Stephanie Casanova

Oct 27, 2024 | signalcleveland.org | Stephanie Casanova

County mental health officials received 73 applications for an advisory committee that will help gather community feedback on the crisis response program known as care response. The care response program, a non-police mental health crisis response program, started in September in two Cleveland ZIP Codes, 44102 and 44105. What is care response? Care response is a program where a mental health expert and often a paramedic respond to emergency mental health crisis calls.

Oct 21, 2024 | signalcleveland.org | Stephanie Casanova

Desarae Green has been trying to find a stable home for herself and her twin 16-year-olds since she left prison in January 2023. But the barriers she has faced keep piling up. She has pushed through obstacles, like the chronic medical condition that keeps her from working full-time. EDEN, a rental assistance organization, approved her rapid rehousing application, but she had to ask for two extensions on the deadline after being denied housing due to her criminal background.

Oct 21, 2024 | signalcleveland.org | Stephanie Casanova

People who recently left jail or prison sometimes struggle to pay for initial housing costs. A Cuyahoga County program is helping people pay for some of those immediate expenses.

Oct 16, 2024 | signalcleveland.org | Stephanie Casanova

In 2023, there were at least 30 unintentional shootings by children in Ohio. Nine of them were fatal. This is according to the Everytown for Gun Safety database, which tracks unintentional shootings by children based on news reports across the country. Anthony Zalewski, MetroHealth injury prevention and outreach coordinator, has seen the effects of these shootings firsthand. On his first day working at MetroHealth, about two years ago, he saw a seven-year-old boy brought in with a gunshot wound.

Oct 7, 2024 | signalcleveland.org | Stephanie Casanova

When Alfred Cleveland learned about Ricky Jackson’s story of wrongful conviction and his release after more than 39 years in prison, he could relate better than most. “I went and did some research, looking at his cases, and saw all the appeals that were denied,” Cleveland said. “It just made me relive my own denials.