Scottsdale Human Services unveils 2025–2028 strategic plan; staff to expand volunteers, senior services and data management
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Summary
The Human Services department presented a strategic plan for 2025–2028, introduced managers, and reported on service updates including a brown-bag trolley pilot, a large back-to-school event, completed Paiute Park bathrooms and changes to Community Action Program intake.
Mary Witkowski, interim human services director and housing and community assistance manager, presented the City of Scottsdale Human Services 2025–2028 strategic plan to the Human Services Advisory Commission and introduced five human-services managers. The plan identifies five goals: expand senior services, build a Scottsdale-specific volunteer program, retain and train skilled staff, strengthen supportive services for vulnerable populations, and increase public awareness of Human Services work.
Witkowski said the strategic-plan process included a community questionnaire that drew 1,645 responses and 19 focus groups involving program participants, nonprofit partners, Scottsdale Unified School District, faith-based groups, Spanish-speaking community members and people experiencing homelessness. Assigned managers will lead each goal: senior services to Gene (Eugenio) Villafane Munoz and Jessica Rapp, volunteers to Deanna Owens, workforce and training to Jessica Rapp and the director, supportive services to Sue Oh and Witkowski, and outreach to Christy Hahn McDonald.
Planned actions include finishing the Via Linda senior center expansion design, pausing Granite Reef while the city researches adult day services, rolling out an electronic volunteer sign-up and tracking platform in September, expanding dementia-friendly initiatives and improving data entry and consistency in the HSCAMs database to standardize client records and reporting.
In the director’s report Witkowski described several operational updates: a brown-bag pickup pilot will offer trolley rides from Granite Reef Senior Center to the food bank starting Aug. 7; the city expects to serve more than 900 students at a July 30 back-to-school event at Pima Elementary; the long-delayed Paiute Park restroom project funded with 2021 CDBG COVID funds is complete; and the shower trailer at Vista Del Camino is operational and heavily used.
Witkowski also said the Community Action Program (CAP) has adjusted intake: paper applications not assigned within two weeks are closed so staff can process newer applications and prevent backlogs; applicants can reapply or be reinserted into the system if they applied electronically or can provide verification. She told commissioners the change has reduced processing age to two weeks for pending applications in the queue.
Commissioners asked for a calendar of future agenda items and welcomed two new commissioners, Sheila Roe and Cindy Hill. The commission did not take formal action on the strategic plan at the meeting; staff will return with updates at future meetings.