rapid re-housing case management and services
TRANSCRIPT
Today’s Speakers
• Kay Moshier McDivitt, National Alliance to End
Homelessness, Washington, DC
• Vera Beech, Community Rebuilders, Grand
Rapids, MI
• Kimberly Tucker, St. Joseph’s Villa, Richmond,
VA
3
Core Components of Rapid Re-
Housing
Housing Identification
Rent and Move-In Assistance (Financial)
Rapid Re-housing Case Management and Services
Rapid Re-Housing Case Management Core Principles
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
Core Principle: Client Driven
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• Voluntary case management and service participation requires active engagement
• Strengths-based approach so as to empower the client
• Client directs when, where, and how often case management meetings occur
Core Principle: Housing Retention Focused
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• Case management and financial assistance are individualized and typically short-term (3-6 months).
• Case plan goals are lease-based meaning they are focused on how client can maintain the lease.
• Case managers allow families space to test & problem solve, especially with landlords.
• Case managers are available to landlords to mediate issues as necessary
Core Principle: Home Based
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• Case management meetings and service
delivery occur in the client's home or in a
location of the clients choosing whenever
possible
• Case managers respect the client's space
as their own and only enter when invited
in by client and respect client's personal
property and wishes while in home
Core Principle: Collaborative
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• Case management focus is on client building a support network outside of program.
• Case management is intended to provide client with independent problem solving skills and resources outside of the program.
• Case management is intended to connect a client with community resources and service options that continue beyond program.
Parenting/Parent Support
Youth Mentoring
Legal Assistance
Employment
Local Churches
Financial Assistance &
Literacy
Volunteer Opportunities
Adult Education
Tenants Education
Utilities
Medical/Mental
Dental
Households
Mainstream Community Connections
“If your services are meaningful to participants’ goals, they
will choose engagement”
“Removing ‘enforcement’ from role of advocate allows new
kind of relationship with participants to form”
“intake aimed at minimal intrusiveness, focus is on info
needed to being work together…participants share at their
discretion; having this choice invites and honesty and
relationship that’s more genuine and less power-based.”
HomeFree: Working with Survivors – Staff Observations (K. Billhardt)
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Transitioning to Voluntary Services Approach
• Services are unique to each households needs
• Individualized housing plan developed specific to that assessment
• Service participation is voluntary and client driven – focus on client
need, client choice
• Primary focus is on housing services – what helps the client get
housed
• External service providers are engaged to provide services
• Big consequences for agencies: shifts the role of the program, role
of staff, focus of staff, specifically:
• Shift from “what you need to do to stay in program” – to “what do
you need to move out quickly and sustain your housing” - a
whatever it takes approach
COMMUNITY REBUILDERS
RAPID REHOUSING
PRESENTED BY
Vera Beech Executive Director
Community Rebuilders
1120 Monroe Suite 220
Grand Rapids, MI. 49503
(616)458-5102 Ext. 119 [email protected]
COMMUNITY REBUILDERS 2007 Leap of Faith
• Embraced the idea of Housing First, Strengths-Based consumer driven services – New Values
OUR INITIAL EFFORTS
• To Rapidly Rehouse 69 Homeless Households – Homeless Connect Event
• Transitional Housing Redesign- Transition in Place, Rapid Rehousing Model (went from 24 households served /year to 48)
SHIFTING OUR PHILOSOPHY
It’s all about Values • All clients have the ability to improve their situation
• Clients are appreciated as the experts on their own life
• Clients know what will work for them in reaching change
• Client is the central change agent
• Service providers role is facilitative
• New perceptions reveal achievable solutions
SECURING HOUSING
• WHAT WE DO IS HELP TO HOUSE PERSONS WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS
• IT’S A BUSINESS TRANSACTION- EVERYONE WANTS TO GAIN OR AT LEAST BE LEFT WHOLE AT THE END OF THE TRANSACTION
• EVERYONE HAS RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS
• TRUST AND PARTNERHSIP ESSENTIAL
Housing Resource Specialist
• Focus on what is strong not what is wrong.
• Share Expertise
• Have Genuine interest and partnership in Mind
• Help change the resources available
• Believe in and create hope where there is little
• See Barriers as evidence of struggle and strengths
• Take Aspirations seriously
IMPACT Homeless Households are housed within 21
days. (2014: 14 days)
85% of households served are stably housed 12 months post exit. (2014- 92%)
100% report that they utilized their own strengths and resources to achieve their goals
100% of consumer report feeling respected
How we did it:
Participated in a RRH pilot in 2010. • Moved from Transitional Housing to Long Term Shelter with RRH focus.
- Restructured program, re-wrote all job descriptions,
staff re-applied. - Eliminated case managers at TH.
- Revamped all processes and procedures to become
housing focused.
• Closed TH in June 2013 and became a full rapid re- housing program
Shifted the Organizational Culture
Involved staff in the development of the vision, the remaking of the program
Re-wrote every job description Shared Job Descriptions with staff 3 months prior Staff “re-applied” for new positions Evaluated staff based on past performance and critical skill sets New Policies & Procedures & Flow Chart Staff Training Retreat Made time to discuss values/roles Encouraged more independent thinking and ownership; less
processing
New staffing structure RICHMOND – 1 FTE Operations Director (split between Richmond & Petersburg) 1 FTE Intake & Assessment Coordinator (split - Richmond &
Petersburg) 1 FTE Housing Specialist 3 FTE RRH Stabilization Case Managers 1 FTE Employment Specialist .5 FTE Administrative Assistant PETERSBURG – 1 FTE Housing Specialist 2 FTE RRH Stabilization Case Managers
Critical Skill Sets EXAMPLE:
Housing Stabilization Case Manager
Ability to work with clients at different levels of assistance which requires continually assessing client’s progress and real need
Ability to juggle high case load with clients of varying need while maintaining all documentation
Ability to connect re-housed clients to community resources so they are not program dependent and do not become homeless again
Lessons Learned: You have to try it to learn it
Supervision is critical AND -
Have to move away from Clinical Team/Treatment model
Empower your workers to use their own judgment and make decisions, for ex., the Housing Specialist needs to recommend rental assistance amount
Let go of your judgment – “high barrier” folks will surprise you!
Celebrate successes; don’t dwell on the resistant ones
Our role has changed
Contact Information Kimberly P. Tucker
Director of Housing & Homeless Programs
St. Joseph’s Villa
8000 Brook Road
Richmond, VA 23227
804-553-3210
Core Components Questions
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• What does client-driven case management look like in your programs?
• What have been some of the biggest challenges for staff who transitioned to a voluntary services approach? What have been some of the benefits for clients and for staff?
Core Components: Questions?
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• What does housing retention focused services look like in each of your programs? What are some typical activities that workers have to engage in to promote housing retention?
• How do you intervene when clients are not working on meeting their employment/income goals that they need to retain their housing long-term if services are not required?
Core Component Questions
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• What does home-based case
management services look like in your
program?
• Is it appropriate to unexpectedly “drop-
in” on families? What if your clients
don’t want the worker in their home?
Core Principle Questions Collaborative
Client Driven
Housing Retention Focused
Home Based
Collaborative
• What does collaborative services look like in each of your programs?
• What are the kinds of connections you are helping the people you serve make in their community to help them meet their long-term goals and achieve greater stability?