After a lengthy search and interview process, Newtown has a new Director of Human Services. On Wednesday, May 8, Natalie Jackson, LCSW, arrived for her first official day staffing the newly-created post that will serve as supervisor to the senior services, social services, and Center for Support And Wellness (CSW) agency.

Sitting down for a brief interview with The Newtown Bee, Ms Jackson she has always felt Newtown was “an incredible community.”

“I had been working in the nonprofit [world] for my entire career, the latest being Norwalk’s Family and Children’s Agency for eight years,” said Ms Jackson, who lives in neighboring Monroe. “When I learned about this position, I was very excited about the opportunity to explore new professional challenges and move into a community and have a chance to serve new populations through both the social and senior services departments.”

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said Ms Jackson brings more than 20 years’ experience as a social worker, along with a strong management and leadership background. A release from his office on Ms Jackson’s hiring reflects that she offers Newtown “the skills necessary to develop strategic solutions to meet the needs of our residents.

“We are excited to have Natalie join our team in a key role that will coordinate the efforts of our social services, senior services, and The Center for Support and Wellness departments,” the first selectman added. “We expect she will be an effective leader and a welcome addition to our staff.”

As Director of Adoption at the Family and Children’s Agency in Norwalk, Ms Jackson was responsible for overseeing agency partnerships as well as the department’s strategic plan for service delivery. She also oversaw federal and state licensing requirements while managing the day-to-day operations of a thriving department within a large human service organization.

Her previous roles involved working as a social worker and psychotherapist to families while also assisting with issues such as housing, public assistance, and health services.

“One of the most remarkable things to me as I researched Newtown, as I was seeking this position, was the breadth of services here — how many resources there are in this community,” Ms Jackson said. “I really see myself as coming in to be a point person, and the face for folks who are looking for where to go to access these services here.”

Ms Jackson said in her first few weeks, she plans to “hit the ground running, meeting with anyone and everyone I can. Just starting to build relationships — I have much to learn about Newtown, its residents, and what’s here for them.”

Mr Rosenthal said one of the things that made Ms Jackson the strongest candidate among those who applied for the position was how she came to interviews prepared with solid ideas and strategies to achieve both short and long-term goals.

“Natalie really did a good job drilling into information about the community that was publicly available and coming up with some very good ideas about how she would approach the job,” he said. “We certainly had a number of strong candidates come forward, and I think we landed the right one.”

Ms Jackson said, “It was really valuable for me to think through the first three to six months and prioritize and conceptualize what it would look like.”

Until her permanent office in the new senior center is ready to occupy, Ms Jackson will have a temporary office in the existing senior center on Riverside Road. In the coming weeks after she becomes more familiar with town staff members, Mr Rosenthal will also accompany the new Human Services director to meet other local organizations and service groups.

Concurrently, Mr Rosenthal said he will initiate relocating the Social Services Department from Town Hall South to the current offices of CSW, at 28 Trades Lane, within the former guard house at the main entrance to Fairfield Hills.

“We want her staff to be proximate to where she will be housed,” Mr Rosenthal said. “I don’t see keeping Social Services at 3 Main Street, as the rest of the building becomes vacant when police services moves to its new location.”

As that physical move is happening with Social Services, Ms Jackson will be coordinating with other officials and Mr Rosenthal on filling two new part-time support positions that will add resources to senior and social services.

“Ultimately, social services touches our senior demographic, but it is not exclusive to that demographic,” Mr Rosenthal said. “So it’s not wise to put social services inside the senior center. But given Natalie’s background, having her located in the senior center and having an ear to the ground to pick up on any needs among those folks is important — so she could refer them right down the block to social services if need be.

“At the same time, it’s not appropriate to, say, have a young family come into the senior center to visit with social services staff. You lose the ability to protect confidentiality,” he added.

Initially, Ms Jackson will be responsible for planning, organizing, and supervising the Human Services department. This will include evaluating the needs of the senior population and seeking out appropriate resources to provide solutions to the residents’ needs.

In addition to serving seniors, she will be responsible for planning, developing, and implementing social service programs through case management, crisis intervention and counseling services, and by coordinating with social service agencies and other community organizations.

Ms Jackson will work under the direction of the First Selectman and provide guidance to staff in determining eligibility of community members and senior residents for various assistance programs, including emergency assistance and related social services programs.

She will additionally be responsible for facility and personnel management as well as policy development and transportation management, and will serve as the town’s Municipal Agent, assisting residents aged 60-plus by providing information and referrals to local, state, and federal services and benefit programs.