Just do it: The Ties that Bind: How to Develop and Maintain Lasting Relationships Establishing partnerships with various state, quasi-state and private

Just do it: The Ties that Bind: How to Develop and Maintain Lasting

Relationships

Establishing partnerships with various state, quasi-state and private

entities

Alice Minervino

CT Interagency Council on CT Interagency Council on Supportive Housing and Supportive Housing and

HomelessnessHomelessness

• Established April 7, 2004, by Executive Order of Governor

• Leaders of eleven State and quasi-State agencies – housing, behavioral health, human services, children & families, public health, veterans affairs, corrections, workforce

• Chaired by Secretary of Office of Policy and Management

• Originally met quarterly, now meets monthly



Duties of the Council:Duties of the Council:

Policy reform to decrease homelessness by:Policy reform to decrease homelessness by:

• including housing in discharge planning including housing in discharge planning

• improving access to mainstream resourcesimproving access to mainstream resources

• expansion of permanent supportive and affordable expansion of permanent supportive and affordable housing housing


HomelessnessHomelessnessVision:Vision:

• People in crisis will no longer have to cycle through institutions and spend months or years without a home and appropriate services

• People with chronic health conditions being released from hospitals, jails, or treatment programs have immediate access to adequate housing and services in their communities

• Children do not spend extended periods in foster care because their parents do not have adequate housing and services

• Scarce public dollars for health care, child welfare services and institutional care will be spent more appropriately and with much better results



Getting Agencies to AgreeGetting Agencies to Agree• Group should be led by someone Group should be led by someone

respected by (or has respected by (or has influence over) all the influence over) all the agenciesagencies

• Program concept needs to include Program concept needs to include something helpful to something helpful to each agency each agency

• Agencies not asked to take on more Agencies not asked to take on more than they are than they are prepared to handleprepared to handle

• Set concrete goals (ex: 1,000 housing Set concrete goals (ex: 1,000 housing units in 3 years) and units in 3 years) and get agreement on get agreement on basic program guidelinesbasic program guidelines


HomelessnessHomelessnessSustaining Agency InterestSustaining Agency Interest• Commissioners, governors, legislators, Commissioners, governors, legislators,

agency staff change over time – continuous agency staff change over time – continuous re-education needed (presentations, site re-education needed (presentations, site tours, lunches sponsored by philanthropic tours, lunches sponsored by philanthropic funders, etc.)funders, etc.)

• Document results, use written MOUs and Document results, use written MOUs and RFPs to protect against institutional memory RFPs to protect against institutional memory lossloss

• Recognize that change is incremental, builds Recognize that change is incremental, builds on past experience – have a series of on past experience – have a series of successessuccesses

• Someone must play the role of “keeper of Someone must play the role of “keeper of the flame” – nudging, setting out visions, the flame” – nudging, setting out visions, remindingreminding



Getting Started

• Whom to invite• What motivates them to

come• What motivates them to

stay• Next Steps



Whom to invite

• What State agencies are most critical to What State agencies are most critical to financing of an initiativefinancing of an initiative

• Keep the it small and manageable, let it grow Keep the it small and manageable, let it grow gradually over time gradually over time

• Not everyone has to be at the table in order to Not everyone has to be at the table in order to contributecontribute



Whom to invite

• Aim high (at commissioner level), but often Aim high (at commissioner level), but often have to start at staff level – go as high as have to start at staff level – go as high as possible without getting into the “no callback” possible without getting into the “no callback” zonezone

• Usually career agency people who have direct Usually career agency people who have direct access to commissioneraccess to commissioner

• Enlist their help to get to commissioner – set up Enlist their help to get to commissioner – set up a presentation, tour of a site, lunch with a presentation, tour of a site, lunch with philanthropic funders, etc.philanthropic funders, etc.

• Watch for hidden agendas, “survivor” syndrome Watch for hidden agendas, “survivor” syndrome (no risk taking), lack of access or trust(no risk taking), lack of access or trust



What motivates them to comeWhat motivates them to come

• The Vision, Goals and Outcomes

• Other Agencies Involved

• Good Timing

• Reasonable Cost



The Vision, Goals and Outcomes

• The program concept may not be the same for everyone, but needs to include something appealing to each agency

• Talk to agencies individually at first to determine if there is a match between their top priority problems and the proposed solution


HomelessnessHomelessnessThe Vision, Goals and Outcomes

• Develop a concept paper – present the vision, Develop a concept paper – present the vision, goals, concept for achieving them, and goals, concept for achieving them, and implementation strategyimplementation strategy

• 50% should be presentation – Power Points, 50% should be presentation – Power Points, one-sheets, tours are helpfulone-sheets, tours are helpful

• Don’t compromise the basics just to please Don’t compromise the basics just to please everyone – stay true to target population, everyone – stay true to target population, permanency of housing, needed service levelspermanency of housing, needed service levels


HomelessnessHomelessnessThe Other Agencies Involved

• The “chance to work together” is rarely a The “chance to work together” is rarely a motivation with government agencies motivation with government agencies

• Who else is already at the table may influence Who else is already at the table may influence whether an agency wants to joinwhether an agency wants to join



The Other Agencies Involved

• Go with strongest allies first – those who will Go with strongest allies first – those who will stick with it because they really believe in the stick with it because they really believe in the resultsresults

• Get strong allies to invite othersGet strong allies to invite others

• Have allies engage someone who others will Have allies engage someone who others will accept an invitation from (such as Governor or accept an invitation from (such as Governor or state budget chief)state budget chief)


HomelessnessHomelessnessGood Timing

• Be “planful”, but jump on opportunities as they Be “planful”, but jump on opportunities as they arise arise

• Don’t ask agencies to do more than they can at Don’t ask agencies to do more than they can at any one time any one time

• Use recession time to advance plan since Use recession time to advance plan since housing production takes a long time housing production takes a long time


HomelessnessHomelessnessReasonable Cost

• Agencies are not being asked to dish out money Agencies are not being asked to dish out money they don’t have or are not psychologically they don’t have or are not psychologically prepared to giveprepared to give

• Timing and sources of funding are key Timing and sources of funding are key considerationsconsiderations


HomelessnessHomelessnessWhat Motivates Them to StayWhat Motivates Them to Stay

• Who sits at the head of the table – must have Who sits at the head of the table – must have stature, be trusted leaderstature, be trusted leader

• A clear plan for moving forwardA clear plan for moving forward

• Knowing they have quality help (private Knowing they have quality help (private agencies, such as CSH assist)agencies, such as CSH assist)

• Establishment of a working groupEstablishment of a working group


HomelessnessHomelessnessWhat Motivates Them to StayWhat Motivates Them to Stay

• Memorandum of Understanding Memorandum of Understanding

• Fun and games – tours of sites (especially out of Fun and games – tours of sites (especially out of state, if possible), kick-off events, good press, state, if possible), kick-off events, good press, accoladesaccolades


HomelessnessHomelessnessNext StepsNext Steps

• Recognition and awardsRecognition and awards

• Program evaluation and quality assuranceProgram evaluation and quality assurance

• Time to prepare for the futureTime to prepare for the future

Provider level Provider level

Focus: providers of mental health, Focus: providers of mental health, addictions, AIDS and homeless services in addictions, AIDS and homeless services in ConnecticutConnecticut

• Regional trainings on supportive housing Regional trainings on supportive housing fundamentalsfundamentals

• Regional priority-setting forumsRegional priority-setting forums• Collaborative workgroups (13 in all) to plan and Collaborative workgroups (13 in all) to plan and

develop actual projects develop actual projects – Met monthly for over a yearMet monthly for over a year– Step by step planning processStep by step planning process

Impact of Provider Impact of Provider CollaborationCollaboration

• Each group developed strategic Each group developed strategic plans identifying target population, plans identifying target population, service strategies, housing service strategies, housing approaches, local partnerships, and approaches, local partnerships, and production goalsproduction goals

• Created natural advocacy base to Created natural advocacy base to push for fundingpush for funding

• Could hit the ground running when Could hit the ground running when funding became availablefunding became available

State levelState level

Pilots Advisory CommitteePilots Advisory Committee• Representatives of 7 state agencies – Representatives of 7 state agencies –

budget, behavioral health, housing budget, behavioral health, housing (2), human services, corrections, (2), human services, corrections, children& familieschildren& families

• Providers from each regionProviders from each region• ConsumersConsumers• Statewide homeless coalitionStatewide homeless coalition

Pilots Advisory Pilots Advisory CommitteeCommittee

• Established vision and goals for the Established vision and goals for the programprogram

• Advised on provider capacity-Advised on provider capacity-building strategiesbuilding strategies

• Advised on selection process for Advised on selection process for fundingfunding

• Conduit of info back to the regionsConduit of info back to the regions• Met every other month for 2 yearsMet every other month for 2 years

Interagency TaskforceInteragency Taskforce

• Small, working group comprised Small, working group comprised of funding agencies only (budget, of funding agencies only (budget, behavioral health, human services, behavioral health, human services, housing)housing)

• Who is on the group is important – Who is on the group is important – high level career agency people high level career agency people who have direct access to their who have direct access to their commissionerscommissioners

Interagency TaskforceInteragency Taskforce

• Formed by legislative mandate, Formed by legislative mandate, organized by Office of Policy and organized by Office of Policy and Management Management

• Role: Develop plan and timetable to Role: Develop plan and timetable to create 650 supportive housing units; create 650 supportive housing units; work out respective roles and work out respective roles and responsibilities in funding; issue responsibilities in funding; issue funding RFPfunding RFP

• Took over as lead group once funding Took over as lead group once funding was appropriatedwas appropriated

Key to State-level Key to State-level planning: planning:

Program ConceptProgram Concept• Committees can set overall goals - Committees can set overall goals -

number of units, target number of units, target populations, etc. , BUTpopulations, etc. , BUT

• Someone has to take the lead to Someone has to take the lead to draft up a program concept that draft up a program concept that puts the it all togetherputs the it all together

• Serves as a springboard for Serves as a springboard for discussion and decision-makingdiscussion and decision-making

Concept PaperConcept Paper

• VisionVision• Goals of programGoals of program• Concepts for achieving goalsConcepts for achieving goals• Guiding principlesGuiding principles• Funding approachFunding approach• Implementation strategyImplementation strategy

Developing the Program Developing the Program ConceptConcept

• Meet with agencies individually – if Meet with agencies individually – if and where there is a match between and where there is a match between top priority problems and the top priority problems and the solutionsolution

• Agencies go with their strengths, do Agencies go with their strengths, do what they do best; each taking a what they do best; each taking a piece is easier to swallow than one piece is easier to swallow than one agency footing the whole billagency footing the whole bill

Documents

Just do it: The Ties that Bind: How to Develop and Maintain Lasting Relationships Establishing partnerships with various state, quasi-state and private