Thrive
Community Support Hub program overcomes growing pains
An innovative, holistic approach to improving mental health care has evolved and improved since a new lead agency took the reins.
Myriad city and community leaders celebrated St. Petersburg’s first Community Support Hub opening along the 22nd Street South (the Deuces) corridor in March 2024. Mayor Ken Welch selected The Well to oversee the trauma-informed, grassroots initiative, and the local nonprofit’s executive director pledged to walk those in need “through the gate.”
Three months later, the gate locked permanently. Duggan Cooley, CEO of the Pinellas Community Foundation, which administers the South St. Pete-centric program’s $8.5 million seed fund, provided city council members an update on its evolution Thursday.
“When we started the project, one of the lessons learned in the pilot phase was that significant administrative and operational capacity was needed,” Cooley said. “There was a focus on recruiting grassroots organizations, which introduced some complex challenges to the project.”
Community Support Hub nonprofit partners Duggan Cooley (left), CEO of the Pinellas Community Foundation; Dr. Sandra Braham (fourth from left), CEO of Gulf Coast Jewish and Family Community Services; and Michael Jalazo (second from right), CEO of People Empowering & Restoring Communities, cut a ceremonial ribbon in March 2024. Photo by Mark Parker.
Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) now oversees the program. Cooley said partners began to lean on the organization’s expertise before the initial facility closed in June 2024.
Another founding partner, People Empowering & Restoring Communities (PERC), now houses the Hub at 1601 16th St. S. – just over a half mile from the Deuces site. Cooley called the nonprofit a critical part of the program’s “assertive outreach services.”
He also noted that transitioning to Gulf Coast JFCS as the lead agency has fostered a “broader, more robust provider network that will serve a greater diversity of people and their needs in the community.” The organization has received national acclaim for its Community Assistance and Life Liaison (CALL) program with the St. Petersburg Police Department.
“There is a critical need for over-communication, positive reinforcement among the partners and a balanced approach to leadership,” Cooley said. “It’s not necessarily about command and control.”
He said the new group committed to collaborating, compromising and over-communicating. Cooley believes the now-consistent information sharing has led to “better outcomes for individuals in the community.”
The initiative holistically helps clients navigate complex care systems rather than simply providing a referral. Service providers offer culturally responsive, trauma-informed counseling that builds trust and safety.
Assertive outreach ensures those who might otherwise fall through service gaps receive support. Esther Mathews, president of the St. Petersburg NAACP, said staff and liaisons go into neighborhoods throughout the day or evening when they “know, hear or feel something is taking place.”
“We’ve been very intentional about connecting with not only the individuals who may have suffered … but also the neighbors,” Matthews elaborated. “We know that oftentimes, my family may be affected, but my neighbor, who watched the situation take place, may also be affected.”
Services extend far beyond typical mental health counseling. Matthews said a family experienced trauma, and the partners subsequently discovered their son didn’t feel comfortable attending school due to his appearance.
The Hub’s network includes two barbers who offered the teen free haircuts for a year. Matthews said she attended court with an older son the day before their update with city officials.
“Holistically, it is there,” Matthews said of the program. “It’s very intentional, and it’s listening to all the issues, not just addressing the first point of entry issue that comes in the door.”
A truck delivers food and emergency supplies to the Community Support Hub’s new facility. Photo: City documents.
Cooley noted the importance of geography and a building’s operational capacity to meet community needs. The partners are expanding their services to satellite facilities and have identified a potential location for a second Hub.
The $8.5 million seed fund stems from a one-time federal grant, and financial sustainability remains an ongoing concern. However, Cooley credited Gulf Coast JFCS and PERC’s data tracking acumen – a prerequisite to measure success and receive grants – and fundraising experience.
As of Dec. 31, 2024, nine Hub network providers have enrolled 51 clients in clinical care services. Program and city administrators assured Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders that those numbers would increase under the new leadership.
Figgs-Sanders also questioned how often stakeholders meet, as “that was one of the initial issues.” Cooley said there are a variety of weekly and monthly meetings, including with city officials, and credited their ability to “get work done” in the interim.
The Hub offers therapy, psychiatric support, wellness groups and substance use counseling. Recently expanded services include legal, housing and transportation resources.
While assertive outreach efforts focus on South St. Pete, Cooley noted residents citywide can receive services. Councilmember Corey Givens suggested establishing satellite locations around the community redevelopment area’s westernmost border through partnerships with Pinellas Technical College and the Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete.
“Thank you all for the work that you do – I see it, I believe in you and I’m excited for this new day,” Givens said. “That’s what this is; we’re not going to look in the past.”
The Community Support Hub’s service offerings and contact information.
