Coordinated Assessment and Centralized Intake through 211

2013 AIRS Conference

#AIRS2013 June 4, 2013

United Way of Greater Toledo

Maricela Alcala, United Way 2-1-1 DirectorErin Goff, Lead I&R Specialist

Purpose

The purpose of this presentation is to provide attendees with information on the new HUD guidelines around Coordinated Assessment. It will also provide tools to

implement the Coordinated Assessment model in your community.

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Coordinated Assessment HUD Definition

“Centralized or coordinated assessment system is

defined to mean a centralized or coordinated

process designed to coordinate program participant

intake, assessment, and provision of referrals. A

centralized or coordinated assessment system

covers the geographic area, is easily accessed by

individuals and families seeking housing or services,

is well advertised, and includes a comprehensive

and standardized assessment tool.” (CoC Interim

Rule, Section 578.3)

Why Coordinated Assessment?

•Meet HUD requirements: No CA = No HUD $

•Prevent “calling around” and burden on consumer

•Create easier access to services

•Improve and streamline referrals

•Prioritize consumer needs more effectively

•Improve homeless system performance

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Potential Models for Coordinated Assessment

•Centralized

•Decentralized

•Telephone-based/2-1-1

•Mobile Case Manager

•Mixed

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What is Coordinated Assessment (CA)?Toledo Lucas County

“Project Home” is the name of Toledo Lucas County homeless service system.

CA is a function of Project Home.

CA involves providing households with screening, diversion, homeless prevention, and assess and assign to Re-Housing services using the

same standards, assessment tools, and criteria, with the goal of reducing the amount of households entering into homeless systems.

What is the role of CA?

Assess the household’s housing crisis

Make preliminary determination of needs and eligibility for appropriate long-term housing solution.

These two tasks may each involve a combination of Screening, Diversion, Homeless Preventions and Re-Housing activity.

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DefinitionsDiversion: Prevention and shelter diversion assistance can help communities reduce the size of their homeless population. Prevention assistance can aid households in preserving their current housing situation; shelter diversion assists households in finding housing outside of shelter while they receive services to stabilize their housing or help them move into permanent housing. Each of these strategies can reduce the number of people entering the homeless assistance system and the demand for shelter and other programmatic housing beds.

Shelter Placement: Based of the information in the Homeless Management Information System clients are assigned to emergency shelter

Homeless Prevention: Short or medium term rental assistance to prevent an individual or family form moving in to an emergency shelter or a place not meant for human habitation.

Rapid Re-Housing: Rapid re-housing is a strategy that has proven effective in ending homelessness for many. The Alliance's Center for Capacity Building offers resources to help communities implement this effective strategy.

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Other Definitions

Transitional Housing: Housing where all program participants have a signed a lease or occupancy agreement, the purpose of which is to facilitate the movement of the homeless individuals and families into permanent housing within 24 months.

Permanent Supportive Housing: Safe decent, sanitary housing that provides for long-term housing stability without a designated length of stay and includes permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing

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Who drives this work?

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Continuum of Care (COC)

It is a group of representatives of relevant organizations within a geographic area organized to carry out the responsibilities to implement HEARTH Act locally.

In a nutshell…

COC’s exist to provide homeless persons with permanent housing as soon as possible.

Who is the COC?

-Social Service Providers

-Mental Health Organizations

-Hospitals

-Universities

-Affordable Housing Developers

-Law Enforcement

-Government

-Homeless or formerly homeless individuals

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Community drives the work

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Coordinated Assessment Flow

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Sample Call

Roll of I&R and Roll of CA Staff

I&R Specialist

•Identifies callers that are currently homeless

•Identifies callers that are risk of being homeless in the next 14 days

•Assess for safety concerns

•Transfer calls to CA Staff

CA Staff

(all CA staff are skilled I&R Specialist)

•Screening / Assessment

•Diversion

•Shelter Placement

•I&R referrals

•Referral to best housing program that meets callers needs

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Staffing

Staffing Levels:

•One 211 Program Director (FT)

•One Coordinated Assessment Program Manager (FT)

•Two Coordinated Assessment Specialist (FT)

•Two phone screener (PT)

Staffing Skills

•Coordinated Assessment Program Manager

• LSW or MSW

•Coordinated Assessment Specialist (FT) and phone screener (PT)

• Same requirements as a I&R specialist

• Associates Degree or High School Diploma with two years of experience in the social service field

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Reports

-Coordinated Assessment Report

- Total numbers referred to CA

- Total families or individuals screened

- Total placed in Emergency Shelter

- Total referred Diverted

- Total referred to Homeless Prevention

- Total referred to Rapid Re Housing

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Challenges

•Community buy in – resistance to change

•Understand the shift in funding

•Agreement on assessment tool and uniform standards

•Shelters going 24/7

•Communication

• Working with many organizations, finding a way that everyone is on the same page.

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Value of Coordinated Assessment

•Best utilization of Resources (Beds)

•Break down Barriers – Universal Assessment

•Electronic transfer of files through the Homelessness Management Information System

•24/7

•Streamlines a household’s progression toward the most appropriate housing solution.

•Reducing new households into homelessness (by consistently offering diversion and prevention resources upfront, reducing the number of people entering the system unnecessarily)

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Something to think about…

• Who is the COC in your community? Who is driving the work?

• What is the geographic area and who is receiving HUD dollars?

• What model is being considered if not already chosen?

• What can I bring to the table? How can I get involved?

April 20, 202319

Questions and Feedback

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