GREATER HARTFORD COORDINATED ACCESS NETWORK
MEETING NOTES
WEDNESDAY, May 27th, 2015
NEXT MEETING: WEDNESDAY, June 3rd, 1:30 –
3:30 pm
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In Attendance:
Rubi Alegria – Mercy Housing and Shelter
Brian Baker – South Park Inn
Janet Bermudez – Hands On Hartford - MANNA
Aisha Brown – CHR Enfield
Crane Cesario – DMHAS
Roger Clark – ImmaCare
Stephanie Corbin – CHN
Bryan Dixon – InterCommunity
Alfredo Echevarria – ImmaCare
Bryan Flint – Cornerstone
Chris Fortier – The Open Hearth
Amanda Girardin – Journey Home
Ruby Givens-Hewitt – My Sisters’ Place
Tenesha Grant – Mercy Housing and Shelter
Mollie Greenwood – Journey Home
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Andrea Hakian – CHR
Amber Higgins – CHR Manchester
Steve MacHattie - ImmaCare
Gerilyn Maciel – Salvation Army Marshall House
Philomena McGee – CHR Enfield
Brittany King – The Open Hearth
John Oliver – Chrysalis Center
Heather Pilarcik – South Park Inn
Patricia Pollicina – Chrysalis Center
Chris Robinson – Chrysalis Center
Rob Soderberg – CHR Manchester
Sandra Terry – CRT
Sarah Trench – Journey Home
Leslie Wilper – Cornerstone
Tamara Womack – My Sisters’ Place
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1. Introductions & GH-CAN Meeting Notes for last week, 5/20/2015 (emailed)
We sent good wishes to Matt who is on vacation this week,
with thanks for all the hard work of leading the GH CAN for so long!
2.
Review of Updated Chronic Maybes List – Today we are hoping to figure out who can work with some
of the “Maybe Chronic” listed clients as part of preparing for next week’s soup
kitchen / shelter initiative. Everyone
who is in Tier 1 that we have found has been matched to housing or is MIA or in
a program/inpatient/incarcerated, however, we do not believe that we have
located all of the Tier 1 highest priority chronically homeless individuals in
our region yet. Because of these
concerns, the group reviewed a list of clients who have reported at least one
year of homelessness and a disability either in a CAN appointment, or in their
UHA. These are clients whose length of
homeless history could not be verified by information available in HMIS, and for
whom we need further evidence from frontline staff to verify chronic status. This is a challenging yet necessary task.
a.
The Chronic
Maybes List was presented to the group.
The Journey Home staff have been working to track down clients who
report being chronically homeless, and trying to create timelines. Last week’s GH CAN meeting had us looking at
folks who are categorized into the second tier of HUD’s prioritization for
placement in permanent supportive housing.
GH CAN staff believes there are probably clients in the community that
we have not yet identified who have higher service needs than those second tier
clients we have reviewed already. We
also received feedback from leadership that we should focus VI-SPDAT Scores of
10 or higher for PSH.
b.
Right now,
we’re using our assessment concern tool to override problematic VI-SPDATs. The full SPDAT will help us validate someone who
appears to warrant a higher VISPDAT score.
The VI-SPDAT is a triage tool, and the full SPDAT is an assessment
tool. We know we see individuals
experiencing homelessness who are underreporting their disability status. Some lower priority
clients may actually be higher than indicated, but we believe that is a
relatively small number. The creator of
the VI-SPDAT has urged us to utilize the full SPDAT tool to reassess those
whose scores are not reflected accurately.
We do not currently have any staff trained. There is an effort underway by CCEH, with
possible DOH and DMHAS funding, for training which is estimated to cost nearly $10,000. Until we have staff trained in our region, we
will continue to utilize the assessment concern form, available at www.journeyhomect.org/projects/gh_can.
c.
We still need
to sort out are how to list folks who are incarcerated, and people who refuse
housing. They need to stay on our radar
for housing, as do those who are institutionalized/incarcerated, but were
initially eligible for our priority list and some housing programs.
d.
While
reviewing the Chronic Maybe list, Tony Mack, outreach staff at ImmaCare, was
able to identify many of the clients in question. It will be helpful for staff trained in
assessments to work with outreach staff.
Amanda will be going out later this week with Tony to help those folks
who look high priority complete the necessary assessments.
e.
Following
last week’s GH CAN meeting, Journey Home referred the clients who scored with an
eligible VI-SPDAT score range to the CT Rapid ReHousing Program operated by CHR.
3.
Next meeting we need to bring the (unsheltered clients)
forms. We need to work on this
list.
4.
100 Day CAN Data Update as of 5/20/15:
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Population
Housed
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Prior to
100 Day Campaign
11/17/14
– 3/10/15
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During
100 Day Campaign
3/11/15 –
Present
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CHRONIC
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PSH
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57
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PSH
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36
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Rapid
ReHousing
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0
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Rapid
ReHousing
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1
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Total
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57
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Total
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37
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NON-CHRONIC
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Transitional
Housing
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78
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Transitional
Housing
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55
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Rapid
ReHousing
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60
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Rapid
ReHousing
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38
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Total
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136
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Total
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93
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5. Announcements
a. There is a client from the document
fair who requested his birth certificate be mailed to a specific location- that
birth certificate has been returned to City Hall. Mollie announced that client’s name, but no
staff knew the whereabouts of the client.
Mollie will attempt to call the client.
If anyone encounters this client, please call Journey Home so they can
get connected with their documents.
b.
Crane
distributed several pages of additional reading material and information. The
first is HUD’s 2014 Prioritization Guidance about System Performance
Measurement, created by the Balance of State COC. The second is a myth-buster about public
housing authorities and policy on restrictions of eligible applicants. Two articles from Iain De Jong, developer of
the VI-SPDAT were included. One is about street outreach in the era of
Coordinated Access, and how we can evolve as a community. We know a lot of this as well, but it pushes
us further towards housing first. The
next article is “Does everyone who is CH need PSH?” While we know this is not
true, we also have learned from what Amber discussed that RRH doesn’t work for
everyone. The articles are good food for
thought, and will be interesting pieces to reference for future conversations.
6. GH CAN Stats Update – See p. 2
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Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network
Statistics
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Updated as of May 26th,
2015
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Changes from last week
have been bolded
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Topic
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Data
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Comments
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Coordinated Entry
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Total Number of GH CAN Assessment Appointments Per Week
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89
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Total Number of Hours at Drop In Centers
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15 Hours per week
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6 hrs at
Chrysalis Center Thurs.
3 hours at
CHR Manchester on Thurs
3 hours at
Hands on Hartford
3 hours at
Center Church
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No-Show Rate for March, 2015
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65%
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557
Appointments Scheduled for March
194
Appointments Completed
35%
Attendance to appointments
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No-Show Rate for April, 2015
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71%
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29%
Attendance to appointments
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Next Available Appointment
Slot: Individual Men
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7/27/15
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Booking out 6 days further since last week
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Next Available Appointment
Slot: Individual Women
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7/28/15
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Booking out 6 days further since last week
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Next Available Appointment
Slot: Families
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7/28/15
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Booking out 5 days further since last week
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Total Number of CA HMIS Data
System Modifications
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304
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That is 13 fewer cases to resolve compared to last
week.
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Coordinated Exit
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Total Number of New Available Housing Units Reported to GH CAN this
week
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0
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As a
reminder, all units must be submitted through the Housing Availability
Report: http://goo.gl/forms/j5iWZBqKVR
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Housing Units Awaiting
Referrals
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5
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Next Steps Enfield, Chrysalis BOS, ImmaCare RAP
Please note,
this does not include any units that have already received referrals. If those referrals do not pan out,
additional referrals may be made.
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Total Number of Available Housing Units Reported through GH CAN in
2015
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84
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Available
Units have been reported in the following programs: MSP TLP, CRT PSH, CRT
Project Teach, Chrysalis Veteran’s Support, Chrysalis Family Matters, Mercy
DMHAS RAP, CRT Bloomfield Scattered
Site, Mercy St. Elizabeth, Shelter Plus Care, Chrysalis Project HEARRT 20,
Chrysalis BOS
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Total Number of Available Housing Units expected for 100 Days Team
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92
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These are
from a variety of programs. Some units are available immediately, others in
the next few months.
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Total Number of Rapid
Re-Housing Referrals this week
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8
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Salvation Army Marshall House’s two
Rapid Re-Housing programs are temporarily closed.
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100 Day Campaign
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Total Number of Clients on
Prioritized List
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170
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This list is comprised of clients who have a
length of time homeless that could classify them as chronically homeless.
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On Prioritized List, number of
clients with UHA
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80
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This number is clients who are not yet housed but
who have completed a Universal Housing Application
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On Prioritized List, number of
clients with a navigator
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36
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This number is all of the clients who are not yet
housed, but who have a navigator assigned.
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On Prioritized List, number of
clients conditionally matched
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40
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On Prioritized List, number of
clients housed in 100 Day
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35
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31 were housed through GH CAN programs
4 obtained independent housing
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Clients housed through RRH or
Transitional Housing during the 100 Day Campaign
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94
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With the exception of 1 client housed through CT
RRH, we do not believe any of these clients are chronically homeless.
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7.
Soup Kitchen and Shelter June 1st
initiative –
a.
Next week, we
are asking staff to commit to helping assess clients who visit soup kitchens or
food pantries in order to gather necessary assessments for clients who have not
yet attended a CAN appointment.
b.
If you are
interested in helping with this effort, please contact Crane.cesario@ct.gov and mollie.greenwood@journeyhomect.org. We need staff
who are able to assist during soup kitchen hours including lunch and dinner times. We can complete paper assessments if
necessary to try and gather as much information as possible. Janet B. of MANNA will send hours. Please note the beginning of the month is a
bit slower, but that may make it easier to connect with people.
8.
Department of Housing: Commissioner and Deputy
Commissioner visit on June 3
a.
This meeting
will be an opportunity to talk about the challenges and successes our region
has had with coordinated access. As a
component of this meeting, we are asking agencies to determine what the direct
and indirect costs have been to operate as part of this coordinated access
network.
Please send information about CAN costs in your agency to mollie.greenwood@journeyhomect.org and crane.cesario@ct.gov as soon as possible.
b.
We plan to
discuss the many great things our region has accomplished, including an
immediate shelter need protocol, the Document Fair, the total number of people
housed, the Universal Housing Application, the identification and
prioritization of our chronically homeless population, a sustainability plan
for after the 100 days, trainings in UHA, VI-SPDATs, and CAN appointments, and
most of all, the collaboration of all the participating agencies in GH CAN.
c.
Areas that we
think we could improve include locating disconnected clients, managing
information to ensure that it is constantly up to date, backlog of GH CAN
appointments, navigation, HMIS data issues, and landlord recruitment.
d.
Areas that
our region needs assistance includes lowering 211 wait times, the backlog of
appointments, pre-screening before scheduling appointments for people, developing
navigator roles, navigation training, SPDAT training, diversion funds,
assistance with CAN management/staffing, and landlord recruitment/engagement,
assistance working with housing authorities.
9.
Navigator Configuration-
a.
At last
week’s GH CAN meeting, the 100 Day Team requested that all agencies devote 2
people to take on the role of navigator in addition to their other responsibilities. Similar to the way that other full time staff
have taken on the role of DSC’s for CAN appointments, the team has recognized a
need for all agencies to allocate staff time to navigation activities.
b.
The 100 Day
Team is in the process of creating a guidebook to help lay out the timeframes
and expectations for any staff who takes on the role of navigator.
c. We recognize that some contracts are already set, and
there may not have been funding allocated by agencies for this role. We also recognize that many agencies have
already taken on a lot of additional work during the implementation of
Coordinated Access, and know that available resources and their configuration needs
to be an ongoing conversation in the community.
10. Assessment Concern/SPDAT: for Changes
to VI-SPDAT Score
a.
Until we have any staff trained in the full
SPDAT tool, we will continue to temper scores that aren’t reflecting client
need accurately by using the Assessment Concern Form, available at www.journeyhomect.org/projects/gh_can and
discussing cases in the Housing Referral Group as needed.
11. Housing Referrals
a. Review Pending Referrals –
i.
We
reviewed all pending referrals in the GH CAN for status updates. There are a number of clients who will be
signing leases on June 1.
b. Missing, Unsheltered Lists -
i.
In
future weeks Journey Home will bring the list of missing and unsheltered
clients that they have compiled and seek more information from frontline staff.
c. New Referrals –
i.
Two
new referrals were made, one for CHR Enfield and one for CHR Manchester. These were the only PSH Tier 1 Priority
clients that had been located prior to this meeting. Hopefully, after the soup kitchen initiative
next week we will have located more PSH Tier 1 clients to refer.
GH CAN Coordinators:
Matt Morgan,
Journey Home matt.morgan@journeyhomect.org
Crane W Cesario,
CRMHC – DMHAS crane.cesario@ct.gov
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