affecting positive change in the lives of others and the community at large,” McCall said.