Coordinated Assessment:

Understanding Assessment Tools

1

Kim Walker & Norm SucharNovember 2013

The Usual Reminders

• This webinar will last one hour.

• All participants are muted.

• The webinar is being recorded and will be posted in the Coordinated Assessment Toolkit.

• We’ll take audience questions at the end of today’s session.

The Usual Reminders

Agenda

• Coordinated Assessment: A Very Brief Review

• The Assessment Phase

• Choosing and Using Assessment Tools

• Question and Answer

• Coordinated Assessment: A Very Brief Review

• The Assessment Phase

• Choosing and Using Assessment Tools

• Question and Answer

Agenda

Description of Coordinated Assessment

“…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)

Description of Coordinated Assessment

Moving Away From…

• Having to call the same programs every day for weeks or months

• Being sent from program to program

• Finding out about more helpful programs too late

• Being asked the same questions over and over again

Moving Away From…

Key Elements

• Safe, accessible location(s)

• Standardized assessment

• Data collection and management

• Informed referrals

• System change

Key Elements

Assessment Phase

Phase used to gather information

needed to determine the best

immediate next step for a person

experiencing homelessness (or at-

risk) that will get them back into

permanent housing

Assessment Phase

Managing Expectations

•Won’t deliver perfect information

•Won’t change your system

•It’s not necessarily the most important part of your process.

Managing Expectations

Assessment Process

A good assessment phase:

• is tiered

• is consistent

• includes some element of consumer choice

Assessment Phase

Tiered

Prevention/Diversion (Everyone)

Housing Barrier Assessment (within the first two weeks)

PSH Prioritization Assessment(people experiencing chronic

homelessness)

Tiered

Consistent

Standardized tools (same questions and scoring process)

Written procedures that lay out when and how tools are administered and by and to whom

Staff trained in administering the tools and interpreting results

Consistent

Consumer Choice

Program ModelProgram Model

Wait Time to Get into ProgramWait Time to Get into Program

Average Length of StayAverage Length of Stay

Consumer Choice

What can you assess for?

• Risk of Becoming Homeless

• Risk of Remaining Homeless

• Housing options outside of the homeless assistance system

• Vulnerability to Homelessness

• Self Sufficiency

• Service Needs

• Health Status

• DV Risk

• Income/Education

• HMIS Data Elements

• Program Eligibility

• Risk of Becoming Homeless

• Risk of Remaining Homeless

• Housing options outside of the homeless assistance system

• Vulnerability to Homelessness

• Self Sufficiency

What should you assess for in coordinated assessment?

• Service Needs

• Health Status

• DV Risk

• Income/Education

• HMIS Data Elements

• Program Eligibility

Things that we wish assessment tools could assess, but so far

cannot.

• Who will and won't succeed in a program

• How much you need of different interventions

What is the purpose of assessment?

• Prevention priority

• Homelessness diversion

• Shelter priority

• Rapid re-housing priority

• Transitional housing priority

• Permanent supportive housing priority

• Housing plan

• Service plan

• Evaluate client progress

• Evaluate program performance

What is the purpose of assessment?

What is the purpose of coordinated assessment?

• Prevention priority

• Homelessness diversion

• Shelter priority

• Rapid re-housing priority

• Transitional housing priority

• Permanent supportive housing priority

• Housing plan

• Service plan

• Evaluate client progress

• Evaluate program performance

What is the purpose of coordinated assessment?

Tool rule 1!

An assessment tool should include a

question only if the answer to that

question is needed right then to

determine what kind of assistance a

person will receive.

Tool rule 1

Tool rule 2!

If an assessment tool results in so many

referrals to a program that it causes long

waiting lists, then the tool should be

modified.

Tool rule 2

Vulnerability Index

• Assessing vulnerability

• Prioritizing for permanent supportive housing

Good for... Not good for...

• Assessing housing options outside of the homeless assistance system

• Prioritizing for interventions other than PSH

Vulnerability Index

SPDAT (multiple versions)

• Assessing vulnerability

• Assessing service needs

• Prioritizing for permanent supportive housing

• Evaluating client progress

Good for... Not good for...

• Assessing Housing options outside of the homeless assistance system

• Tool rule 1

SPDAT (multiple versions)

Canton diversion tool

• Assessing housing options outside of the homeless assistance system

• Homelessness diversion

Good for... Not good for...

• Prioritizing for interventions other than homelessness diversion

Canton diversion tool

• Assessing risk of continued homelessness

Good for... Not good for...

• Assessing vulnerability

Hennepin housing barrier tool (and offspring)

• Assessing self sufficiency

• Assessing service needs

• Evaluating client progress

Good for... Not good for...

• Assessing housing options outside of the homeless assistance system

• Tool rule 1

Arizona Self Sufficiency Matrix

• Assessing risk of continued homelessness

• Prioritizing for rapid re-housing and transitional housing

• Tool rule 2

Good for... Not good for...

• Assessing vulnerability

• Prioritizing permanent supportive housing

Alliance/Prince George's County assessment tool