sustaining housing: a voluntary service approachsustaining housing: a voluntary service approach...
TRANSCRIPT
Sustaining Housing: A Voluntary Service
Approach National Conference on Ending Family
and Youth Homelessness
February 2013
1
Workshop Content • A voluntary services approach has become an
increasingly popular mechanism for providers to
serve vulnerable families and youth. This workshop
will demonstrate how providers, including
transitional housing providers, are successfully
implementing a voluntary service model and
examine the benefits of this approach. Presenters
will also explore how this model can be used to
provide in-home services, making it an ideal model
to use in conjunction with rapid re-housing.
2
Speakers • Kay Moshier McDivitt
(Moderator/Speaker); National Alliance to End Homelessness
• Anna Melbin; Director of Network Growth and Strategy
Full Frame Initiative, Yarmouth, ME
• Kathy Whato, Executive Director,
Serenity House of Clallum County
Port Angeles, OR
3
What we have learned about mandatory services • Required “program” participation in
staff driven services creates barriers
• Often more households exited for non
participation with mandatory services
than for “program completion”
• Try to be “all” to “all issues”
• Creates a “cycle of dependency” o Folks asking to come back even after program
completion to access services
4
Transition to a “Voluntary Service " Model
Services are unique to each household
needs Intake assessment identifies current support systems,
individual strengths and gaps/barriers for each family
Individualized housing plan developed specific to that
assessment
Service participation is voluntary
Engage external service providers to
provide services
5
Voluntary Services to Sustain Housing
• Services are Consumer Driven
• Three critical pieces: • Housing Plan (look at barriers) • Home Visits • Links to Mainstream Services
• Voluntary, housing-focused services
• Focus on client needs/client choice
6
Services are Client Centered and Client Driven
• Client Driven Processes
• Client driven decisions
• Client driven goals
• Client Centered Processes • Home-based case management
• Strengths-based
• Housing Stabilization
• Connection to Mainstream/Community Resources
7
Sustaining Housing Thinking About Plans and Visits
• When visits occur (not how often)
• Client choice
• Identification of household strengths
• Client identifies services
needed/staff leverage those
services
• Client drive short and long term
household goals (with focus on
housing) 8
Voluntary Services Focus on Stabilization
Services focus on: Tenant responsibilities
Living arrangements
Neighborhood familiarity
Benefits and Employment
Healthy boundaries
Resourcefulness
Others identified?
9
Parenting/Parent Support
Youth Mentoring
Legal Assistance
Employment
Local Churches
Financial Assistance &
Literacy
Volunteer Opportunities
Adult Education
Tenants Education
Utilities
Medical/Mental
Dental
Families
Mainstream Community Connections
10
Staff Role in Voluntary Service Model Service Coordinator
•Links clients to mainstream
and community resources
and leverages needed
support
•Helps client identify
strengths and resources to
maintain housing
•Helps client identify short- and intermediate-term goals
11
“Our job (program) is to find help find your housing, your job (client)
is to keep it”
Adopting the Voluntary Service Model
Putting the approach into practice
Retooling a Transitional Housing Model
using the Voluntary Service Approach
12
Adopting the voluntary service model
• Redefine role of program o Individualized program for each household
• Redefine role of supportive services o Leverage external service providers
o Voluntary “program” participation
• Redefine role of staff o Supportive Service Coordinator
o Housing Specialist
13
Voluntary Services Staff Role
• Redefined Staff Role: o Shift from “what you need to do to stay in
the program successfully” to “what do you need to do move out quickly and sustain your housing”
o Role is not to counsel or “fix” but to connect residents with the services identified on the supportive service and permanent housing plans
o Required reaching out and developing partnerships with community providers
14
Voluntary Services: Develop Strategic Partnerships
• Identify services and providers to engage o Driven by the population(s) served
• Networking o More time in community to develop
relationships
• System of Coordinated Services o Includes existing supports and identifies new
systems to meet gaps
o Collaboration and coordination critical
15
Benefits of Service Partnerships
Creates a “comprehensive" support system
Less dependence on the program
Ensures an ongoing sustaining support
system within the larger community
Allows for specialized expertise
Staff job can now be more focused
Cost Effective
16
The Results
Participation in supportive services improved
Community Service Providers became active partners
Housing Plans were followed Families “owned” their plans
TH LOS dropped from 8-12 months to 3-4 months with 75% moved to Permanent housing 90% + maintain permanent housing for six months
Revolving door stopped Families return only to share how well they are doing
17
Additional Program Benefits/Results
Staff retention increased
Staff benefited by being out in the community networking
Greater sphere of services
Improved/positive atmosphere
Increased cooperation
Mentoring program started
18
Final Thoughts on Adopting a Voluntary Service Model
Requires a culture that embraces change
Clear roles and relationships
Services offered/leveraged adjust with each unique family
Its not about the “right families” for our program but about the “right services” for each unique family
Evaluate and adjust
19
“Its not the letting go that hurts, it’s the holding on”.
Some Alliance Resources
• Various PowerPoint Presentations from previous
conferences
• Supportive Services Rapid Rehousing Module o Recorded module with PowerPoint and activities
• Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing for
Survivors of Domestic Violence o A paper that includes using a voluntary service approach
20
Thank You Kay Moshier McDivitt
Capacity Building Associate
National Alliance to End Homelessness
www.endhomelessness.org
21