Rough draft of Single Adult Shelter redesign Summary and proposal

Single adult shelter collaborativeHennepin County, St. Stephen’s Human Services, Simpson Housing Services, Our Saviours’ Housing, Salvation Army Harbor Light

Center, Catholic Charities Higher Ground Shelter

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Table of ContentsI. Introduction................................................................................................................................................................3

Overview of Single Adult Shelter Redesign..........................................................................................................................3

IV. System-wide Policies and Procedures........................................................................................................................5

Nondiscrimination Policy.....................................................................................................................................................5

Eligibility determinations.....................................................................................................................................................6

Governance Policy...............................................................................................................................................................7

Grievance Policy..................................................................................................................................................................8

“Specialization” of Shelter...................................................................................................................................................9

Transitional Aged Youth Space..........................................................................................................................................10

ID Policy.............................................................................................................................................................................11

Secure Waiting 2.0 – Bed Reservation Policy.....................................................................................................................14

30/60/90+ Day Transfer Policy..........................................................................................................................................16

After-hours Policy..............................................................................................................................................................17

Pet Policy...........................................................................................................................................................................18

Partners Policy...................................................................................................................................................................19

Restrictions and Trespass Policy........................................................................................................................................20

Single Adult Shelter Collaborative Restriction Policy.....................................................................................................20

Single Adult Shelter Collaborative Trespass Policy........................................................................................................20

Being Restricted or trespassed from multiple shelters at the same time....................................................................20

Individual Shelter’ and System-Wide Restriction Policy.....................................................................................................21

90+ Day Review Meetings.................................................................................................................................................23

V. Adult Shelter Connect...............................................................................................................................................24

Adult Shelter Connect – Guiding Policies...........................................................................................................................24

Floor Plan of Adult Shelter Connect...................................................................................................................................26

Map of System...................................................................................................................................................................27

VI. Communications Plan..............................................................................................................................................28

VII. Implementation Plan..............................................................................................................................................31

VII. Risk Response Plan.................................................................................................................................................32

Background..................................................................................................................................................................38

Framework of Single Adult Shelter Redesign.....................................................................................................................39

Gnatt Chart of “Planning and Design Phase” of Redesign – January – July 2016.............................................................40

Definitions....................................................................................................................................................................44

Guiding Principles for Hennepin County Single Adult Redesign......................................................................................45

GUIDING PRINCIPLES, VALUES and PHILOSOPHY...............................................................................................................45

Inventory of Case Managers and Advocates for all five Single Adult Shelter Providers...................................................47

Data – used to inform “Planning and Design Phase”......................................................................................................48

SSI and GA in Secure waiting and vouchered beds data....................................................................................................48

Distribution of shelter use for county contracted single adult shelter..............................................................................49

Respite beds at Harbor Lights - 2015.................................................................................................................................50

III. Recommendations from Workgroups to Shelter Efficiency Group.............................................................................51

Shelter Efficiency Group – Shelter Redesign Planning Committee.....................................................................................51

Adult Shelter Connect Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group.......................................................52

Right to Shelter (vouchered beds) Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group.....................................54

1,6,7 (transfers, bed reservations and flow) Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group......................55

Restrictions and After-hours Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group..............................................57

3 P’s (pets, partners and possessions) Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group...............................58

Transitioned Age Youth Space Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group...........................................59

Women’s Space Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group.................................................................60

I. Introduction

Overview of Single Adult Shelter Redesign

Hennepin County embarked on a ten year plan to end homelessness in 2007. The plan called for a paradigm shift from managing homelessness to ending it. The five agencies that provide emergency shelter for single adults began to meet monthly, in what has become to be called the Shelter Efficiency Group, in an effort to better coordinate services and move towards providing services to end homelessness for the shelter guests they were serving. This shelter redesign is a product of their work. As the federal government implemented "Coordinated Entry" to ensure that people experiencing homelessness were assessed for the best housing response to their homelessness, it became clear that a more rational system of shelter should be in place to best take advantage of Coordinated Entry. This redesigned system allows for people to self-resolve their homelessness when possible. For those who are unable to self-resolve their housing situation, this Shelter Redesign moves them to the most appropriate shelter to meet their needs, allow them to be assessed through the VI-SPDAT, and then assigned a Permanent Supportive Housing program or a Rapid-Rehousing worker to assist them in finding stable housing.

System-wide Policies and Procedures

Nondiscrimination Policy

Nondiscrimination. There shall be no discrimination of any person or group of persons on account of race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, handicap, ancestry or national origin in the operation of the project by all parties of the Collaborative. Affirmative Action. All parties agree to comply with affirmative action provisions of the Civil Rights Ordinance and it implementing Rules and Regulations. Gender identity: Any person accessing Hennepin County's Single Adult Shelter System reserves the right to select which gender they identify with and will be referred to shelter spaces based on the person's preference.

Eligibility determinations

To be eligible to access shelter provided by a member of the Single Adult Shelter Collaborative, a person must: Be experiencing an episode of homelessness Be in need of emergency shelter Be 18 years or older living with no dependents.

Each individual who meets those requirements will have to visit the Adult Shelter Connect at first in order to have a profile created for them in HMIS/ServicePoint and be referred to a shelter bed.

Governance Policy

All five shelter agencies and St. Olaf Church have formally formed a Collaborative entitled the Hennepin County Single Adult Shelter Collaborative. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been drafted and signed by the Executive Director of each agency. As written in the MOU, the five agencies will meet regularly with the purpose of using data and learned experiences to continuously strengthen and improve the system. If an issue arises and there is conflict between the agencies, it will be up to the Executive Directors of the five shelter agencies and St. Olaf Church to come together and broker a solution. The shelters can reach out to Hennepin County to assist in facilitating discussions or mediating disputes as an external party to the Collaborative at any time.

Grievance Policy

In order to ensure that this new system is as responsive and transparent as possible, there will be set procedures of how clients can voice grievances. Clients will be encouraged to communicate with advocates and shelter staff regarding their concerns and all parties should do their best to resolve the issue amicably. If a client, after those efforts, still doesn’t feel that the situation has been resolved, clients can submit a formal grievance.

All formal grievances should be written and documented. The shelter guest will be asked what their grievance is and what action they are requesting be taken. These grievances will be reviewed at the monthly Collaborative meetings and the Collaborative as a whole can determine the best course of action moving forward.

“Specialization” of Shelter

The five single adult shelters have formed a formal Collaborative, and therefore, found value in not all serving the same demographics, but instead to "specialize" shelter spaces. This is to both use resources more responsibly and efficiently, as well as to allow agencies and advocates to become experts in serving certain sub-populations within our system thus also increasing efficiency of service delivery. When making a bed referral, the ASC workers will take the following three things into consideration:

1. "Specialty" of shelter2. Bed availability at that shelter3. Client preference of shelter

A conversation will be had with each person, and the ASC workers, using the information garnered from their conversation as well as each shelters stated "specialty” will make the bed reservation that will make that person's shelter stay brief and non-recurring by giving that person the best chance of self-resolving and/or getting connected with housing. The intention is not to create extra barriers for entrance into shelter - but instead to use the beds in our system as strategically as possible and to better serve clients by working to make congregate living as peaceful and comfortable as possible. The "specialties" are as follows:

"Specialty" Shelter

People with disabilities and/or senior citizens (65+)

Emergency Shelter Beds at Harbor Light Center (primary)Pay for Stay – men only (secondary)

New or newer to shelter Higher Ground (for men)Sally's Place (for women)

Longer term in shelter St. Stephen's - men only (sober)Simpson Shelter - men and womenOur Saviour's Shelter – men and women (sober)Pay for Stay – men only (secondly)

Women (newer to shelter AND longer-term)

Sally's Place (50 beds)Simpson Housing Services (22 beds)Our Saviours' Shelter (6 beds)

Youth Harbor Light Center (First Covenant temporarily until Safe Bay is transitioned out of Harbor Light Center)

As shelters grow, move locations, and adjust their mission statements and program structures these "specialties" could change in the future. Any changes to shelter programming will be based on data and will be to meet the needs of the shelter agencies and the clients they serve.

Transitional Aged Youth Space

The Single Adult Shelter System serves individuals who are experiencing homelessness, have no dependents and are 18+ years old. The State of MN defines "youth" as up through 24 years old. The Single Adult Shelter Collaborative will operate by the following definition:Youth = Transitional Aged Youth = 18-24 years old. The Single Adult Shelter Collaborative will not be operating a "youth shelter" but will instead have a dedicated space for those who are choosing to access the Single Adult Shelter system and are between the ages of 18 and 24 years old. This space will employ advocates who are well versed in community resources aimed at 18-24 year olds and will have a formal relationship with the Youth Opportunity Center. If a person who would be eligible for this "youth space" within the Single Adult Shelter System but does not wish to utilize a bed in that space and there is an available and safe bed in a different space they will be offered that other bed as a shelter option per their preference.

ID Policy

Single Adult Shelter Collaborative ID PolicyJuly 2016 Need for policy: Currently, the majority of Hennepin County’s Single Adult Shelters do not require shelter guests to prove their identity in order to access emergency shelter. This practice of not confirming identity or requiring an ID in order to access shelter has prevented collection of useful data on length of stay and service needs, stunted collaboration amongst shelters, and has created an unsafe environment within the shelters due to lack of guest accountability. The following Shelter ID Policy will increase guest accountability, emphasize the importance of State IDs on a person’s ability to access housing, collect useful data regarding how guests move through the single adult shelter system and will also, as Hennepin County’s single adult shelters gain access to an open HMIS system, assist in connecting the five shelters into a more coordinated and communicative single adult shelter system. Premise: Utilize other institutions’ identity verification processes to ensure that each shelter guest is who they say they are and shelters have a full understanding of who is in their shelters at any given moment. After proving their identity (see list of acceptable forms of ID below) the shelter guest will be issued a Shelter ID card which is tied to that person’s ServicePoint client ID number. After being issued a Shelter ID card, the shelter guest will then be required to swipe it each time they enter shelter. Each swipe will be recorded in ServicePoint utilizing SkanSpoint. The ID card will be valid at all five single adult shelters (Simpson Housing Services, St. Stephen’s Human Services, Our Saviours Housing, Catholic Charities Higher Ground, and Salvation Army Harbor Light Center) as well as other Twin Cities' Catholic Charities sites. Catholic Charities has utilized an ID card system called the Community Card for close to a decade, and this ID Policy is the adoption of large portions of that process for all Single Adult shelters in the community. In order to make this policy as inclusive as possible, procedures have been put in place to issue Temporary IDs (see Exceptions to the norm: Temporary ID section below) in certain and specific situations in order to be able to serve those individuals who may be the exceptions to the norm by not being able to prove their identity but still deserving and needing access to emergency shelter. List of acceptable forms of ID that confirm guests’ identity and allow them to be issued a Shelter ID:Qualifying characteristics: Definite confirmation of person’s identity, including a photograph. Acceptable forms of identification:

Tribal ID State ID or driver’s license (any state is fine; expired is fine) Passport or passport card (expired is fine) Military ID U.S. Permanent Resident ID (“green card”) School ID with photo and name

Mug shot (with photo) Any legal document that links the person’s photo with their name can also be used.

Please note: Paper copies of any of these forms of ID are acceptable, as long as the photo is clear enough to verify identity. Also, any legal document that links the person’s photo with their name can also be used. Examples of unacceptable forms of ID (not eligible to be issued a Shelter ID until able to provide one of the above mentioned valid forms of ID):

Paper receipts for state ID or driver’s license (“Yellow Papers”) (see temporary ID section below) Facebook or other social media account (unable to verify accuracy) Any form of ID without a photograph (Examples: Social Security Card, Birth Certificate, Hospital bracelet) Paper or electronic copies of ID where the picture is too distorted to confirm a matching identity

Adult Shelter Connects’ (ASC) role in issuing shelter IDs:The ASC will be located in St. Olaf Catholic Church located at 215 S 8th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402. People seeking an emergency shelter bed will be required to visit the ASC in order to be given a low-barrier assessment for shelter which will include being issued a shelter ID card. The ASC workers will be responsible for issuing and printing the majority of Shelter IDs, yet each shelter will have a card printer for issuing card replacements. Procedure of assisting in accessing a valid form of identification in order to be issued a Shelter ID:If a person enters shelter and has no form of valid ID it is the shelter staff’s responsibility to assist this person in trying to obtain a valid ID. Shelter staff should assist the person in looking up information online, helping the person to call around to the right places to obtain a re-print or copy of their ID, offer to receive an email or fax of their ID if a third party has it, or to brainstorm alternative ways to conclusively determine that person’s identity. If the person’s identity is not able to be confirmed due to lack of legal status or lack of documentation needed to access a State ID or driver’s license then shelter staff should issue the person a Temporary ID (see Temporary ID section of policy) and allow them to access shelter. Exceptions to the norm: Persons who do not identify with their legal name If someone, during the ESG demographics assessment, discloses that they do not identify with their legal name and provide a preferred name or “alias” – record their answer on the ESG demographics assessment. The person can have their preferred name/”alias” put on their Shelter ID but will still have their legal name on their ServicePoint/HMIS profile. Temporary IDs:Temporary ID: “Yellow Papers” If a person’s only form of ID is a paper receipt for a State ID or Driver's License with the date the person applied for the ID on it – issue a Temporary ID card that is valid for 6 weeks (the estimated time it takes for a person to receive

their State ID in the mail). Once they present their State ID or Driver’s License, then the person should be issued a permanent (non-temporary) Shelter ID.

Temporary ID: Undocumented or lacking a Social Security Number If a person is undocumented and will never be able to access a State ID or confirm their identity due to lack of a valid Social Security number: This person is offered an unlimited temporary ID (no expiration date).

Secure Waiting 2.0 – Bed Reservation Policy

'Secure waiting' is a service model offered in Hennepin County. The model is a night in, night out, first come first serve emergency shelter program. Currently the shelters that use this model are Catholic Charities Higher Ground Shelter, Harbor Light Center's Safe Bay and Sally's Place. These programs operate by opening their doors in the evening, having people seeking a shelter bed line up in the evening, and beds are allocated first come first serve. Part of the impetus for the Single Adult Shelter Redesign was to create a system in which people experiencing homelessness would be able to know where they are sleeping early in the day and be able to have the day to try and eliminate housing barriers and work towards their housing goals. The 1,6,7 Workgroup was tasked with finding a better way to allocate beds on a first come first serve basis. The following are the policy recommendations from this Workgroup:

If a person is experiencing homelessness and needs a bed they can visit the ASC and be referred a bed at their 'shelter of record'.

The person will need to arrive by 6pm to claim their bedo As they leave the next morning, they can ask an advocate to reserve a bed for that night.o They can continue this for as long as they need (if it is 30 days or more, an advocate will seek them out and

inquire what their housing barriers are and assist them in accessing coordinated entry or other housing options)

If a person does not access their shelter of record for seven continuous nights, they will have to return to the ASC to be re-assigned a shelter bed.o If they have been out of shelter for 1-6 nights they can call the ASC and reserve their bed at their 'shelter of

record'. If a person has been out of shelter for 7+ nights they will need to visit the ASC, they may be referred to the same

shelter or a different shelter based on shelter specialty, bed availability and client choice.

30/60/90+ Day Transfer Policy

Utilizing ServicePoint, advocates at shelters that are "specialized" to serve those who are new or newer to shelter will run reports each day to see which shelter guests have been utilizing shelter for 30+ days, 60+ days and 90+ days. If a person has stayed in shelter for 60+ days - depending on bed availability and advocate recommendation and client preference (of shelter to transfer to), they would be transferred to one of the Church shelters who are specializing in serving longer term shelter users. These transfers will clear up space in our system, allow shelter guests who get "stuck" in shelter to have a plethora of options and advocates attempting to move them out of shelter as quickly and responsibly as possible, as well as to avoid creating an atmosphere of hopelessness within in our secure waiting shelter spaces. This policy is not applicable to the follow shelter spaces:

Emergency Shelter beds (vouchered beds at HLC) Youth Space Pay for Stay

These transfers will also be discussed during the monthly 90+ Day Review meetings.

After-hours Policy

The ASC will be open 7 days a week: 9:00am-5:30pm Monday-Friday and 1:00pm-5:30pm Saturday and Sundays. United Way 2-1-1 will be the Single Adult Shelter Collaborative’ s "after-hour" agency. When the ASC closes for the day, they will forward the ASC phone number onto United Way 2-1-1 - allowing there to be only one number to advertise for access to shelter - which will be the phone number to the ASC. 2-1-1 will answer all calls for shelter from the time the ASC closes in the evening to when it re-opens in the morning (5:30pm-9am Monday-Friday and 5:30pm-1pm Saturday and Sunday). If someone calls requesting a shelter bed during "after-hours" the 2-1-1 advocate will ask basic demographic information including their name so the person's SerivcePoint profile can be updated if needed. The 2-1-1 advocate will then put the person on hold and then call every shelter that the person is eligible for directly to inquire if there is an open bed or not for the night. If they find an open bed the 2-1-1 advocate will do a "warm transfer" by doing a 3-way call between them, the caller and the shelter. If a person is brand new to the system, 2-1-1 will help them find a bed that night, but will instruct them to visit the ASC in the morning in order to get assessed and assigned a "shelter of record". If 2-1-1 calls every shelter and cannot find an open bed for the caller the advocate will take down the person's name, basic demographics, and also detailed information of how we can find or contact them the next day. That information will be given to the ASC each morning and the ASC workers will work with shelter advocates to locate and assist that person in reserving a bed for the following night and educating them on how to access emergency shelter in our new system.

Pet Policy

The Hennepin County Single Adult Shelter Collaborative will follow the official ADA Policy regarding Service Animals. https://adata.org/factsheet/service-animals If an animal does not have an official Service Animal designation, then it is at the discretion of each shelter as to whether pets are allowed on premises. It is the recommendation of the Collaborative as a whole to not allow animals in shelters so as to respect the health and comfort of other guests in a communal living setting. The intention is for the Collaborative to form formal partnerships with animal foster care agencies that would be able to care of client's animals while they accessed emergency shelter.

Partners Policy

It is the Policy of the Single Adult Shelter Collaborative to not have a set definition of who can be considered someone's partner or significant other. The Collaborative will acknowledge that two people are in a relationship/partnership if they say they are. Due to already established shelter policies there may not be a way for the Collaborative to accommodate two people's request to be sheltered together. If it is possible, the ASC will try to accommodate the pair's request - but it is not guaranteed that it will be possible to do so based on shelter rules, and bed availability. Advocates will be trained to make note in HMIS if two people wish to be housed together - this will be taken into consideration during the Coordinated Entry housing placement process.

Restrictions and Trespass Policy

Single Adult Shelter Collaborative Restriction PolicyEach of the five shelters have agreed on creating system guidelines around what behaviors people should be restricted from shelter for and guidelines around lengths of those restrictions. Each shelter will have discretion on the type of restrictions they issue and the length of those restrictions as long as they are in line with the system guidelines. The guidelines were formed by combining all five shelter's written restriction policies and all five shelters are agreed to those guidelines. The ASC will keep a list of any restriction given out that is for 6 months or longer. ASC workers will take this into account when making bed reservations. If a person wants to appeal or contest a restriction that is less than 6 months, they should communicate directly with the Manager of the shelter they received the restriction at. If a person wants to appeal or contest a restriction that is 6 months or longer they should begin by engaging with the Shelter Manager, but if they still have concerns they will be encouraged to speak to ASC supervisor who will assist in resolving the issue. Single Adult Shelter Collaborative Trespass PolicyIf a person is trespassed from a specific shelter, that Manager should communicate that with the ASC and create an incident report on ServicePoint with a pop-up notification so the ASC will not be able to refer a person to a shelter they were trespassed from. If a person wants to appeal or contest a trespassing, they should begin by engaging with the Shelter Manager, but if they still have concerns they will be encouraged to speak to the ASC Supervisor who will assist in resolving the issue.  Being Restricted or trespassed from multiple shelters at the same timeThe ASC Supervisor will pull a list of all the people who have been restricted for 6+ months from any of the shelters to bring to the 90+ day Review Meeting. If a person is restricted from two or more shelters at one time, their situation should be discussed at the meeting. The discussion should be around how the system can best accommodate that person knowing they are struggling with certain aspects of congregate living and shelter life. A service and/or housing plan should be developed for that person and the group should assign a point person in following up with that individual to implement the service and/or housing plan.

Individual Shelter’ and System-Wide Restriction Policy

Infraction Simpson St. Stephen's OSH HLC HG System wide policy

Possession of porn, alcohol, illegal drugs or paraphernalia

1-2 months

6 months 1 year 30 days Up to 6 months

1 month - 1 year

Physical violence (striking, physical intimidation, choking, pushing, spitting, threat of use of weapon) against staff, clients or volunteers

4 months - 2 years

6 months - 1 year - indefinite based on severity

Immediate loss of bed1-5 years

30 days - 2 months

6 months - permanent ban

1 month to permanent ban

Use of weapon/use of an object as a weapon or possession

2 months - a year

6 months Gun = 5 yearsKnife 3 months - 1 year

2 months 6 months - permanent ban

2 months - 5 years or permanent ban

Physical sexual harassment, Inappropriate sexual conduct, Verbal sexual/racial harassment

3-12 months

6 months - 1 year to indefinite

Warning/strike - 3 months to a year

14 days (program separation) - 30 days -1 year (center wide)

1 month - 1 year

Theft from the facility or an individual

3 months 1 month (if escalates 6 months - a year)

6 months 24 hour separation - 30 days + restitution

6 months 24 hours- 6 months

Verbal abuse, harassment, threats, threat of violence, verbal threats

Verbal warning up to 1 month

1 month, Strike/warning up to 1 year restriction

Minimum 7 days separation Terroristic

30 days - 6 months - possible ban

7 days - 6 months

threats - center wide ban

Property damage, intentional destruction of property/vandalism

1-3 months

1 year 1-3 years 14 day minimum

Varies - possible ban based on severity

14 days - 1 year

Drunk prior to bed claiming, intoxicated in sober shelter attempting to claim bed, drinking outside of shelter, smoking inside the building after warnings

Night out - 2 months -

Immediate loss of bed - 3-6 months (smoking inside)

24 hours - 30 days - 3 days (smoking outside of designated areas)

24 hours - 3 months

Failure to comply with staff requests, Disruption in TV room , Cluttering common areas, loitering, Use of shelter appliances without permission , refusal to leave property when asked

1 day - 1 months

1 month - 1 year (could include trespassing)

Minimum 24 hour separation - 3-7 day separation

1 day - 2+ weeks

24 hours - 1 month

Supplying false information/alias or falsifying documents, sneaking someone into shelter

6 months - year 3 days + return with an ID

3 days - 6 months

90+ Day Review Meetings

Each shelter agency and the ASC and other strategic partners will participate in a monthly "90+ day review" meeting. A report will be run in ServicePoint by the ASC Supervisor before each meeting to pull a list of all shelter guests who have resided in shelter 90+ days. Those will be the people that are discussed at each meeting. Other cases to be discussed at this time are any individuals who were restricted from 2 or more shelters within the past month, anyone that was trespassed from shelter within the last month, and anyone who advocates have determined to meet the Collaborative' definition of "vulnerable person". The purpose of these meetings will be to identify housing or service plans for those individuals. The goal of the Collaborative is to have all people's homelessness be rare, brief and non-reoccurring, so the goal of this meeting is to ensure that the system is continuously working to make people's shelter stays as brief as possible while still getting their basic needs met and that no person "slips through the cracks."

V. Adult Shelter Connect

Adult Shelter Connect – Guiding Policies

Creating a single and centralized entrance into Hennepin County's five Single Adult Emergency Shelters has been the cornerstone of the Redesign efforts in order to be in line with national best practices. CoCs have been encouraged to develop coordinated entrance into shelter and coordinated exit into homeless dedicated units.

The Adult Shelter Connect in Hennepin County will be based at St. Olaf Catholic Church, located in downtown Minneapolis at 215 S 8th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402 and will be open 7 days a week from 9:00am-5:30pm Monday-Friday and 1:00pm-5:30pm Saturday and Sundays.

The five Single Adult Shelters have formed a formal Collaboration and although Simpson Housing Services (SHS) will be the fiscal agent and will therefore manage the day to day operations of the ASC - each of the other agencies will be active partners and will have a presence at the ASC.

The ASC was created to fill a current service gap. Currently, people trying to access shelter have no access to information or assistance in navigating the system and people's ability to access shelter is based on word of mouth or looking up each individual shelter online. The ASC will act as the "front door" into shelter. If anyone is inquiring about emergency shelter services for single adults they will be referred to the ASC which will assist that person is accessing and navigating the system.

The ASC is not intended to be a day time drop-in center. The service that the ASC will be offering is assessment and access into shelter. The partners and services that may be brought into the ASC will be able to offer services or assistance regarding increasing/gaining access to eligible benefits and/or accessing and learning about shelter and shelter options. The ASC will work in close coordination with the five Single Adult Shelter Providers.

The ASC workers will be responsible for conducting low-barrier assessments on all people requesting an emergency shelter bed in this system. This assessment will include the following:

Asking the person if they are experiencing homelessness and where they stayed the night before (diversion) Creating a ServicePoint profile Assisting in completing a CAF form (not required, but will be offered) Assisting in referral for applying for Medical Assistance (not required, but will be offered) Issue a Shelter ID Card (see ID Policy)

Ask about their housing goals, previous shelter experience and explaining the options available in our current system - and based on (1) shelter "specialty" (2) bed vacancies and rules (ex: sober vs. not sober shelter) and (3) client choice - refer them to a "shelter of record" as well as a specific shelter bed.

Once a person is referred to a "shelter of record" and a shelter bed, they will be informed that they will need to arrive at their "shelter of record" by 6pm that night in order to claim their bed. The person will be given:

Their newly issued Shelter ID A bus token, if needed A small handout with the address of their "shelter of record" a contact number and address along with the time

they need arrive by Access to a 3 minute video letting the person see what they can expect at their "shelter of record," how to get there

and a brief overview of the rules so they know will be expected from them as well.

Due to an updated Secure Waiting Policy a person will be able to continually reserve their bed in the morning for that evening if they desire. If a person spends 1-6 nights out of a secure waiting shelter (Sally's Place, Safe Bay and Higher Ground Shelters) then they can call or visit the ASC during the day and the ASC workers will reserve them a bed for that evening. If a person is out of a secure waiting shelter for 7+ nights they will need to visit the ASC in order to be referred to another "shelter of record." If a person is referred to a non-secure waiting shelter (Emergency Shelter beds at HLC, Pay for Stay, St. Stephen's Shelter, Simpson Shelter and/or Our Saviours' Shelter) a person will not be required to continually reserve their bed in the morning, instead they will be assessed at 30, 60 and 90 days and if the shelter determines that they are working towards housing goals they may be given an extension. If the shelter staff determines that the person seems to be “stuck” and they have exceeded 90 days in any one shelter, their case will be discussed at the 90+ day Shelter Review and the Collaborative as a whole will brainstorm what the best intervention for that particular person could be. If a person wishes to take a 'night out' at one of these non-secure waiting shelters, they will need to get permission from their "shelter of record" or visit the ASC the next day.

The ASC workers will participate in the 90+ day review meetings.

Floor Plan of Adult Shelter Connect

Map of System

Distance from Adult Shelter Connect to each shelter:

From St. Olaf to Our Saviour’s Housing = 1.1 miles

From St. Olaf to St. Stephen’s Shelter = 1 mile

From St. Olaf to Simpson Shelter = 1.6 miles

From St. Olaf to Harbor Light Center = .5 miles

From St. Olaf to Higher Ground Shelter = .8 miles

VI. Communications Plan A formal communications plan is currently being drafted using the following resources:

1. Education of the New System (communications) Workgroup a. Tasked with identifying all stakeholders as well as brainstorming communication plans for clients, advocates

and the community. 2. Communications specialists from Simpson Housing Services and Hennepin County 3. The Hennepin County Communications Department for assistance with written materials

Once the communication plan is written it will be implemented during the months of August, September, and October of 2016 and ongoing. A training curriculum for all shelter advocates is in development. This training will include:

1. Framework of new system a. Specialization of shelterb. Role of the ASCc. Collaborative has been formed - working as one singular system moving forwardd. Definitions of new terms e. Guiding principles of new system

2. Secure waiting 2.0 (bed reservation policy) a. Bed transfers

3. HMIS traininga. Bed reservation workflowb. ID cards (swiping in to claim bed)c. Adding information into client profiles (uniform workflow)d. How to pull needed reports

4. Restriction policy overview5. After-hour policy overview 6. Grievance, non-discrimination policy overview 7. 90+ day review meetings 8. Policies and procedures around "vulnerable people" 9. Emergency Shelter Beds

a. How to talk about beds (only 24 hour shelter beds available in whole system, 3 meals a day, case management, connection to housing services, etc)

b. How vouchering will work in new system - coordination between ASC and HLC c. How to determine eligibility and get someone into a bed

Communications plan for clients:

Draft flyers advertising the ASC aimed at emergency shelter users - why go there, what it can do for you, the location, phone number and hours (distributed on October 1st)

Begin going into each shelter 2 weeks before the soft opening of the ASC (mid-September) and offer information sessions using a script so all clients hear the same information consistently across shelters and across sessions.

Train 2-1-1 advocates to begin answering questions about the redesign accurately and consistently for all callers and beginning to advertise the ASC's opening in October.

Empower and comprehensively train advocates and shelter staff to know how to talk and educate clients of the coming changes.

Communications plan for advocates: Begin staff trainings in early September (on the ground staff, managers, administrators and housing staff) Empower shelter managers to inform and educate their staff as they see fit

Communications plan for community:

Open house at the ASC in the beginning of October to celebrate the "soft opening" - get people used the space Capitalize on different organization's monthly newsletters to disseminate information Make lists of groups of providers that would need to receive fliers and information regarding the ASC

o Drop-in centerso Detoxo Treatment centerso Mental health advocates (ARHMS, CADI, ACT Teams, COPE, DART, CART) o Hospitals and clinicso Prisonso Work house o Food shelves and Loaves and Fisheso Outreach groupso Clothing closetso IRTS facilities

Communicate with Hennepin County about changes - The Loop Create Facebook and Twitter profiles so advocates can access and share easily.

Written and audio-visual communication plan:

1. Draft flyers advertising the ASC aimed at emergency shelter users - why go there, what it can do for you, the location, phone number and hours (distributed on October 1st)

2. Update handbook of the streets and St. Stephen’s Outreach handouts 3. Make poster size flyers for transit stations (distributed on October 1st)

4. Create informational business card sized or trifold sized handouts for each shelter - to give to clients when they are referred - phone number, address, directions, bus route and times, picture of shelter, and instructions of when to show up to claim their bed and if the shelter is sober or not.

5. Short film (2-3) minute videos for each shelter program so those who are not literate can see where they are heading, the advocates there, and how to get there and what the rules are – (for example if the person needs to be sober in order to access their bed that night)

VII. Implementation Plan The "planning and design phase" of the Single Adult Shelter Redesign began on January 20th and ended on July 20th, 2016. The "implementation phase" of the Single Adult Shelter will be in effect for one year after the end of the "planning and design phase" with the potential of being extended. Initially, when the ASC has its soft opening in October of 2016, the people who are currently accessing shelter will not be displaced or asked to visit the ASC in order to access a shelter bed. If a person who is currently in our system leaves for 7+ days, or their 28 day bed expires or they need to 're-voucher' - at that point they will be instructed and assisted in visiting the ASC. They will be given an assessment, and an ID card at that time and will be referred to their "Shelter of Record." Implementation will consist of the following factors:

1. Implementing communications plan2. Opening the ASC in October 20163. Having open visibility in HMIS - training shelters on how to use ServicePoint consistently across the system 4. Implementing and perfecting the new bed reservation system (secure waiting 2.0) 5. Implementing and perfecting the new ID policy6. Implementing and perfecting the 30/60/90 day policy7. Gathering together monthly for the 90+ day monthly review meeting (taking the place of SASN - this new meeting

will utilize data and reports pulled from HMIS to determine who needs to be discussed and who needs a service or housing plan made for them).

8. Gathering specific data and using that information to strengthen and improve the System and the Collaborative as a whole.

9. Working to shrink our Shelter System as whole a. restructuring the Safe Bay Space in HLC to be the space for Transitional Aged Youth b. Reducing the number of chronically homeless individuals staying in our shelters

VII. Risk Response Plan Risk Response Plan

The next step in the risk management process takes the most severe risks and identifies the trigger or forewarning of the impending event, the type of response planned, what specific actions or contingencies will be performed in the risk occurs, and who is

responsible for implementing the contingency plan when the time comes.

Valid response for threats: 1. Avoid 2. Mitigate – reduce impact, mitigate-reduce probability 3. Transfer 4. Accept

Valid response for opportunities: 1. Exploit 2. Share 3. Enhance 4. Accept

Risk Event Triggers Valid Response Contingency Plan ResponsibleIf anyone shows up at a shelter and isn't allowed in and as a result they get angry and frustrated and display poor and disruptive behaviors.

This will happen

When all shelters are full

Days with poor weather

Implementation phase

Denying access to shelterIf someone shows up at shelter and there was a glitch in their placement and they are not able to enter facility.

Someone is visually angry for not getting a bed that night

Mitigate – reduce impact

Mitigate – reduce probability

Avoid

-Improved communication-Shelter to accommodate for 3-6 months of change with mat on the floor while education is ongoing. -Increase opportunities for transportation assistance if rerouting is necessary.-Clear communication on what the person should do next.-General de-escalation techniques.-If individual gets violent, due to intoxication or loss of personal control, call 911 and have the person removed from the location. If persistent, then trespass the individual.-Communication resolve between ASC staff and Shelter staff when bed referral issues arise. -Offer extra bed/couch for night, with clear expectation that they must access ASC next day.-Have info on ASC location & hours of operation. -Be understanding-Conversations and discretion as well as crisis management

-Shelters-Each shelters’ staff.

-EVERYONE should be on board for communicating new system clearly to clients.

Police may come to the shelter or the ASC looking for clients causing staff to put the clients at risk.

-Criminal behavior by clients-Structural racism-Police may be searching for a person with a felony or in hot pursuit.-Police may want a sex offender to register.-Police may want to speak

-Transfer-Accept -Mitigate – reduce impact

-Ensure communication is clear - expectations of staff at all locations/persons with access to data-maybe include in HMIS training during training-clearly outlining agency policies on when it is and is not okay to share information-Have clear standards at the ASC about when we will talk with authorities and when we won’t. -Refer the issue to a supervisor-Train staff or have instructions available for when

Shelter program’s leadership to agree on policy.

Each shelter/ ASC

Front line staff,

Risk Event Triggers Valid Response Contingency Plan Responsiblewith a victim of a crime.-Police may be looking for a missing person.-Police may believe that someone is in the shelter, but do not have a warrant for the person.-Police show up at shelter and staff are not trained to respond to the circumstance.

Police have an arrest warrant, a search warrant or a registered sex offender inquiry.-Page the person, seek them out. Leave them a letter if not there.-Get police contact info. -Pass around the picture of the missing person-Take down the officer’s info and name of person they are searching for. - Allow access

supervisors and administrators.Shelter ManagersStaff

Doing shelter placement outside of the shelter will free up shelter staff time.

-Fewer walkups seeking shelter, fewer calls re: shelter-seeing lower numbers of turn-aways-New system getting settled and working properly.-We will know it when we see it-staff are bored

Exploit

Enhance

-More time to complete VI-SPDAT’s and referrals, service connection-We can look for more housing for people!-Use additional staff time to connect more people to housing opportunities- Staff can spend more time engaging clients in exit planning

All shelters

Due to the system changes, we might lose track of some clients, causing them to engage in risky behaviors, be confused by the system.

-Noticeable decrease in vulnerable clients’ shelter use.-Change is scary.-Anxiety and confusion from some clients, poor behavior in shelters as a result?-Exits to unknown destinations increases

Mitigate - reduce probability

Transfer

-Prior to change, ask advocates to ID potential clients we anticipate this occurring with, due to DD, SPMI, immigration status, etc…weekly after launching see # that are utilizing shelter in Hen. County-Street outreach doing more check in’s and being intentional about shelter information.-SPOINT Guard should be social work background with skills to de-escalate and calm anxiety.-Warm hand-offs when person is extra anxious.-Have a plan for outreach to those identified as particularly vulnerable. List of current shelter users at all sites and cross-reference that list in 6 months – are they being seen by outreach?-United Way 2-1-1 will be tracking turn-aways – can ask where they go at night and during the day- Work with Street Outreach to follow up on “missing” clients-Case review meeting to keep list of “lost” clients

Outreach staff

SPOINT Guard

Shelter StaffVP WG, all shelters

Shelter of record

More new people will -Increase in number- -Mitigate -Eliminate voucher bed program temporarily if The powers at

Risk Event Triggers Valid Response Contingency Plan Responsibleenter shelter causing increases in shelter use. Having vouchered people in pay for stay will not allow us to move people into housing as quickly.

inability to serve them all based on data--Easier access to shelter.-Review of shelter numbers by week using Mark Legler’s report-More guests, longer length of stay

-Acceptunderutilized-ID emergency overflow space outside of current system and have capacity to quickly launch-volunteer network/county ready to fund staff from multiple agencies etc.until full plan can be enacted to respond appropriately.-Data Sharing- so we can address folks’ major issues more efficiently.-Political advocacy for more affordable housing.-More Rapid Rehousing-If there are new people in shelter as a result of redesign, we will need to make a plan for the next step at that time-Continue to develop better systems between homeless network agencies to meet people’s needs faster.-If the potential increase in staff capacity is realized, the engagement might offset this. Having better data (through ASC, HMIS, CES) will help drive next level of policy decisions

be.

ICA

All shelters.

County

Shelter efficiency group

HMIS will not be configured by the ASC opening to accept swipe cards making it difficult to track clients.

Stuff happens sometimes.-Delay in ideal HMIS timeline

Avoid

Mitigate

-Put pressure on new HMIS company (ICA)-We can probably communicate pretty effectively about openings and such via email. -Shared document?-Devise short term work-arounds (phone calls, google docs, etc.) so ASC can open on time

OEH

ICA

Shelter staff, ASC

HMIS/ Service point workflow will be clunky and hard to use causing lag time, extra training, frustration, etc.

-Bowman doesn’t create a workflow for us that is user friendly and efficient -HMIS customization not completed

Mitigate

Accept

-Some staff will need to do more training.-Especially during implementation, I think it will be really important that the Spoint Guard is communicating A LOT with shelters, and vice versa. -Regular meetings/regular emails, etc.-Do the best we can to offer prompt service despite this reality

-OEH and Hennepin CoC

ICA and Bowman

ALL

Cost overruns might occur during rollout of ASC causing impact to efficiency. (speed of placing people)

-While opening the ASC it is clear we don’t have enough money in the budget to make ends meet

Mitigate -Communicate about extra costs up front-Be creative in finding ways to avoid extra costs?

SimpsonASCHennepin County

Change in the public image might occur due to the location of the ASC -

-People reach out to agencies and ASC about all of the progress they see

Exploit

Share

-Use as a way to educate about homelessness.-Use an opportunity for good press-All partners can share this good news via traditional

ALL, OEH, St. Olaf, ASC

Risk Event Triggers Valid Response Contingency Plan Responsiblegood change. happening in ending

homelessness!-New excitement about adult shelter-Positive feedback

and social media channels

Change in the public image might occur due to the location of the ASC - bad change.

People reach out to agencies because they are seeing an increase of street homelessness around St. Olaf-Clients don’t use the ASC

Accept/Mitigate -Use negative feedback as a way to look at what we’re doing. If we find a legitimate complaint, let’s review it and see if we can adjust to make that better. -Be gentle with folks going through the system-Identify reasons why, determine solutions (outreach, education, alternative site/times)

ALL, ASC, OEH

HMIS data sharing may not be available by ASC opening making shelter assignment impossible electronically.

-Data sharing not functional

Mitigate -Devise short term work-arounds (phone calls, google docs, etc.) so ASC can open ontime.

ASC

People opting out of shelter because they are opposed to being assigned to a shelter will become unsheltered

-Don’t like their bed referral

Mitigate -Offer another choice-Facilitate way to keep in contact with that person (update all of that in their HMIS profile)-Contact St. Stephen’s Street Outreach

ASC Workers

Clients with mental illness dealing with the change to the ASC will increase their unsheltered nights.

-A person can’t find the ASC or refuses to visit

Mitigate – reduce probability

-Contact St. Stephen’s Street Outreach-Conduct in-reach to Safe Bay population now to “get ahead” of the change-Capitalize on relationships -Explore create ways of funding shelter

Street OutreachAccess TeamASCHCHMental Health

Institutional discharge processes will continue to be inadequate – we will have more data on who is doing this and will be able to push back and address the issue.

-ASC does a great job of tracking where people are referred into the homeless system from and compiles useful data

Exploit -Messaging to institutions -Use contracting options to mitigate-track data-develop policies and procedures for the hospitals to follow and hold them accountable when they don’t.

Contracting department (Hennepin County)

HCH

Decreased utilization of voucher beds may occur during realignment, causing a decrease in revenues at the shelter

-The # of authorized voucher beds is less than the # of actual voucher/in use beds-Emergency Housing programs see (unplanned) budget deficits

Mitigate -Creating an “Emergency Bailout” Ask; -if HLC is under the planned utilization goal of 95% occupancy (ex: census average is 85%), then HLC seeks remuneration for the 10% difference. -HLC audits program financials monthly6 months after ASC activation may need to renegotiate funding/census goals?-HLC (leadership) staff need Service Point [currently

-Hennepin County/OEH-Harbor Light Center

Risk Event Triggers Valid Response Contingency Plan Responsiblecase management/advocates/some management has access] training/access/license-this allows real time tracking of census

Having vouchered people in pay for stay will not allow us to move people into housing as quickly.

-Those who should be in a voucher bed but are instead in a P4S (this is determined by a case manager based on client’s eligibility)-The only way a client who is eligible for a voucher would end up in a P4S bed is if a shelter worker intentionally makes the exception.

Accept -HLC does not accept that people in P4S are harder to house. Our experience is the opposite: people in P4S beds are able to save money and afford housing more easily than people in voucher beds. Staying in a P4S beds also does not make a person ineligible for GRH housing either.

HLC, HG and the ASC

Increase in disparities due to the way the ASC operates continuing generational poverty

-Disparate impact Mitigate -Identify levers that could change the outcomes and change policy/practice accordingly

ASC operator and County

People will be confused and afraid of the new process which may cause a distrust of the new system among previous allies.

-Not enough information is out in the community about these changes

Avoid Aggressive communications Shelter workers

Communications WG

Increased utilization of voucher beds may occur during realignment, causing an increase in revenues at the shelter.

-the voucher beds are full Exploit Consistently keep an eye on bed utilization in the 184 vouchered beds at HLC and try to discern any positive economic results from consistently having capacity around 95%.

Hennepin County

HLC

Misinformation among clients and external agencies causes frustration by staff and clients.

-Open discussion Accept -Continuous and aggressive communication -Point person in communicating with public

Collaborative

Background

Framework of Single Adult Shelter Redesign

Gnatt Chart of “Planning and Design Phase” of Redesign – January – July 2016

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1.0 Informational interviews with all five shelter providers in preparation of developing framework for redesign

X X

2.0 Develop framework for single adult shelter redesign X X X

2.1 Present framework to Shelter Efficiency Group (SE). SE group accepts being the "planning committee" for the Redesign. SE approves the framework and agrees to move into "planning and design phase."

X

3.0 At the January SE meeting the Adult Shelter Connect (originally named "Front Door Workgroup") was formed. (OEH, CC, SHS, OSH and HLC represented).

X

3.1 Adult Shelter Connect Workgroup met 3 times for 1.5 hours. After the 3rd meeting the Workgroup members reach consensus that they met their original goals and went into "hibernation."

X X

3.2 Adult Shelter Connect Workgroup presents their recommendations to SE. SE listened and accepted their recommendations.

X X

4.0 At the January SE meeting the Right to Shelter (vouchered beds) Workgroup was formed. (OEH, SHS, HLC, Hennepin County EWS and Hennepin County Health Care for the Homeless represented)

X

4.1 Right to Shelter (vouchered beds) Workgroup met 3 times for 1.5 hours each time. After the 3rd meeting the Workgroup members reach consensus that they met their original goals and went into hibernation

X X

4.2 Right to Shelter (vouchered beds) Workgroup presents their recommendations to SE. SE listened and accepted their recommendations.

X

## 11/15 12/15 1/16 2/16 3/16 4/16 5/16 6/16 7/16

5.0 At the February SE meeting the 1,6,7 Workgroup was formed. This Workgroup was tasked with creating policies around bed reservations, creating a new 'secure waiting' model, afterhours restrictions and transfers from one shelter to another. (HLC, CC, SHS, SSHS, OSH represented).

X

5.1 The 1,6,7 Workgroup met 4 times for 1.5 hours each time. After the 4th meeting the Workgroup members reached consensus that they met their original goals and went into hibernation.

X X

5.2 The 1,6,7 Workgroup presents their recommendations to SE. SE listened and accepted their recommendations

X X

6.0 Focus groups: planning X X X

6.1 Focus group: lottery X

6.2 Focus group: vouchered beds X

6.3 Focus group: Project footsteps X

6.4 Focus group: Opportunity Center X

6.5 Focus group: Unsheltered X

7.0 At the March SE meeting the Women's Space Workgroup was formed. (OEH, HLC, CC, SHS, SSHS represented).

X

7.1 The Women's Space Workgroup met 2 times for 1.5 hours each time. After the 2nd meeting the Workgroup members reached consensus that they met their original goals and went into hibernation.

X

7.2 The Women's Space Workgroup presents their recommendations to SE. SE listened and accepted their recommendations

X

8.0 At the March SE meeting the Youth Space Workgroup was formed. (The Link, CC, OEH, DHS, CC Hope Street, YouthLink and HLC represented).

X

8.1 The Youth Space Workgroup met 2 times for 1.5 X X

## 11/15 12/15 1/16 2/16 3/16 4/16 5/16 6/16 7/16

hours each time. After the 2nd meeting the Workgroup members reached consensus that they met their original goals and went into hibernation.

8.2 The Youth Space Workgroup presents their recommendations to SE. SE listened and accepted their recommendations

X

9.0 Begin conversations with St. Olaf Catholic Church about being the location of the Adult Shelter Connect for the Single Adult Shelter Collaborative

X

9.1 Work with St. Olaf Catholic Church and internal Hennepin County staff to get all pieces in place to move forward with creating the ASC in the basement space of Cowley Hall.

X X X

9.2 Adult Shelter Connect (ASC) Workgroup tours Cowley Hall and gives opinions about moving forward with making that the location for the ASC - all Workgroup members approve.

X

9.3 Simpson Housing Services Agrees to be the Fiscal Agent for the Hennepin County Single Adult Shelter Collaborative.

X

9.4 Simpson Housing Services (SHS) visits Cowley Hall and meets with St. Olaf folks for the first time.

X

10.0 At the April SE meeting the 3P's (pets, partners and possessions) was formed. (SHS, CC and OSH represented).

X

10.1 The 3Ps Workgroup met 1 times for 1.5 hours. After the 1st meeting the Workgroup members reached consensus that they met their original goals and went into hibernation.

X

10.2 The 3Ps Workgroup presents their recommendations to SE. SE listened and accepted their recommendations

X

11.0 At the April SE meeting the After-hours and Restrictions Workgroup was formed. (OSH, CC, HLC, OEH and SSHS represented).

X

## 11/15 12/15 1/16 2/16 3/16 4/16 5/16 6/16 7/16

11.1 The After-hours and Restrictions Workgroup met 3 times for 1.5 hours each time. After the 3rd meeting the Workgroup members reached consensus that they met their original goals and went into hibernation.

X

11.2 The After-hours and Restrictions Workgroup presents their recommendations to SE. SE listened and accepted their recommendations which includes a system-wide policy around restrictions and trespassing.

X

12.0 At the May SE meeting the Education of the New System (Communications) Workgroup was formed. (CC, SHS, Hennepin County Access Team, SSHS, Hennepin County HHI/OEH, Hennepin County Healthcare for the Homeless and HLC represented).

X

12.1 The Education of the New System (Communications) has met 4 times and have not met their original goals and are staying in tact until there is consensus that goals have been met.

X X

13.0 The Hennepin County Access Team, Mental Health Center and Health Care for the Homeless case management teams hear about the Redesign for the first time. Group decides to form a Workgroup around how to serve the most vulnerable people in the new system.

X X

13.1 Vulnerable Clients Workgroup have met 2 times so far and will continue to meet until all goals have been met.

X X

14.0 Moving from Design and Planning Phase of redesign - and into implementation phase. OEH will present a summary of the Planning and Design Phase to the July SE meeting.

X

Definitions

Supportive services are defined as services provided to single adults for the purpose of emphasizing the wellbeing of participants and supporting them while in emergency shelter with the goal of accessing sustainable housing and making each person's homeless experience be rare, brief and non-reoccurring. Single adults is defined as a person aged 18 or older living without dependents. Single adult shelter is defined as emergency shelter services provided by either, SSHS, SHS, OSH, HG and HLC. Longer-term shelter stayer is defined as a person who has accessed services at a Hennepin County emergency shelter for 90+ days. New to shelter is defined as a person who has not received services at a Hennepin County shelter and/or never been entered into HMIS. Newer to shelter is defined as a person who has accessed services at a Hennepin County shelter, but for less than 90 days. Adult Shelter Connect (ASC) is defined as a physical location where all persons seeking an emergency shelter bed or access to the Hennepin County Single Adult Shelter System to go to be assessed and referred to a shelter bed within the system. Senior is defined as anyone who 65 years of age or older.

Transitional Aged Youth is defined as anyone who is 18 through 24 years old.

Person with a disability is defined as anyone who is currently receiving SSI, OR anyone who is on GA, identifies as disabled as is able to obtain a signed Statement of Need AND anyone who identifies as disabled, is able to obtain a signed Statement of Need and applies for GA.

Shelter of Record is defined as the shelter that the ASC refers someone to based on the shelter’s “specialty”, bed availability and client preference.

Guiding Principles for Hennepin County Single Adult Redesign GUIDING PRINCIPLES, VALUES and PHILOSOPHY

The Planning Committee for the Single Adult Shelter Collaborative (Which is The Shelter Efficiency Group who meets 1x per month consisting of Managers, Directors, and Executive Directors of each of the five shelters and OEH) finalized the Guiding Principles on February 17th, 2016:

Principle 1: Ending homelessness is attainable Homelessness should be rare, brief and non-recurring

Principle 2: Shelter is not housing Put the emergency back into emergency shelter Prevention is the best solution Benefits and shelter should go hand in hand

Principle 3: Prioritize swift exit from homelessness Serve persons experiencing homelessness utilizing best practices and with population specific

services Ensure that access to Hennepin County’s single adult shelter system is as efficient, effective and

transparent as possible. Ensure service accessibility for all persons experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County seeking

emergency shelter services. Principle 4: Invest continuously in strengthening the system

Data is a vital component of this system

All partners in this collaborative have extensive experience in working with the target population and are very familiar with their needs and preferences as well as the barriers they face. We understand that not all of the shelters operate the same, and some shelters may be able to serve certain shelter guests better than others. We understand that 50% of all individuals who access emergency shelter will self-resolve and not engage with supportive services besides emergency shelter. We also understand, that the remaining 50% of shelter guests who access emergency shelter will need individualized support and assessments in order to both access housing through Hennepin County's Coordinated Entry System and/or ensure that their homelessness remains rare, brief and non-reoccurring. The partners recognize that single adults

experiencing homelessness with low incomes and/or disabilities are diverse in terms of their strengths, motivations, goals, backgrounds and needs.

Inventory of Case Managers and Advocates for all five Single Adult

Shelter ProvidersCompiled March 2016

Agency # of shelter worker FTEs(shelter logistics)

# of volunteers (in hours)(that assist in shelter operations)

# of shelter case manager FTEs + specialty

# of housing case manager FTEs + specialty

Simpson Housing Services

5 FTEs checking residents in, answering

phone, limited in-shelter case management

4 FTEs (≈8,500 hrs per year)

supporting staff, helping residents with basic needs, answering phone

3 FTEs 1 FTE RRH Shelter Case Manager

Our Saviour’s Housing

2.5 FTEs checking residents in, answering

phones, monitoring shelter

10 Shelter Aids – 18 hours/week

(assist shelter workers)

1 FTE Unpaid (2 4th year SW interns) Shelter Case Managers

2 FTEsBreakdown of Specialization:

1 - Shelter Manager/case manager1 – Lutheran Volunteer Corps

St. Stephen’s Human Services – Emergency Shelter and Street Outreach

3 FTEs on call advocates (shelter operations)

3.25 FTEs on-call ROL advocates (shelter operations

and logistics)

1.58 FTEs – Overnights(minimum, ideally 2 FTE)

3 FTE Shelter Case Managers/Workers

(shelter operations and case management)

.5 FTE River of Life Lead

1 RRH CoordinatorSAHL – 1

1 RRH Coordinator (veterans)

Catholic Charities – Higher Ground Shelter and Pay for Stay

7 FTEs(5 shelter workers on per night)

4.5 FTEs .5 Shelter Case Manager – Pay for Stay

(GRH Case Manager that spends 50% of her time housing

residents staying in Pay for Stay)2 RRH Case Managers

1 Top 51 Case Manager 1 Veterans Case Manager

Salvation Army Harbor Light Center – Secured Waiting and Emergency Shelter

18 FTEs Shelter Advocateschecking people in, managing

shelter logistics

4 FTEs Shelter Case ManagersBreakdown of Specialization:

Sally’s Place – 1Women’s Emergency Housing – 2

Men’s Emergency Housing – 2

5 FTEs GRH Case Managers1 Beacon Case Managers3 FTEs – VA and TH CM

TOTALS: 38.75 FTEs 11.28 (volunteer/unpaid) FTEs

12.5 FTEs 12.5 FTEs

Data – used to inform “Planning and Design Phase” SSI and GA in Secure waiting and vouchered beds data

general descriptors of those in vouchered shelter

# people in shelter in 2015 5996 # on SSI 338 24%# in voucher 1352 # on GA 834 60%# in sw 5281 # on nothing 221 16%# in respite (subset of voucher) 121 total* 1393 100%

# in both voucher and sw 639 of those in SW # in voucher only 713# in sw only 4642 # on SSI 997 19%

# on GA 1644 31%# on nothing 2714 51%total* 5355 100%

# on GA 2097 Note: some people are on both GA and SSI# on SSI 1155 so totals add to more than in shelter# reporting both GA and SSI 95# with neither 2837

Distribution of shelter use for county contracted single adult shelter2015 shelter use

number percentsecure waiting only 4,642 77%voucher only 713 12%both sw and voucher 639 11%total 5,994

distribution of secure waiting nights1 night 11962-6 nights 14597-27 nights 132328+ nights 1303total 5281

distribution of voucher nights1 night 1032-6 nights 1487-27 nights 52428+ nights 576total 1351(1 missing - bad data)

Respite beds at Harbor Lights - 2015

121 total number of people in respite in 201582 men39 women

25.2 average number of days in respite

26.3average number of days - men

22.8 average number of days - women

distribution of days in shelter 1 nights 52-6 nights 137-27 nights 6328+ nights 40total 121

III. Recommendations from Workgroups to Shelter Efficiency Group

Shelter Efficiency Group – Shelter Redesign Planning Committee

In January of 2016 the Shelter Efficiency Group agreed to function as the Single Adult Shelter Redesign Planning Committee. The responsibility given to this committee has been to be the deciding entity for the Single Adult Shelter Redesign. The Shelter Efficiency Group is convened monthly by Hennepin County's Office to End Homelessness and is made up of Executive Directors, Directors and Shelter Managers for each of the five shelter agencies along with strategic partners. This group of agencies have been meeting regularly since the beginning of the Heading Home Hennepin Plan.

Adult Shelter Connect Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group Workgroup members: Mary Jo Williams, Robert Hofmann, Carina Aleckson, Krista Gibson, Mark Legler, Zach Johnson Goals of Workgroup:To consider and make recommendations of what role the Adult Shelter Connect should play in the new system, what that look likes and how it will interact and cooperate with the rest of the Single Adult Shelter System. It is the recommendation of this Workgroup that:

1. The following people are required to visit the Front Door in order to access shelter:Anyone who is need of emergency shelter placement AND:a) Who is a first time user of Hennepin County Single Adult shelter systemb) Who has not accessed Hennepin county shelter system within the last 7 daysc) Who was restricted from shelter the night before

2. The only services present at the ASC are referrals to shelter beds as well as eligibility and medical health professionals to aid in successful referrals to the vouchered beds.

3. Population specific resources be brought in-house to Harbor Light Center, Higher Ground and the private Church shelters rather than have these resources present at the ASC.

4. The purpose of the ASC be to refer people to shelter and that the scope of the ASC is to be the “system facilitator”. Whatever entity is chosen to manage the ASC will be able to utilize their unique position of seeing and knowing everyone in shelter to maintain a systems perspective and help identify system issues and solutions.

5. There be one daytime physical location for the ASC. 6. There be a phone line, possibly utilizing the Day One model, for after-hour access to shelter. 7. Diversion questions should always be asked when someone is requesting a shelter bed. The following are an example of the process this

Workgroup is envisioning for diversion: Where did you stay last night? Why can’t you stay there tonight? (If the person says they are new to town) what are you in Minneapolis for? What are your intentions during your stay here?

8. The Adult Shelter Connect should have the following physical features: 1-2 private assessment rooms, a dignified waiting space, 2 semi-private assessment spaces (for quicker interactions), be on a high frequency bus line, access to restrooms, and be close to the 5 Single Adult Shelters.

50

9. The Adult Shelter Connect should NOT: have storage, be a duplication of the Opportunity Center, be geared toward children or families in any way, be co-located with any of the 5 Single Adult Shelters.

10. The services and supplies that need to be present at the Adult Shelter Connect are: internet/phone for workers, an ID card printer, a copier/fax/printer.

11. The recommended amount of staff needed to support the Adult Shelter Connect is: 1 system navigator (1 FTE - keeping an eye on the system as a whole), 2 Adult Shelter Connect advocates (2-2.5 FTEs - doing intakes, assessments and bed referrals), Health Care for the Homeless medical professional to sign eligibility paperwork for voucher beds, to voucher people in.

Right to Shelter (vouchered beds) Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group Workgroup members: Pat Hartnagel, Steve Horsfield, Zach Johnson, Camilla Shimonek, Mikkel Beckman, Stephanie Able Goals of Workgroup: To determine who should be prioritized for the 184 beds, ‘vouchered beds’ in the Single Adult Shelter System that are able to offer 24-hour access to shelter. Due to the fact that these beds are funded through GRH and are therefore eligibility based and governed by State GRH policies, this Workgroup was asked to discuss how to best utilize this space.

It is the recommendation of this Workgroup:

1. To adopt the following definitions of “senior” and “person with disability” into our single adult shelter system: a. Anyone in need of shelter who is 65+ years oldb. Anyone in need of shelter who is currently receiving SSIc. Anyone in shelter who is on GA, identifies as disabled, and is able to obtain a signed Statement of Need.d. Anyone who identifies as disabled, is able to obtain a signed Statement of Need, and applies for GA.

2. That anyone who is in need of emergency shelter and meets any of the above criteria will be referred to the vouchered beds at Harbor Light Center

3. That a separate Workgroup be created to explore shelter and housing options for “anyone in need of shelter who is currently receiving SSI”. (Note: this Workgroup was formed and met once, but did not submit any recommendations to the SE meeting. Notes from this meeting are available if interested)

4. That anyone in need of shelter who meets the above recommended definitions of “senior” and “person who is disabled” stay on the 2 nd and 3rd floors of Harbor Light Center (the current space for the vouchered beds for men and women).

5. That professionals who are able to voucher people in, complete the Medical Opinion Form and complete the Statement of Need, be present at the ASC in order to ensure that the necessary supports are available to people who are referred to a voucher bed.

6. That anyone who accesses this shelter space for 90+ days should have their case reviewed and receive targeted attention from advocates and case managers.

7. That, due to a lack of quality data, that no additional vouchered beds be added to the existing 184 at this time. This can and should be re-visited once a more data informed decision can be made.

1,6,7 (transfers, bed reservations and flow) Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group

Workgroup members: Mike Huffman, Wendy Wiegmann, Carina Aleckson, Jessica Grassie, Krista Gibson and Zach Johnson

Goals of Workgroup: To take the general structure of the ‘secure waiting’ model of shelter that is currently used in our system and reimagine it to still have a first come, first serve structure while also promoting dignity in shelter, increasing efficiency and how to take advantage of what an HMIS system with open visibility could accomplish. Also – to determine when the system should be considering transferring someone from the “newer to shelter” space to the “longer term” shelter space

The 1,6,7 Workgroup recommends: 1. That the current Secure Waiting model be adjusted and re-named in the new system (please note that not all of the shelter spaces within

the new system will be using this model. Currently it is being considered for the “newer to shelter” women’s space and Higher Ground shelter).

The system could be structured as the following: a. Shelter guests will need to go to the Adult Shelter Connect (ASC) in order to be referred to a “Shelter of Record” – the shelter that

the ASC believes is the most appropriate shelter space for that person. b. A shelter guest can reserve a bed for that evening as they are leaving shelter in the morning. c. Guests will be asked to check in or physically show up at their shelter by 6pm or their reservation will be wiped and the beds then

become first come first serve until the morning when the bed reservations begin again. d. A guest can spend up to six nights out of shelter before they will have to re-visit the ASC to get another “Shelter of Record.”e. If a guest spends a night out of shelter but has a “Shelter of Record” they can call either the ASC or their “Shelter of Record” to

reserve their bed during the day or try to access a first come first serve bed that evening. 2. That there be a process put in place to accommodate people who are in need of an emergency shelter bed after the ASC is closed

(“afterhours”). At this time, the Workgroup is not able to offer a concrete plan of how to do this, but recommends that this be looked into further.

3. That a position be dedicated (or part of a position be dedicated) to determining who should be transferred from Higher Ground into a church shelter (or one of the vouchered beds) in order to make sure that shelter guests are getting their needs met and also to ensure that there will be flow and movement within the system.

4. That HMIS and ServicePoint functionalities and workflows be customized for the new system so that it as efficient and user friendly as possible.

5. That there should be a review for every person is who is in shelter 30+ days – this review could include increased case management, a conversation with the client, trying to actively eliminate housing barriers, etc.

6. That there should be a review for every person who is in shelter for 90+ days – this review could take the place of our systems’ current SASN meetings to encourage providers from across the system to all come together and come up with a housing plan based on that persons’ strengths and needs.

7. That a process be put into place in order to fairly and consistently manage transfers and restrictions within the Single Adult Shelter System. At this time, the Workgroup is not able to offer a concrete plan of how to do this, but recommends that this be looked into further.

Restrictions and After-hours Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group

Workgroup members: Krista Gibson, Jessica Grassie, Andre Nicholson, Joseph Dinkins, Dominic Bouza, Lisa Thornquist and Mike Huffman. Goals of Workgroup:To come up with a system-wide policy around restrictions and how that policy can supplement and support each individual shelter’s restrictions policy. To determine how restrictions could most effectively and fairly be utilized during both implementation and in the new system. To determine how after-hours access to shelter could most effectively and fairly be utilized during both implementation and in the new system. It is the recommendation of the Restrictions and After-Hours Workgroup:

1. To develop a general set of guidelines that all shelters agree on (listing infractions that could result in a restriction with a range of time that the restriction could be for) which would be system-wide.

2. That shelters should have discretion over their own specific restriction and trespass policies, while staying in line with the system’s guidelines.

3. Define when restorative justice should be used in the case of a restriction.4. Utilize the 90-day monthly review (currently the SASN meeting) to discuss the nuances involved in restrictions that are 6+ months to try

and develop ways to better serve clients that are not thriving in shelter. 5. Reach out to United Way 2-1-1 as the entity to manage “after-hour” access to shelter. 6. Have flyers available at shelter with the consistent message of go to the ASC during the day and call the number for access at night.

3 P’s (pets, partners and possessions) Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group Workgroup members: Tehya Rice, Carina Aleckson, Krista Gibson Goals of Workgroup: To brainstorm ways in which our system has created barriers to accessing emergency shelter. To brainstorm ways in which we can make the new system as no/low barrier as possible. And to take into consideration the recommendations put forth by the National Coalition for the Homeless that pets, possessions and partners have proven to be three of the biggest barriers put up by communities that prevent people from easily accessing emergency shelter. It is the recommendation of the 3Ps Workgroup:

1. To have transparent policies regarding pets, partners and possessions in the new system. 2. To not have pets be allowed in shelter (service animals are the legal exception) but to also partner with a reputable pet foster care

program (if possible) and make that option readily available to clients with pets who are wanting to access emergency shelter.3. To review storage policies of all 5 shelters to ensure that storage is as accessible as possible in the new system using the resources we

already have.4. To not collocate storage with the ASC.5. To not define what a partner is and to acknowledge that two people are in a relationship/partnership if they say they are. This may not

mean that they can stay in shelter together (based on other shelter policies) but that the system will acknowledge their partnership and make efforts to not make it a barrier to accessing housing.

6. To conduct surveys/research to determine if there is a need for a daytime shelter option for people working 2nd and 3rd shifts. 7. To continue to pursue making the new system as no/low barrier as possible which includes working with the already in-tact Racial Equity

(sooner rather than later).

The Workgroup chose to dissolve after one meeting but did pose follow-up questions to St. Stephen’s Street Outreach, the 5 shelter managers and the Racial Equity Workgroup in order to continue to pursue making the new system as no/low barrier as possible.

Transitioned Age Youth Space Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group Workgroup members: Erin Wixsten, Tracy Berglund, Mark Legler, Andrea Simonett, Eric Richert, Katie Miller and Emmalie Brudzinski

Goals of Workgroup:To brainstorm the best way to structure a space “specialized” and prioritized for transition aged youth (18-24 years of age) without creating a formal youth shelter. In other words – how to best serve transitioned aged youth in the Single Adult Shelter System.

The Youth Space Workgroup recommends:1. That if a person presents at the Adult Shelter Connect (ASC) that is 18 through 24 years old, that they would be considered a youth and

therefore a vulnerable population within our system and would be referred to a shelter space that specifically serves youth – the “youth space”.

2. That the “Youth Space” in the Single Adult Shelter System not be considered or treated as a youth shelter but rather as a space for youth in the Single Adult Shelter System and to be as low barrier as possible.

3. To create a dual system of “claimed” beds and “emergency beds” within the youth space. This is both to encourage stability and safety for youth while ensuring that no bed goes unused and that a bottleneck won’t be created for entry into the space.

If a youth has a “claimed bed” the shelter staff would assume they are coming back that night and a youth would be able to leave their belongings on their bed.

If a youth has an “emergency bed” it would be treated as a night by night bed with the option of moving to a “claimed” bed if one opens up.

4. To give youth the option to opt out of the “youth space” if they so choose.5. To prioritize finding a bed for a youth within the system even if the “youth space” is full. 6. That there be no set length of stay, but instead to create consistent and effective 30/60/90+ day check-ins to try and connect youth who

get “stuck” in shelter with outside resources. 7. To not make the youth space a designated 24-hour shelter space, but to create flexible rules around time in and time out of shelter and to

align that with YouthLink’s AM drop-in times. 8. That, in order to make the Youth Space as low barrier as possible, the ASC should not be required to attempt diversion into the youth

shelters for youth that are age eligible for those spaces (unless the person is under 18 years old and not able to access a bed in the adult system). Best practices would support that the ASC should refer the youth to a bed in the Youth Space within Single Adult System and then once safely in shelter, case management can assist the youth in trying to access a youth shelter bed if they so wish.

9. That any youth in the Single Adult Shelter System be assessed for Coordinated Entry using the TAY-SPDAT rather than the VI-SPDAT.

Women’s Space Workgroup – Recommendations to Shelter Efficiency Group Workgroup members: Lisa Thornquist, Zach Johnson, Chris Michels, Wendy Wiegmann, Gail Dorfman, Breanna Schell, Emmalie Brudzinski

Set of recommendations from Women’s Space Workgroup To April Shelter Efficiency Group Goals of Workgroup: To brainstorm how we can best serve women in the new system and if we are considering women a “specialization” in shelter – what should that look like?

The Women’s Space Workgroup recommends:1. To create multiple (2-3), smaller (no more than 50 beds) spaces that would make up a continuum of shelter spaces within the shelter

system for women based on length of stay.2. Creating a space in Harbor Light Center, that would function similarly to Higher Ground for the men – it would be a space for “newer”

women shelter users and would utilize the new and improved Secure Waiting model (that the 1,6,7 Workgroup created). Using the 30/60/90+ day check-in – women who become “stuck” at Harbor Light Center could be transferred to one of the other spaces based on need and flow.

3. Creating a space for women who are “longer-term” stayers in emergency shelter in Simpson Shelter that would have extra supports (ex: mental and behavior health supportive services on site) as well as consistent and effective “check-ins” at 30/60/90+ days in shelter.

4. That First Covenant is explored as a potential option to create a year-round shelter for women in the new system. If First Covenant becomes an option, it is recommended that this shelter be intentionally staffed to create a safe and welcoming space for Native women.

5. Creating intentional and formal relationships with organizations that are Native run and serve Native women as well as domestic violence organizations and services in order to better meet the needs of women who are accessing the Single Adult Shelter System.

6. If a women presents at the ASC that has a disabling condition, or is over 65 years old, they should be referred directly to the vouchered bed space and not one of the women’s spaces.

7. That there is no limit on length of stay for any of these spaces.