Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network
Leadership Committee
Wednesday, August 10th, 2016
In Attendance: Brian Baker - South Park Inn, Crane Cesario - DMHAS, Cat Damato - CRT, Fred Faulkner - The Open Hearth, Nate Fox - Center Church, Louis Gilbert - ImmaCare, Tomiko Grant - Salvation Army Marshall House, Mollie Greenwood - Journey Home, Andrea Hakian - CHR, Steve Hurley - Journey Home, Aaron Jones - US. Department of Veterans Affairs, John Lawlor - The Connection, Dave Martineau- Mercy Housing, Matt Morgan - Journey Home, Theresa Nicholson - Chrysalis Center, Diane Paige-Blondette - My Sisters' Place, Heather Pilarcik - South Park Inn, Amy Robinson - US Department of Veterans Affairs, Deborah Ullman - YWCA, Tamara Womack - My Sisters' Place
1.
Welcome
and Introductions
2.
Zero:
2016 Progress – 90 in 90 Updates
a. We reviewed our data regarding progress
towards getting 90% of our chronically homeless clients document ready within
90 days, and saw that although we have
identified a lot of people as potentially chronic, almost all of those clients
still need to complete disability verifications.
b. We also looked at the numbers for
other parts of the state to compare our progress.
c. In order to successfully complete the
90 in 90 challenge, we need to get 90% of our chronically homeless clients
document ready and matched to housing by October 1st. They do not necessarily need to be housed by
October 1st.
d. Crane asked whether we thought we
would have sufficient housing stock to then house all of the households who are
being identified as chronically homeless.
i.
Theresa
indicated that there is a new program opening in Stafford Springs through
Chrysalis for individual chronically homeless veterans. If no chronically homeless veterans have been
identified in our region, the program can then serve literally homeless
veterans. If no literally homeless
veterans have been identified, the program can then serve chronically homeless
individuals.
ii.
In
addition to this, Chrysalis is in the process of obtaining 20 certificates
through the City of Hartford, which will be paired with CABHI services.
iii.
Matt
provided an update on the Chronically Homeless / PSH Preference for the City of
Hartford Housing Choice Voucher Program- as of this meeting 18 households had
been identified as interested in moving on from PSH into these new programs and
were beginning the application process.
1. Crane requested that Matt send a
reminder out to the PSH case managers about this program and the process.
3.
GH
CAN Processes and Timing for Housing Referrals – Crane Cesario
a. How can we keep Coordinated Exit
functioning so RRH and PSH programs get eligible referrals quickly?
i.
One
thing we have learned over the past year is that it often takes much longer to
house households who are chronically homeless.
ii.
There
are often delays in housing to get people document ready enough for referral,
but many programs require additional documentation in addition to homeless verification
and disability verification, and obtaining these additional documents can
create further delays.
iii.
One
of the consequences of these delays is that some grants are underspending on
their rental assistance, and any rental assistance that isn’t spent by the end
of the funding year can be recaptured by HUD, so we are running the risk of
losing funding because of these delays.
iv.
In
addition, occupancy rates in PSH are something that is taken into consideration
by the Continuum of Care during the ranking and scoring process, so programs
who are under occupancy because of delays in the housing process are at risk of
getting lower scores in the ranking and scoring process.
1. Theresa suggested re-addressing this
issue with the Balance of State Continuum of Care, because these delays in
housing have been largely due to the many changes as a part of the CAN process,
and are going to be continual changes with households who are the hardest to serve.
v.
As
we move forward, it will be helpful for this group to strategize on how to
handle PSH programs that are underspending due to delays.
4.
Disability
Verifications – Theresa Nicholson
a. Trish Pollicina of the Chrysalis
Center has been assisting with completing Disability Verifications but we need
to identify other resources in the community to help get these forms completed.
b. Andrea of CHR expressed that they
have LCSW staff who would be willing to assist with this process, and that it
seems worthwhile to figure out a plan for bringing a big group of clients to
one of their assessment centers to do a “blitz”.
c. Crane also explained that DMHAS is
hoping to complete a data match between households who have been DMHAS clients in
the past and CAN priority lists. DMHAS
has identified a staff person who could complete disability verification forms
for any households who appear on this data match. Currently this process is being reviewed by
the Attorney General and we expect to operationalize in September.
d. Crane, Theresa, and Andrea would like
to work further on this planning, Mollie will provide them with the current
list of potentially chronic households who need disability verification forms completed
to continue planning.
-
5.
Outreach
Policy – See p. 2
a. In the last Leadership Committee
meeting, during the review of the different subcommittee reports, the group
determined that the outreach group doing only case conferencing was not fully
covering the scope of what was needed in the outreach committee, and that this
group needed to expand some of its work.
i.
One
request from leadership is that the outreach subcommittee put together a card
that could be handed out to clients who they find unsheltered with a number of
who they should contact.
ii.
Another
thing we discussed is the importance of having all outreach providers, even
those who are not federally or state funded, participating in the process.
iii.
Leadership
finally identified that Nate Fox could serve as a liason between the Outreach
Committee and Leadership Committee.
6.
Cold
Weather Planning ‘16-’17 – Lou Gilbert, Nate Fox
a. At a recent meeting for the City of
Hartford, city representatives identified ImmaCare as hosting a No Freeze
shelter for the upcoming winter season.
b. ImmaCare has expressed on a number of
occasions, including at sub-COC meetings, that they will not be hosting a
No-Freeze shelter this year, because the limits of the current staffing and
space would be a disservice to the clients.
c. A big concern for this year is
ensuring that whatever cold weather protocol we institute does not create side
doors into the shelters, but instead best serves all who are seeking shelter
during the winter.
d. Nate Fox volunteered to lead a
planning process with local providers who are interested in Cold Weather
Protocol for this winter.
e. The next Hartford City Council
Meeting will be September 12th, and Brian Baker of South Park Inn
will be bringing up the cold weather planning.
7.
Chronically
Homeless Households – Holding Shelter Beds? – Mollie Greenwood
a. Kara and Mollie met with South Park
Inn last week to discuss the shelter bed entry process, and one idea we came up
with was potentially reserving a bed at each shelter for chronically homeless
households to ensure that we have immediate access to shelter for chronically
homeless unsheltered households as soon as they are identified.
b. Leadership had some concerns around
funding and procedure for this, but not enough time to discuss at this
meeting. We will revisit this at the
next meeting.
8.
Security
Deposit Guarantee Program Update – Matt Morgan
a. The Department of Housing had to
close the previous operation of the Security Deposit Guarantee Program because of
budgetary constraints, but has maintained a small pool of funding that will be
available to the CANs to assist households who are chronically homeless, moving
into subsidy programs.
- The Next Steps Tool will be
implemented across the state of Connecticut in late August. – John Lawlor
- CT HMIS: You can view the
HMIS No Show Policy by clicking this link: CT HMIS Training No Show/Cancellation Policy
- CT HMIS: The new cthmis.com and new training
registration websites http://training.nutmegit.com/ have been launched last month. Please take some time
to review both sites as they have very useful information for all HMIS
users.
- CT HMIS: Effective 8/1/16,
no more than 2 people per agency can be registered for the same class.
If an agency needs to send 3/4 people to the same class, they need
to choose a different date for the extra person(s).
- RAPID REHOUSING REFERRALs
will only be happening at GH CAN Coordinated Exit Meetings in the future.
- Duty Services Coordinators
had a meeting Wednesday, August 3rd, and are planning another
meeting next month.
Smartsheets Shelter Waitlist Preliminary Data 7/27-8/10
|
Shelters
|
Number of Households Contacted Off Waitlist
|
Number of Households Sheltered Off Waitlist
|
|
Cornerstone
|
0
|
0
|
|
East Hartford
|
11
|
3
|
|
ImmaCare
|
14
|
8
|
|
Marshall House
|
11
|
4
|
|
McKinney
|
20
|
9
|
|
Open Hearth
|
10
|
8
|
|
South Park Inn (Men)
|
30
|
16
|
|
South Park (Women and Families)
|
17
|
8
|
|
YWCA
|
6
|
5
|
|
My Sister’s Place
|
6
|
2
|
|
Total number of people on waiting list
|
Total number of men on waiting list
|
Total number of women on waiting list
|
Total number of families on waiting list
|
|
214
|
64
|
81
|
71
|
|
Total number of people unsheltered
|
Total of men unsheltered
|
Total number of women unsheltered
|
Total number of families unsheltered
|
|
52
|
27 (4 chronic)
|
14 (1 chronic)
|
11 (0 chronic)
|
Zero:16
Housing Data
|
Data Element
|
Number
|
Notes
|
|
Number of chronically homeless
individuals housed since March 2015
|
194
|
This includes clients housed
through GH CAN programs as well as through other subsidies or independent
housing
|
|
Estimated number of chronically
homeless individuals who need to be housed by the end of 2016
|
155
|
79 of these individuals are
currently referred to a housing program
|
|
76 of these individuals are not
currently referred to a housing program
|
||
|
Percentage of Clients who have
gotten Document Ready
|
76%
|
This number includes all households
who have completed Homeless Verification and Disability Verifications who are
active, matched, or have been housed.
|
|
Number of chronic clients not
yet Document Ready
|
83
|
This is the number of people who
still need to complete Homeless and Disability Verification forms who are
unmatched.
|
|
Housing Connection Rate
|
31
|
Individuals are constantly
coming into and out of the system. Journey Home believes that a rate of
31 households per month is accurate considering the fluctuation in
population.
|
GH CAN Coordinated
Outreach Committee
Outreach & Engagement Leadership Subcommittee
The purpose of this leadership subcommittee is to identify
and resolve gaps and make
improvements in the Greater Hartford CAN’s homeless outreach and inreach
system. This group will focus on ways to ensure that the GH CAN’s
outreach strategy meets the requirements set forth in the USICH Guidance “
Criteria and Benchmark for Achieving the Goal of Ending Chronic
Homelessness”. This includes making sure that 1) there is an outreach
schedule that ensures 100% geographic coverage and provides at least
weekly outreach to all known unsheltered locations; 2) all outreach data
is entered into HMIS so that data is incorporated into the By Name List; 3)
outreach is proactively looking for new unsheltered individuals or those
returning to the system, particularly those that are chronically homeless; 4)
outreach efforts are effectively connected to the coordinated entry process; 5)
unsheltered individuals experiencing chronic homelessness are continually
offered low-barrier access to shelter and housing and; 6) establish a process
by which all unsheltered individuals can be easily connected or referred to
outreach services. Following the identification of gaps, and polices to
alleviate them, this committee will provide oversight to ensure the
implementation of these policies and procedures within the various CAN agencies
providing outreach and engagement services.
Homeless Outreach & Inreach Case Conference
The purpose of this GH CAN Subcommittee is to regularly
review the By Name List of individuals known to be residing in a place not
meant for human habitation. This includes 1) the identification of any newly
unsheltered individuals; 2) the assignment of unsheltered individuals to a
navigator/ outreach/ inreach worker; 3) discussing the document readiness of
these individuals; 4) identifying which if these individuals are chronically
homeless or potentially chronic; 5) ensuring that these individuals complete a
VI-SPDAT assessment and get on the By Name List; 6) ensuring that these
individuals are regularly offered low barrier shelter or housing and; 7)
helping connect unsheltered individuals to housing programs following their
being matched to housing. The committee shall minimally include all
outreach workers and representatives from soup kitchens funded by the federal,
State or Local government to provide such services. The committee will
proactively seek to engage outreach staff that do so on a volunteer basis,
including churches, as well as social service agencies, police departments, and
other institutions that may come in contact with the unsheltered population.
