serving homeless families through coordinated assessment

8/10/2019 Serving Homeless Families Through Coordinated Assessment

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Serving Homeless Families through

Coordinated Assessment

Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis

CCUSA Charlotte, North Carolina Oct. 3- 7, 2014

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Purpose

To provide insights on the development of a coordinated

assessment system that serves homeless families basedon the Coordinated Access to Housing and Shelterprogram.

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Learning Objectives

Basic understanding of coordinated assessment andthe HUD regulatory requirements

Understand operational practices and forms used byCoordinated Access to Housing and Shelter program

Increase knowledge in assessment planning andimplementation considerations

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CA Overview HUD HEARTH Act of 2009 codified into law a

homeless assistance planning process called theContinuum of Care (CoC).

CoC is designed to promote communitywidecommitment to the goal of ending homelessness

CoC interim rule, enacted into to law July 31, 2012,

requires that all CoCsimplement, A centralized orcoordinated assessment process designed to coordinateprogram participant intake, assessment, and provisionof referrals.

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CA Overview No CoCsare exactly alike.

No two coordinated assessment systems aredesigned, implemented, operated or managed the

same way. Single Point of Access (one door or

centralized) Multi-site Centralized Access (one/population

or many provider locations)Assessment Hotlines (such as a 211 ) No Wrong Door

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CA Overview Each community will ultimately develop a system

that fits the culture, resource picture, providercapacity, and client needs.

HUDs only requirements:

Covers the entire geographic area of the CoC

Easily accessible for people in need

Well advertised Must use a comprehensive, standardized

assessment tool

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Introductionto CA

Coordinated assessment systems may look different ineach CoC, but every system standardizes the process bywhich clients access, are assessed for, and referred toresources in the community.

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AccessProcess to

entersystem

AssessProcess to

determineclient needs

AssignProcess to

refer toappropriatehousing &

services


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Why Coordinated Assessment?

To improve our service provisions and

data accuracy and access

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Why Coordinated Assessment?Moving from a program centric system

to a client centric system

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Question most providers ask now:

Should we accept this individual/family into ourprogram?

Question CoC systems should be asking:

What housing and service assistance strategy is best foreach

household of the several services available?

United States Intera enc Council on Homelessness


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Without Coordinated Assessment

Eligibility & intake decisions were made by individualprograms

Each program had different forms and assessmentprocesses

Families in crisis required to go program to program,retelling their stories

Informal, unplannedreferral process between programs

Uneven information about shelter beds & housingopenings

Lack of community wide data on client need to makesystem planning decisions and funding recommendations

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With Coordinated Assessment Standard forms and assessment processes are used by

every program for every client

Community agreement on how to triage based onhousehold needs

Coordinated referral process across the CoCsgeographic area that is based on written standards foradministering programs

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With Coordinated Assessment

Dramatically lower the burden on consumers

Creates easier access to services

Improve and streamline referrals Prioritize and target more effectively

Improve system performance

Improve system communication and provider

collaboration

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What impact is the CoC trying to make?

Prevent and end homelessness

Increase well-being, stabilityduring and afteran episode of homelessness

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Success Indicators

Reduced length of time homeless Decreased recidivism (subsequent return to

homelessness)

Improved access/coverage (thoroughness in

reaching those who are homeless)

Overall reduction of those who experiencehomelessness

Job and income growth for those who arehomeless

Reduction in first time homeless

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Meeting HUD ExpectaionsSome Fundamental Approaches:

Match client needs to right program the first timereducerecidivism

Make sure PSH programs only serving the most difficultreduce the number of families that get stuck in the system.

Incorporate shelter diversion services to prevent as manyfamilies as possible from entering the shelter systemreduce repeat and first time homeless

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Meeting HUD Expectations Ensure law enforcement, hospitals, corrections,

churches, schools, treatment centers, etc. and allproviders within the CoC understands how and whereto refer peopleensure system is well advertised andaccessible

Make rapid exit from shelter into housing a prioritye.g. Incorporate acceptance & denial policies and atimeline to make referral decisions.

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Coordinated Access to Housing andShelter (CAHS)

Development & Implementation

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CAHS Background

CAHS is a collaborative effort Catholic Charities (lead organization)

YWCA St. Paul

Ramsey Co. Community Human Services

Woodland Hills Church

Serve Ramsey County families with dependantchildren

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CAHS Background

County Profile Total Population: 520,152 (2012 census)

Geographic Area: 155 sq. miles of land

Smallest & most densely populated county

in Minnesota

No Right to Shelter policy in Ramsey County.

Total of 105 shelter beds + church 5 families

2014 Point in Time count re: Families

Sheltered: Emergency 260 Transitional 499

Unsheltered:6

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CAHS BackgroundWith the demand for shelter far exceeding

the number of shelter beds:

Shelter diversion services are a criticalcomponent of the system: All families seekingshelter are immediately screened for

diversion, and again at various points of thewaitlist and assessment process.

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CAHS Background Funded by Family Homeless Prevention and

Assistance Program (FHPAP)

CoC Governing Board is responsible for providingoversight, accountability and, based on CAHS data,realignment of resources to better serve families and

close gaps in the system.

CAHS went live January 2, 2014

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CAHS in Operation

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Laying the Ground Work2011

Initial community sessions hosted by Ramsey County

Between 2012 - 2014

FHPAP Funding reallocated to CoordinatedAssessment and Diversion services

CC, YWCA selected to develop CAHS

System Mapping To determine number and types ofhousing available in the CoC i.e. RRH, THP, PSH

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Laying the GroundworkAssembled lead planning team, workgroups, committees

and subcommitteeso Timeline and go-live date establishedo Guiding Principles establishedo Assessment tools reviewed and selectedo Forms developedo Identify provider concernso Policies designed , for example:

o Assignment and Agency Latitudeo Communication Plano Client rights to refuse housing or shelter

o HMIS support needs identifiedo Diversion program designedo Client grievance policy designedo And much more.

Shelter length of stay extended25


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Laying the Groundwork

Obtained provider eligibility criteria

Developed comprehensive waitlist system

Created job descriptions, hired staff

Obtained client feedback

Established HMIS data sharing agreement

CoC Governing Board- finalized & approved policies

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Laying the Groundwork Train shelter and housing providers (CA 101)

Establish partnerships with special populations

Domestic Violence Shelters Veterans Parenting Youth

Bi-weekly housing provider meetings

Weekly shelter provider meetings

Monthly updates to CoC Governing Group

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Driving Principles Prioritize rapid exit from homelessness

Efficient and effective use of system resourcesfamilies are referred according to level of need

Ensure that clients who have been homeless thelongest and are most vulnerable have priorityassignments

All clients, including the hardest to serve, are served

Full provider participation Transparency and accountability throughout the

assessment and referral process

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Provider Concerns continued HMIS open system i.e. data privacy

Staff ability to provide correct and completeverifications

Prevent homelessness rather than waiting until

families need shelter and then divert.

What happens on day one? What message do we give?

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CAHS Forms Pre Screen/ Diversion screen

Shelter Screen / Diversion assessment

Initial assessment Comprehensive assessment

Referral decision tree

Scoring

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Referral Process Providers must accept 1 in 4 referrals per opening

All required provider verifications are provided by CAHS attime of the referral

Providers may interview the family before accepting, butmust make a decision within 3 business days

CAHS provides criminal &court eviction records obtainedthrough public records

Providers who must conduct their own background checksare able to take the time needed

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Referral Process Providers who must receive approval from PHA before

a family can be accepted are able to take the timeneeded to obtain clearance

Providers are expected to report program openings assoon as possible, ideally 30 60 days

Referrals that are refused will trigger a caseconferencing

Family will be put back on the waitlist if denied33


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CAHS Learning's First Six Months

HMIS functionality and reportingissues limited data managementcapacity-needed to maintainspreadsheets outside of HMIS

Needed a new waitlist system.Difficulty reaching those 0n the shelterwaitlist ,while the list rapidly grew.More on waitlist than there were inshelters.

Obtaining consistent and completeeligibility criteria more complex thanexpected.

Making sure PSH programs weren'tdenying hardest to serve families

Not having fully considered all thedata we wanted to collect before going

livemany times needed to go backand pull info from files.

Determining residency

Overlaps in Family, Youth and Singleadult services. Some families fit intomore than one category. Neededcollaboration.

Referring ineligible callersdrain onsystem resources (metro systemneeded)

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CAHS Learnings First Six Months

The majority of families in THP calledto be assessed for PSH. Needed toestablish a referral & assessmentprocess with THP providers.

Obtaining medical verifications,social security cards, and birthcertificates

Rather than holding separatemeetings, blending the housing andshelter providers plus assessors into onemeeting was much more productive.

Often a mismatch between those onthe waitlist and openings familiesstayed on waitlist while housingremained unfilled.

Clients unclear what to expect or whatthey should be doing in shelter oncethey were assessedneeded to improvecommunication.

Lack of available housing causedproblems for those with vouchers whocould not lease uporganizing acommittee to work on increasinglandlord involvement

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ConclusionWhile countless hours go into planning a coordinated

assessment system, there is an ongoing need tocontinue to modify services, policies and practices.

Coordinated assessment is not a fixed concept; it hasmany moving parts and is evolving all the time. Aneffective system must respond to emerging findingsand needs and changes in City, State or Federal

policies.

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Thank You!

Questions? Please contact:

June Jordan [email protected]

Aimee Barbeau [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

serving homeless families through coordinated assessment

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