GH CAN Leadership Meeting Minutes 7/15/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, July 15, 2020 via Zoom

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.       Welcome and Introductions – 5 minutes

2.       COVID – 19 – 8 minutes

                                                               i.      Agency Updates – Any new re-open plans?

3.       BOS SC CAN Vote for Representative – Matt Morgan – 5 minutes

a.       Two representatives per CAN, each rep gets a vote at meetings

b.       Non conflict topics can be voted on by rep

c.       Bi- Annual meeting – for everyone and members

d.       Crane is willing to serve another year if needed

e.       Matt is willing for anyone to take his place, unable to attend meetings at the time

f.        Lisa Q. is willing to serve; others can be nominated as well.

g.       Lisa Q. and Crane to serve on BOS meetings and represent the GH CAN

4.       Showers at McKinney – CRT – 3 minutes

a.       Jose and Steve suggested McKinney to host showers if GHHR to clean and supervise showers

b.       Agreement of 11am – 1pm M- F (for now, closed on weekends) for showers available to clients

                                                               i.      Concern about this being a lunch hour

                                                             ii.      Hours can be changed if funding becomes available – reason for this time is because of availability

                                                           iii.      Proposed time 1:30 – 3:30pm – Mark has staffing and van

                                                           iv.      McKinney can provide soap and towels

                                                             v.      Need disinfecting products – JH has cleaning products at the office

                                                           vi.      Mark can have a vehicle available to transport clients who need showers at McKinney

c.       Outreach is needed for those who are unsheltered and can communicate showers

                                                               i.      Can start soon - Mark needs a formalized Outreach Engagement process in order to start

d.       To follow up on – Jose to let us know

5.       Cold Weather/ Winter Planning – Lisa Cretella – 3 minutes

a.       One meeting so far internal – need a broader meeting internally, will be coordinated soon with Kelly

6.       Legislative Advocacy - Quantitative Rationale and Cost Estimates – 15 minutes – Matt Morgan

a.       Matt shared his screen with last year’s information

b.       Every year group decides what needs to be advocated for

c.       Last year we used a data match for supportive housing to determine how much supportive housing is needed

d.       Proposed – use CHS. 90% need supportive housing who are chronically homeless. 10% not chronic need supportive housing. Also use HMIS data to get data (alternative). Should there be an average?

e.       Other interventions are not included at this time

f.        Any thoughts or questions?        

                                                               i.      What percentage of homeless population need supportive housing?

g.       Last year based on Medicaid data match – based on 1 day of homelessness, 8% families, 15% individuals and 1% youth.

h.       What about those who are literally homeless and have Medicaid?

i.         Last year looked at those with $750 income for individuals and $1000 for families – can be rapid exit

j.         No rationale for Rapid Rehousing last year

k.       Included those who needed a higher level of care

l.         Matt to send out information for feedback – will be discussed at statewide CAN meeting

7.       Statewide/Local 1000 Homes/ESG-COVID Housing Effort Update/ESG Prevention –Andrea Hakian, Kara Capobianco, Lisa Quach, Matt Morgan, Lionel Rigler – 4 minutes

a.       RRH CHR – in the process of hiring two new housing support specialist for COVID relief. Will be bringing in 3 full time staff. Will be starting mid – August. ESG allocations is available, relief money is not available yet. Technology funds is available for the CAN. One idea – computers. Purchasing ipads – will they be helpful for client, shelter (day and night shelters) providers, for those in hotels to get touch with support, activities, telehealth? 30k for technology. Purpose is to serve those in need.

                                                               i.      Barbara is interested for HOH – tablets are more flexible to move around, with hotspots

                                                             ii.      Equipment to be purchased then to be given to provider

                                                           iii.      Andrea to email information for feedback or interest – Sofina to send out to CAN

b.       Prevention Update – waiting for HUD approval. RFP that wnet out from state one agency responded. Proposing a new state ESG. 10 mil for eviction prevention. Triage tool for prioritization for those who are likely to become homeless.

c.       Questions shared by Matt.          

                                                               i.      Will this be a point system?

                                                             ii.      What are other parts of the state doing?

8.       Agenda Items – 2 minutes

9.       Announcements – 2 minutes

GH CAN Leadership Meeting 7/1/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, July 1^st 2020 via Zoom

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.       Welcome and Introductions – 5 minutes

2.       COVID – 19 – 15 minutes

                                                               i.      Agency Update

1.       Salvation Army – opening second floor for families at Marshal House. Working with resources, case management for long term recovery. Providing mortgage and utility assistance for those who have been impacted by COVID. A new case manager has been hired, an internal candidate, starting on Monday, July 13^th.

2.       Mercy – vacancy in women’s recovery program, taking intakes during COVID, call Mercy if anyone has any referrals – direct referrals.

3.       SPI – testing at both hotels, all negative results. Trying to reconfigure space.

4.       Relocation between hotels – state requested reduction in room, consolidated hotels. Guest have relocated to Best Western. Relocated 9 families, 1 to SA and 3 to EH and 5 are at SPI with a housing plan. Goal is to house as many clients as possible. Hotels are extended till end of July.

5.       ImmaCare – possibly reopening mid August. Will determine the number to shelter once opening.

6.       Chess and medical – conversations are still on going for plan.

3.       Statewide ESG-COVID Housing Effort Update/ Prevention –Andrea Hakian, Lisa Quach and Crane Cesario – 15 minutes

a.       CHR was not on call this week. Meetings will be bi-weekly.

4.       City of Hartford Updates for ESG – 5 minutes

a.       CDBG HOPWA – councils are meeting on Mondays. Hoping for approval in three weeks by the council. Annual plan is online, department of services webpage.

5.       Agenda Items – 2 minutes

a.       Cold Weather/ Winter Planning

                                                               i.      Salvation Army is overseeing the process. Lisa had a conversation with Leany from the City. Some challenges occurred this past winter. Meeting next week internally to discuss what the Warming Center will look like for December 2020. No major decisions have been made. Matt also had a decision with Leany, to discuss capacity. Millner school will remain an option with social distancing. Lisa to send out an announcement to group for agencies to join.

                                                             ii.      Enfield Warming Center – Steve is meeting with supervisors and town to start planning. No major plans have been set.

                                                           iii.      Standing Agenda item

b.       Update and Status for Day Shelters and Meal programs

                                                               i.      Mercy – soft opening through July, looking to get PPE and policies in place. Need to figure out funding, the goal is to resolve concerns by August. Day showers and day shelters to open by August. Need to limit the number of people and need to distance clients.

                                                             ii.      Hands on Hartford – meals from 255 B., tents are provided outside on good weather days. Will not be going back downtown until early September. Holiday meals are still occurring, meals to go and tent seating. Looking to provide more sheltering and services. Going out to encampments. No showers at the moment.

                                                           iii.      Sara from JH received a call from Police Department to find out about showers.  

                                                           iv.      Phones – unsheltered and calling 211, any agencies allowing phone usage? Hands on Hartford is allowing phone usage – Monday through Thursday mainly but will allow Fridays as needed.

                                                             v.      Kiosk or phone for 211 – downtown, not to be outdoors but indoors. Bus Stop or Providers building? To be in a lobby. Maybe the lobby of City Hall. South Park Inn is interested in having a conversation about a kiosk.

                                                           vi.      Preference for housing – information to be collected using form. Form to be uploaded to HMIS once completed. YWCA, FSC have started working on it. Form to be resent to CAN.

6.       Announcements – 2 minutes

GH CAN Leadership Meeting Notes 6/24/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, June 24^th via Zoom

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.       Welcome and Introductions – 5 minutes

2.       COVID – 19 – 15 minutes

                                                               i.      Agency Update

1.       CHR – in the process of hiring and interviewing candidates. Sub contracting with Mercy for one RRH employee

2.       YWCA – no major updates

3.       Beacon Health – no major updates

4.       Open Hearth – no major updates

5.       DV – no major updates

6.       MHA – interviewing for positons, actively looking, new HR manager starting tomorrow.

7.       Chrysalis – opened up Rec, max of 10 people, averaging 6 people for this week. Continuing to socially distance.

8.       Mark Jenkins – 12 hours of outreach in field, half day on Saturdays. Seeing clients.

9.       EH Shelter – no major updates. Veterans are also doing well. No cases.

10.   CHR Enfield – no major updates

11.   Mercy – no major updates

12.   Tenesha – no major updates

13.   Danielle – no major update

14.   JH – air mattresses have been delivered, porter pottys have been delivered, hotels are being tested again today. Moving folks from Comfort Inn to Best Western. Extended contract for Meals on Wheels. SA to provide one meal.

15.   DMHAS – no additional reports. Hoping to bring back maybe 30% of employees onsite - challenge for PPE.

3.       CT Dept. of Homeland Security Donation – Sara Wilson – 10 Minutes

a.       Dial Soap has donated units of soap on pallets. Bars of soap, hand soap and liquid body soap. Open to delivering pallets to 5-10 locations. JH can store some. Can be picked up in New Britain. Contact Sara for more information.

b.       JH has a second warehouse with new lodging kits for those who will be housed in the next few weeks.

4.       Statewide ESG-COVID Housing Effort Update –Andrea Hakian and Crane Cesario – 15 minutes

a.       In the process of hiring new RRH case mangers

b.       New referrals

c.       ESG prevention meeting to come soon with Amanda

d.       Webinar tomorrow – to be forwarded to group

e.       ESG funding has been approved and passed from the city – working to coordinate work with JH

5.       Agenda Items – 2 minutes

a.       City of Hartford Updates for ESG

6.       Announcements – 2 minutes

a.       COVID-19 Testing site will be open to the public by appointment at Samuel V. Arroyo Recreation Center at 30 Pope Park Drive. It will be staffed by licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic. To schedule a slot, patients can call Hartford 311 at 860-757-9311, Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a same-day appointment

GH CAN Leadership 6/17/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, June 17^th via Zoom

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.       Welcome and Introductions – 5 minutes

2.       COVID – 19 – 15 minutes

                                                               i.      Agency Update

1.       Lisa from Salvation Army – bring back essential social services staff who operates food pantries, financial assistance, including diversion and homeless prevention starting 7/13/2020, moving around offices for spacing and other protocols. Resources for COVID will be allocated to GH CAN.

2.       Fred – The Open Hearth – begun to open up, resumed employment searches and intakes into TEP and Catherine’s Place from various treatment centers/off the streets if willing to be tested. Looking to open up shelter program fairly soon. TOH will take a client in into isolation until test result comes back. Emphasizing to treatment center that if possible they test prior.

3.       Rebekah – ImmaCare, open! Doing as much by phone as possible, community room upstairs is closed but case managers can meet with clients there if necessary to allow extra space, extra PPE and cleaning stuff in place. Looking at mid-August open date for shelter.

4.       Jen – CHR – no new staff or client COVID cases. Increasing availability to see clients face to face. Most of staff will be home based and come into office as needed. Looking to increase more face to face contact – from emergency basis to normal/routine

5.       Steve Bigler – CRT, no cases at McKinney or East Hartford shelter among staff or clients – working on return to work policy but due to size of agency and funders/mixed use trying to find way to bring back staff and clients in the building at one time. Still remote – all programs are open and doing phone calls and doing case management over phone. Still looking for veterans – VA has reduced restrictions. Does not need NTQ anymore, just need letter from landlord behind on rent and can assist financially. At-risk/unstably housed, let CRT SSVF know.

6.       Crane – no updates on cases at this point. Most staff will stay working remotely until 7/20/2020.

7.       Heather – Interval House – no new updates. Continuing to operate, leaving clients separate in rooms. Non-essential staff at least through July, possibly further working remotely.

8.       Yoshi - South Park Inn- no new COVID cases, keeping staff working, no other changes. Looking at space with Jane to make space more safe given a return to primary site.

9.       Cathy Z – YWCA, no new COVID cases. Continuing to take new cases. Starting to see staff having to go out on CARES leave due to childcare issue, down PSH CM and part time program manager. 

10.   Kara Capone – no new cases to report, return for non-essential employees plan, right amount of PPE, stockpile in anticipation of spikes across the country, Plexiglas – any non-essential staff that can work from home is still working from home – soft opening in July. Watchful waiting.

11.   John Lawlor – The Connection – no positive cases, returning to meeting with staff this Monday.

12.   Kimberly May Miller – chrysalis – no positive cases they are aware of. Opened up administrating on 5/11 – front line staff returned on 5/20/20. Looking back rec entry for participants (10 at a time) lottery process. Have participants who are not ready to come. Looking at volunteer policy. Temperatures are taken on everyone before they’re entering the building everyday – monitoring questions. Identified new CPO – Brian Bonds, will be starting 7/13/2020.

3.       COVID Testing

a.       PPE – Journey Home has been requesting supplies on behalf of CAN, continuing to take requests through Alison – Steve Dilella is asking for another request for PPE – plan to stockpile, did not mention how long so we are using 6 month period – if you want to submit numbers you can, will look at past usage and project out for past 6 months – wants to get request in ASAP while emergency operations center is still operating.

b.       Several statewide task force on testing – protocols – try to do testing as consistently as possible across the state. Successfully tested at two hotels and TOH. Testing at hotels again on 6/24/2020 – if you want all congregate settings get tested – Amanda gathered list before Memorial Day of sites that need to be tested on a continuous basis – plan is locally we have to come up with plan – has to be on us as a CAN To work with healthcare providers to get testing plan in place – no guidelines about how often to get population retested – might be realistic to do it once per month. TOH has been testing every 2 weeks, this coming Wednesday is last of the two weeks series – if numbers continue, will go to monthly. If numbers go up, will bring it back to two weeks. If we go to HHC for testing, need to provide roster up front but roster changes all the time. After each testing, the data is supposed to go into HMIS so ROI needs to be sign with healthcare provider and HMIS ROI. Amanda sending batch info for testing. Moving forward need to figure out who will be doing data upload (each agency will be responsible). Start by going over list of sites and then go to HHC – goal on statewide call was to have every site tested by end of June.

4.       Statewide ESG-COVID Housing Effort Update –Andrea Hakian and Crane Cesario – 15 minutes

a.       RRH combined for GH & Central CAN – Prevention is half hour for GH CAN & then half hour for Central CAN – if interested in joining, please send Matt & Sofina an email so we can send invite to meetings.

b.       Prevention – different strategies that have been named so far – tenant resource center providing legal services & rental arrears/financial assistance and case management services. One per each CAN. Potential sites. Discussed swift factory, CRT’s community centers, Salvation Army’s two sites as potential sites for these services using ESG funds, reaching out to GH legal aid to employ attorney presuming we get funding. Utility assistance covid – telehealth in home for people after COVID. If you have thoughts on what it would take to provide telehealth (technology or services to go to the house with technology, let us know) looking for new ideas as planning eviction/prevention stuff. Increasing diversion capacity in both CANS to provide additional diversion services. Immacare staff will not be doing diversion once shelter opens. Want to increase capacity anyway to increase time with household and not waiting 48 hours to be scheduled. Trying to provide more front end support.

c.       RRH – CHR will be subcontracting to Mercy for at least one staff position – in house for rest of positions. Aggressively trying to recruit staff for open positions – posted 2 full time positions for COVID ESG – also had COC Rapid program that was awarded to CHR starting 7/1/2020 so also hiring full time case manager for that position. Started interviews this week. Andrea shared a form that is normally used for RRH (barriers) and integrated questions from Fair Housing for equity into one combined form. Also had a shared housing roommate form to get preference on roommate situation. Form will be uploaded into HMIS. Do shelters have capacity to have these clients fill these out for head start. Unaffiliated clients at hotels have been assigned case managers. SPI has no issue to complete but uploading may be issue due to technology – can’t do batch format and individually uploading all the time may be issue. Completing surveys is possible. Need better technology for uploading. YWCA thumbs up. Lisa will send out form to case managers and the shared housing form.

5.       Agenda Items – 2 minutes

6.       Announcements – 2 minutes

a.       Crane – Housing Coordinator position will be available – if not state employee already will need to go through background check – has to go through DCF – process can take up to 8 weeks, person who does background checks also retired so may be a lengthy process. Crane will send a job description – posting will be available later.

GH CAN Leadership Meeting: 6/3/2020

GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK MEETING AGENDA

Follow Up Meeting

Wednesday, June 3^rd via Zoom

 1PM – 2:15PM

1.       Welcome and Introductions – 5 minutes

2.       COVID – 19 – 15 minutes

                                                               i.      Agency Updates

1.       Wethersfield results have come back – 1 inconclusive result and others have all come back negative.

                                                             ii.      Any Challenges or successes?

3.       Warming Center Closing Update – 10 minutes

a.       Results came back – 65% combination choice. Those with income = waitlist and those without income to hotels.

b.       1 of 8 have gone to get tested and placed at hotel after results came back negative

c.       With income are working on housing

d.       6 decided not to get tested

e.       1 individual with income is at Traveler Inn

4.       Statewide ESG-COVID Housing Effort Update – Matt Morgan and Crane Cesario – 15 minutes

a.       CHR – call for input

b.       Hartford is receiving ESG funds

                                                               i.      Can city funds be used for extra Diversion dollars?

                                                             ii.      Are available – concern about “double dipping”

                                                           iii.      Over 1 million

                                                           iv.      In communication with local HUD office. HUD – hard to predict where the money is needed. Will revise contract to HUD.

                                                             v.      50% to RRH efforts

                                                           vi.      Other funds are not clear

                                                          vii.      Looking to send out draft next week for approval

                                                        viii.      Additional funds to come – Cares Act, COVID, ESP funding

                                                            ix.      2 year funding – depends on how city writes the contract

c.       Outreach is a gap – once funding is available, maybe hire for homeless outreach

d.       RFQ is due on Friday 6/5/2020 – for HUD ESG, specific to COVID

5.       Hotel Matching Event June 11^th – Lisa Quach – 5 minutes

a.       Partnership with 1000 homes

b.       Start with Best Western Hotel – 124 people who have been identified to be housed

c.       Social distancing ready to be housed event

d.       Units will be pre-inspected, youtube videos of the units, applications, and money orders will be available to not cause delays

e.       Yesterday was the launch

f.        House shares and landlords willing to work with clients

g.       Room shares are available

h.       Clients who do not have case management will have case management

i.         CRT and SPI – ok with clients who want to participate? Can case managers join too if they are working with clients? Yoshi is in support of this event. CHR – open to the opportunity. Flyers will be sent out.

j.         Outdoor event and folks will be 6 feet apart

6.       Data After COVID – Matt Morgan – 10 minutes

a.       Collecting number of those who will be in shelters

b.       Shelter beds to serve more people in the year

c.       Marshall House – stay the same for bed capacity – smaller utilization, no more than one family in a room

d.       EH Shelter – normally at 40 but now will be 20 beds to serve

e.       SPI – normally 85, will most likely loose 20 of 85 bed capacity.

f.        Open Hearth – will move down to 46

g.       McKinney – will loose 30 beds

h.       ImmaCare – hopefully will be able to keep 75 by using the 2^nd floor to continue to serve 75 – Rebekah

i.         Cornerstone – planning to open building next door. 15 people next door. Potentially more capacity.

j.         Interval House/ the Network/ Clairvaux House – no changes

k.       SA Crisis beds – no changes

l.         Marshall House – increase capacity to 23 beds for 2^nd floors

7.       City Recovery Plan After COVID – Matt Morgan – 10 minutes

a.       Attachment from Matt

b.       Local plan only at the moment

8.       Agenda Items – 2 minutes

9.       Announcements – 2 minutes

a.       Survey that was send out is due Friday – for homeless service provider. Crane to provide information.