Leveraging Resources:Cross Systems Partnerships for Rapid Re-HousingWashington Low Income Housing Alliance

24th Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

Ending Family Homeless Project

Goal: The intent of the Ending Family Homelessness is to reduce homeless for households with children who are unsheltered or living in shelters and motels by 50 percent by 2015

Rapid re-housing targeted for TANF households with immediate needs

Progressive engagement - matching resources to need through ongoing needs assessment

Active coordination with DSHS and WorkSource

INRODUCTION

Presentation in 5 Segments

Roles in Partnership Project Partnership Integrating into agency’s service delivery What we have learned Case Studies

Time for Clarifying Questions between segments and Q&A at the end of the presentation

•ScreeningScreening

•DiversionDiversion

•AssessmentAssessment

•Referral to rapid Referral to rapid

re-housing re-housing •RRH for all RRH for all

populationspopulations

•SSVFSSVF

•RRH for specific RRH for specific

geographic areasgeographic areas

•Referral to Referral to

preventionprevention

•Housing placement Housing placement

waitlistwaitlist

How Families Access HFCAAll entry points All entry points provide:provide:

HFCA- The HFCA- The Salvation Salvation

ArmyArmyPhonePhone

Walk-InWalk-In

EmailEmail

Rural Rural OutreachOutreach

VOA- youth VOA- youth provider provider

families with families with hh under 18hh under 18

DV DV providerprovider

Rapid Rapid Re-Re-

housing housing providerprovider

Housing Housing PlacementPlacement

HFCAHFCA Maintains Waitlist for Family Housing Maintains Waitlist for Family Housing Programs Programs Using Assessment Tool places families Using Assessment Tool places families into appropriate housing into appropriate housing Works with all providers in placement Works with all providers in placement process process

Various Various scattered scattered site rental site rental assistance assistance programsprograms PSH units for PSH units for

familiesfamilies

91 units91 units

Interim Interim Housing Housing

ProgramsPrograms

155 units155 units

Panelist:

Marci Sweet, Rapid Re-housing and Vocational Program Coordinator St. Margaret’s Shelter Catholic Charities of Spokane.

Lori Hunley, Spokane WorkFirst SupervisorWashington State Department of Social and Health Services

Shannon Booth, WorkFirst Supervisor WorkSource Spokane

Roles in the Ending Family Homelessness Project

Catholic Charities St. Margaret’s Shelter

We aim to embody an environment where families have the physical, emotional, and spiritual resources they need, to create beneficial changes in their lives in order to find and maintain stable housing in the larger community

Services Provided – Housing Focus-Emergency Shelter-Transitional Housing-Permanent Supportive Housing-Rapid Re-Housing

* Ending Family Homelessness Pilot Project

Catholic Charities Receive all EFH referrals via HFCA and eJAS Conduct secondary screening over the phone

-TANF eligible

-Engaged in WorkFirst activities

-Literally Homeless Complete eligibility paperwork Provide housing search resources and

assistance Progressive engagement housing stabilization

services and financial assistance Connect with DSHS case worker, and

employment service provider assist in developing a joint case plan

DSHS Case managers complete Comprehensive

Evaluation on TANF clients

Develop Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) for each TANF client

Identify barriers for barrier resolution

Social workers complete Pregnancy to Employment Assessment and Barrier Assessments on clients

Case managers & Social workers refer clients to Salvation Army co-located staff or clients can go directly to Salvation Army

WorkSource Assessment, employment preparation and job

search activities

Generally a 12 week Program

Individualized coaching and mentoring services

Barrier resolution

Coach provides job referrals and job leads connecting parents with employers

Project Partnership

Goals All partners have the same basic goal:

“eliminate homelessness, and secure income”

We had to learn that each partner agency has agency specific goals as well: DSHS – Provide benefits, and monitor WorkFirst

compliancy ESD – Provide employment support services and

secure employment St. Margaret’s – Find permanent affordable housing

Once we had an understanding of each agency’s individual goals, it was easier to partner knowing the parameters we could all work within

Learning about the Partners Met with partners individually to learn about

each of partner’s role

Building collaboration

Partners met on a monthly basis, rotating locations

Educated staff about partner roles and services

Partner Coordination & Communication Partners met on a monthly basis at different

sites to learn more about each of partners service delivery

Within the monthly meeting Case Staffing took place as well as on-going review of joint customers being served

We all shared staff directories

Providers received E-Jas

Integration

St. Margaret’s – Integration between the Partners

Educated our staff about the pilot program, including goals, outcomes, and model of service

Amended our EFH Case Plans to include making verbal contact with DSHS case manger

Amended our Case Plans to include copies of client’s IRP in each file

DSHS - Integration between the Partners

Co-location of Salvation Army housing provider in DSHS local CSO

Having housing provider at DSHS, clients and staff have more knowledge of housing opportunities and communication with each other. Clients are being serviced quickly; first contact

WorkSource - Integration between the Partners

Providers attend the Monthly WorkFirst Meeting

Co-location of Housing Provider in DSHS

Moving Forward

Communication between Partners What are we learning about communication

between Partners?

It takes building rapport and connections

Education about each agency culture

Job descriptions and responsibilities

Partner’s specialties

Partner’s resources

How to keep buy-in Continue to communicate with Housing

agencies

Keep staff informed with updated housing outcomes

We all have same goal for our clients

Trust in each Partner’s expertise

Each of know that we can pick up the phone or e-mail at anytime for partner expertise and or information that will help our mutual customer

We all have a very collaborative attitude towards our goal to help the parent succeed

Outcomes & BenefitsOutcomes based on May 2013 - April 2014 data.

Client Benefits

Barriers reduced

All client providers communicating

Wrap around services and support

Case Study #1Single father parenting twins

On TANF 7 months, exited TANF with full-time employment

CPS case closed and full-participation in all his required

activities

Found housing and was enrolled in the EFH program in

November 2013, currently has received 7 months of

subsidized rent, and was able to contribute over half his rent

for May 2014

Worked with Career Path Services and secured full-time

employment in April 2014 at a convenience store

On track to exit the EFH program in July 2014

Case Study #2Single mother parenting four children

On TANF 20 months, exited TANF with full-time employment

Found housing and was enrolled in the EFH program in May

2013, was exited in April 2014.  Received a total of 11

months of subsidized rent

Worked with DSHS case worker, social worker, and housing

case manager closely to tailor her IRP requirements

regarding her specific mental health barriers

Secured full-time employment in March 2014 as a

receptionist at a local health care provider

Case Study #3

Single mother parenting three children

On TANF 4 months, exited TANF with employment

Found housing in December 2013, and was exited in

January 2014, stating she had secured full-time

employment and was no longer in need of assistance

Worked with ESD, and WorkSource and secured

employment as an in-home health care provider

Questions or Comments?