DV Coordinated Housing Access Point (DVCHAP) - PowerPoint Presentation

1. DV Coordinated Housing Access Point (DVCHAP)Lea Aromin she/her/hersDV Housing Systems CoordinatorCoalition Ending Gender Based ViolenceNov 2020

2. Goals Tell you about the DV Coordinated Housing Access Point (DVCHAP)!Hear from you, get your input! Strengthen existing connections, build new ones!

3. Take notes! QUESTION: what are you curious about or want to hear more on?HOPE: what do you feel hopeful about?CONCERN: what do you feel concern about?MISSING: what do you think is missing?

4. Domestic Violence Coordinated Housing Access Point (DVCHAP)Function as a parallel system to mainstream Coordinated Entry for All in King CountyCoordinates access for DV survivors into DV Housing resourcesNeeds to have the same core components of all Coordinated Entry systems Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandateRisk of noncompliance - absorbed back mainstream CEA systemBrief history and background 2012 CE implemented in King County – DV programs were part of the system2014 CEGV/Member orgs were requested waiver to opt out of the system2015 DV Housing Providers implemented their own informal process2019 DVHSC hired to formally coordinate and solidify DVCE process

5. Historical Background and Context

6. DVCHAP Resources1. Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services’ (ADWAS) A Place of Our Own Supportive Housing (PH)*19 Individual units in confidential location; referrals are taken from the deaf community first and opened up to the DV community second2. Broadview Domestic Violence Transitional Housing ProgramIndividual units in confidential location for up to 12 months3. Broadview Rapid Rehousing ProgramFinancial assistance, advocacy, housing search for up to 12 months4. Consejo Mi Casa Transitional Housing Program4 rooms for families in communal space for up to 24 months5. Consejo Villa Esperanza Transitional Housing Program23 Individual units in confidential location for up to 24 months6. InterIm CDA Solace Domestic Violence Transitional Housing Program5 Individual units for families in confidential location for up to 24 months7. LifeWire  My Friend’s Place – DV Transitional Housing/RRH Joint Component10 Transitional housing combined rapid rehousing program for up to 6-12 months, specific to survivors in recovery from substance use8. LifeWire Rapid Rehousing ProgramFinancial assistance, advocacy, housing search for up to 12 months9. LifeWire Rental Assistance Program Financial assistance, advocacy, housing search for up to 12 months10. The Salvation Army Hickman House DV Transitional Housing Program and RRH/Joint Component 10 Transitional housing combined rapid rehousing program for up to 6-12 months11. YWCA Rapid Rehousing Program Financial assistance, advocacy, housing search for up to 12 months12. YWCA Anita Vista Transitional Housing Program14 Individual units in confidential location for up to 12 months13. New Beginnings City of Seattle RRH Program/Joint Component model with Bridge Housing *17 short term residential housing combined rapid rehousing program; referrals taking through their helpline14. DAWN Permanent Housing, Liberty Square (PH) 6 individual units in confidential location

7. A process that will be survivor-centered, focusing on what works best for survivors, rather than for advocates, programs or agenciesA low-barrier, transparent path to housing options that is easily understood and equitable, reducing the burden placed on survivors to navigate a complicated system Demonstrate a clear commitment to increasing racial equity and addressing disproportionality within the domestic violence housing system Incorporate survivor and community feedback for continuous improvement 

8. Create a clear and consistent way for survivors to access DV housing wherever they may be referred fromCreate a clear and consistent assessment tool, prioritization criteria and standard decision-making process to be used by all DV Housing providersCultivate a culture of trust and collaboration among DV Housing Providers and among the larger community of gender based violence providers in the regionProvide clear and consistent messaging to survivors, providers and the larger community about the structure, purpose, benefits and limitations of the system

9. Our Current System: What It Looks Like Now Via email and on Day One

10. DVCHAP Workgroup Representatives from DV Housing providers and a handful of others from DV programs with no DV-specific housing have met 1-2x a month since August 2019. Key staff, consistent attendance. SG BroadviewYWCA Consejo Counseling and Referral ServicesLifeWireInterIm CDASalvation Army Hickman HouseNew BeginningsSalvation Army CAPDAWNRefugee Women’s Alliance (REWA)NW NetworkJewish Family Services Project DVORA

11. Initial Community Feedback Met late in 2019 and through Spring of 2020 with other agencies that are not part of the DVCHAP workgroup to introduce myself and my work, get feedback of the drafts of the system that we currently had.API ChayaSeattle Indian Health BoardNorthwest Immigrant Rights ProjectAtlantic Street Center Somali Family Safety Task ForceMother Nation DOVE Project Mary’s Place*ADWAS*REWA*

12. Our Current System: What It Looks Like Now Via email and on Day One

13. Proposed DVCHAP System Flow

14. Proposed DVCHAP System Flow: ACCESS

15. Three access points to DVCHAPDV Centralized HelplineEmail listserv of GBV providers in King, Sno, and Pierce CountiesSecondary list of close community partners (TBD)DV Housing Provider posts opening to listserv of GBV providers via email and Gender Based Violence Resource Database (aka Day One)DV Housing Provider gathers submitted assessment packets

16. Proposed DVCHAP System Flow: ASSESSMENT

17. How did we decide on the structure, the questions, the flow? Reviewed assessment tools of DV parallel and integrated systems around the nationLooked at the pros and cons of the current VISPDATReviewed current screening and assessment tools at DV agencies in King CountyDiscussion about different tensions that having an assessment tool brings up

18. DVCHAP Joint Application/Assessment is a phased assessment of three parts.Part 1 Eligibility check – program description ensures that the households understand the program and are making an informed decision to move forward (1 page)Part 2 DV Narrative – provides space to capture the household’s experience of DV as it has led up to their current housing instability (1 page)Part 3 Full Assessment of Resources and Barriers – guided conversation that gathers information for prioritization and exploration of housing options (3 pages)

19. Highlights of the Joint Application Assessment Conversations about explicit and implicit tensionsBrevity v. thoroughnessSurvivor’s stated request/need v. advocate knowledge of services, criteria, availabilityThreading the acknowledgement of systemic racism and its varied impacts on a household’s experience of DV and housing instabilityReframing community

20. Who gets trained on the new tool?Gender based violence agency staff must be trained on the DVCHAP joint application assessment to submit on behalf of the survivors they're working withInitial training at rollout will be mandatory for any one that would be filling out and submittingRefresher and New Hire training will be a combination of webinar and interactive formatThis will be done via the DV agency itself as part of their internal training or by the DVHSCThe webinar will be developed and maintained by CEGVTraining materials will be developed and maintained by CEGV for DV agencies that opt to train their own staff ongoingKey orgs that are identified as close partners of gender based violence agencies will be trained to complete Part 1 and 2 of the tool: Eligibility Check and DV Narrative. Initial training will be conducted by CEGV/DVHSC and will be mandatory for any one that would be filling out and submittingRefresher and New Hire training will be a combo of webinar and interactive formatThis will be done via the DV agency that they partner closely with or by CEGV/DVHSC, if no DV agencies have the capacityIndividuals will be required to attend a refresher training annually to keep abreast of changes and updates to the assessment tool and DVCHAP processCEGV/DVHSC will track who has received the assessment training and is eligible to fill out and submit

21. Proposed DVCHAP System Flow: PRIORITIZATION

22. Black and African Americans; people who identify as Latinx, Native, or Pacific Islander; individuals with disabilities; people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ); incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals; undocumented individuals and mixed-immigration-status families and communities.Native and Pacific IslanderBlack and African AmericanLGBTQSurvivors with disabilitiesImmigrant survivors and undocumented householdInitial Prioritization: Narrowing the PoolPart 1 Which households are disproportionately impacted by domestic violence AND homelessness? HomelessnessDomestic Violence

23. Initial Prioritization: Narrowing the PoolPart 2 “DV IMPACT SCORE”Ask the question: Who is furthest away from the options and resources needed to get more safety and stability?Looking at different ‘life domains’ - What is the impact of DV? How has DV impacted the household? Who is furthest away from opportunities to repair harm? Put that on a scale of 1-5Recognition that the true impact of DV cannot be quantified, is often invisible, may only manifest later on in many intangible and intangible waysSimilar issue to scoring for vulnerabilityHow do you put a number to the complexity of someone’s trauma?Who is responsible for the scoring?Key staff at agency receiving assessments

24. How has domestic violence impacted these ‘life domains?’Housing and Economic Well-BeingEducation and EmploymentCriminal HistoryChild Welfare Involvement/Child Well-BeingCivil Legal IssuesMental Health and Substance usePhysical Health/HealthcareCommunity Support and Connection

25. Initial Prioritization: Narrowing the Pool Score between 1-5Other questions: How do you conceptualize words like: “Impact,” “Barriers,” “Options”, “Safety,” “Restore,” “Access,” etc?1 little to no identified/known impact – DV has had little to no impact in this area and there is ready access to resources and options2 some impact – there are enough resources and options to restore safety and stability and survivor has access with little to no support3 moderate – there are still resources and options to restore safety and stability and access is possible with support; more than there are barriers 4 high – there are less options and resources to move forward and restore safety and stability; perhaps equal to the barriers present; access is limited5 long term – there are more barriers than there are options; intensive advocacy and resources are critical; without which there would be little to no access

26. Proposed DVCHAP System FlowPRIORITIZATION

27. Final Prioritization: Bring to the Cross Agency Case ConferencingDV Housing Provider identifies a date and time to convene case conferencing group made up of DVCHAP Workgroup providers [+ agencies serving marginalized communities] to prioritize and make placement decisionsVirtual meetings indefinitelyPrioritize timeframe that works best for the DV Housing Provider that is hostingDV Housing Systems Coordinator will provide support with convening the groupSize of group will be determined depending on size of host team but will not exceed 8-10 peopleSends invitations to providers eligible to join case conferencing, including DV Housing Systems CoordinatorDV Housing Systems Coordinator will provide facilitation support, as needed.

28. Final Prioritization: Bring to the Group Shared Case Conferencing Gather “top” 5 assessments with the “highest” scoreGroup will have looked at the tracking spreadsheet before the meetingAllow time to ask questions about the other households that did not make it to the pool and why Fist to Five consensus that these are the households that will be discussed; okay to disagree and make adjustments to who is in the pool for discussionFist—a no vote, a way to block consensus. “I need more information about the issues and require changes for this to pass.”1 Finger—“I need to discuss certain issues and can suggest changes that should be made.”2 Fingers—“I am comfortable with the proposal but want to discuss it further.”3 Fingers—“I’m not in total agreement but feel comfortable enough to let this decision pass without further discussion.”4 Fingers—“I think this is a reasonable idea and am not opposed.”5 Fingers —“It’s a great idea and I am a major supporter.”

29. Determine Final Prioritization: Last StepOnce there is consensus of which households will be discussed – facilitate conversation around the following questions:For each household:What are the safety concerns as they relate to housing? What are the ongoing and current issues that act as barriers to safe and stable housing? How is this tied to systemic racism?Other questions to consider regarding safety and lethality:How many times have they tried to leave?What has kept them from establishing a safe and stable home? What has needed to happen in order for them to get where they are right now?Ask again:Which households are disproportionately impacted by domestic violence AND homelessness?

30. Proposed DVCHAP System Flow PLACEMENT

31. Placement and Next Steps Fist to Five consensus process to make a decision on who to bring inWho makes the final decision if there is still disagreement? Options for the ones that don’t get the resource – next steps for follow upShould we ask: Are there other openings coming up for other agencies?Do we keep their assessments on hand for the next opening in the program? [essentially creating a waitlist]Will there be time to discuss other options; how to make the conversation organic?Next steps for follow-up with the household that gets the resource What would a “Co-advocacy agreement” between referring and receiving agencies look like?

32. Timeline: from opening to intake Monday 10/12Tuesday 10/13Wednesday 10/14Thursday 10/15Friday 10/16Post Opening&Send out date/time for cross agency case conferencing to eligible agenciesAs assessments are submitted, staff at receiving agency input info into data tracking sheetAssessments acceptedAssessments accepted Assessments acceptedMonday 10/19Tuesday 10/20Wednesday 10/21Thursday 10/22Friday 10/23Submissions for Assessment closedInitial Prioritization by DV Housing ProviderCross agency case conferencing; final prioritization and consensus on who is offered housing resourceFollow up with household to offer resource Outreach to referring agencies with household that reached final prioritization but did not receive the resourceMonday 10/26Tuesday 10/27Wednesday10/28Thursday10/29Friday10/30If household accepts housing resource, notify all agencies that the opening has closed   By end of 3rd week:Intake completeNecessary documents submitted to applicable third party for processing

33. Timeline: What are the next steps?

34. A few of the next steps … Formal consultation on fair housing law and racial equity implicationsService provider trainings Outreach to homeless housing programsShore up mechanism for submitting the joint application assessmentsSolidify connection with the Centralized DV HelplineFinalize all drafts

35. Small Breakout Room DiscussionQUESTION: what are you curious about?HOPE: what do you feel hopeful about?CONCERN: what do you feel concern about?MISSING: what do you think is missing?