Coordinated Entry Committee Meeting

July 20, 2015

In attendance: Debby Hennon, Jennifer Brown, Madra Clay, Vicki Vascile, Bill Connoly, Allyson Rose, Heather Pirl and Sandy Harber

A.Agenda

  1. Check timeline

HUD definition-6/23

County Contacts and Info-7/30

Plan a meeting-Mid August

Review provided documentation- 9/10

First Draft to COC-9/24

Tool provided at COC board meeting for comment- 10/1/15

  1. Finish defining housing options
  1. Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing for HUD’s Priority and Transitional Housing –Other, Permanent Supportive Housing and Permanent Housing (Private, SRO’s , Section 8, RR, HP, Housing Authority ,VASH and ESG)
  1. Permanent Housing: housing can be kept for as long as they choose and abide by rental or program regulations of an established lease. Housing can be subsidized or unsubsidized.
  2. Emergency Shelter: short term stay when no other housing option is immediately available or appropriate.
  3. Transitional Housing: short term, limited stay, of up to 24 months, and does not qualify for permanent supportive housing programs. No other housing option is immediately available or appropriate and supportive needs indicate the necessity for a more intense support system to assure success in permanent housing.
  4. Permanent Supportive Housing: persons who require supportive services that meet HUD’s definition of disabling conditions.
  1. Review Priorities
  1. Chronic Homeless
  2. Veterans
  3. Elderly
  4. Domestic Violence
  5. Youth
  6. Disability
  7. Homeless Reentry
  8. Substance Abuse
  9. HOPWA
  10. Criminal History

(D&A)(Sexual History)

  1. Families will be a priority over individuals in all categories.
  1. Planning August Meeting
  1. Meeting: Coordinated Entry: How it Will Impact Your Services

HUD is requiring all COC’s to implement a coordinated entry system for housing, homeless services and mainstream services. If you are receiving this invitation your agency will be impacted by this requirement.

  1. August 12th, Caring Place in Warrendale, PA , 1:00pm -3:00 pm
  2. Agenda
  1. Introductions and promise to end at 3pm
  2. Regional overview, structure (RHAB, LHOT, representation on the board)- (5 mins) Allyson Rose
  3. Explanation of coordinated assessment – why HUD is requiring it, $, what it looks like now and what it should look like in the future, buy in, cost of homelessness to the system and personal examples of our buy in (10 mins)- Jen Brown
  4. Review Basic Thought process, thoughts behind the priorities and others ( 30 mins) (include definition of chronic homeless)Debby Hennon
  5. Their identified responsibilities –to share foreseen barriers, follow through with clients and feedback for the committee that will be used and valued. (10 mins). Bill Connolly
  6. Concerns , Time for input, Basic questions/ info gathering ( 60 mins) Madra Clay- Vicki V and Heather P will take notes
  1. Buy in
  2. Expert Advise
  3. Questions

What does your current system look like?

How do you see this system helping /complicating your process?

What are the barriers you see to this new process and to the groups we are serving?

What is working that you are afraid you may lose in this process?

What are the gaps?

Are you using housing first and do you know what housing first is?

  1. Invitations to be distributed to county contacts and ask that they distribute it to the identified agencies
  1. County Representative and job description
  1. Liaison to the community and service providers
  2. LHOT/Housing Coalition Mediator
  3. Complete Questionnaire
  1. What is your current process/ who is involved
  2. Request Housing inventory – Provider and contact information
  3. Barriers to housing and mainstream resources
  4. What housing programs accept sex offenders
  1. Testing the tool- who/when/how?
  1. COC Board
  1. Next Steps
  1. Pick a tool: Look at the Alliance Coordinated Assessment Tool and the Vi-SPADT ;Allyson will compare similarities and differences of the tool for the next meeting.
  2. Start the flow chart process
  1. Additional Agenda items for future meeting :
  1. Determine a Process
  1. Write Procedures
  2. Talk about how people will be entering the system
  3. What happens when a referral is refused by the person
  1. Debbie will have regular calls after our committee meetings with the RHAB chairs to review what has been accomplished and where we are going.
  2. Review of each representative committee members counties
  1. Current intake process
  2. Who decides referrals
  3. Who connects to mainstream services
  4. What are your gaps in housing services

B.Can the Coordinated Entry Committee make the process so that counties are focused on first, then the region…etc?

C.Further Discussion will be necessary on whether or not someone is still considered homeless if they refuse an available housing option.

D.Is the coordinated entry process going to Housing First?

Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday August 3rd from 10:00 to 3:00 pm in Butler County. We will meet in the Butler County Human Services Office located on the 2nd floor of the Government Center. The address is 124 West Diamond Street Butler, PA 16001. You will enter through the main entrance of the Government Center and take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Exit the elevator to the right and our office is at the end of the hall. Parking: Metered Parking is available in the tier garage. I have attached directions to the garage. Once in the garage, exit from the first floor and walk up the brick alley (there is a currently construction for our new building) and the government center entrance will be on your right.