Alameda County Home Stretch - PowerPoint Presentation

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Alameda County Home Stretch

Health Care Services AgencyEmail: Homestretch@acgov.org Phone: 510.891.8938Fax: 855.658.5466Mail: PO Box 29172, Oakland, CA 94612Website: http://everyonehome.org/our-work/home-stretch/Slide2

Topics

OverviewEligibility and PrioritizationDefinitionsProcess OverviewSubmitting a ReferralReferral ProcessingDocument Readiness & Housing NavigationHousing MatchVerificationsExercise: Sample Housing History

Home Stretch Alameda CountySlide3

Overview

A collaboration between:Alameda County Health Care for the HomelessBehavioral Health Care Services, Housing Services OfficeEveryOne HomeKey partners:Alameda County Housing and Community DevelopmentLocal housing authoritiesCounty and community healthcare and housing providersSlide4

Overview

The goal of Home Stretch is to prioritize and streamline access to supportive services and permanent supportive housing for homeless people with disabilities. Specifically, the program aims to:Prioritize persons with highest needs for housing opportunitiesProvide housing navigation support from enrollment to move-in and beyondReduce emergency department visits and inpatient staysReduce law enforcement interactions and time spent incarcerated

Measure housing outcomes

Potentially expand availability of long term affordable and mixed income housing

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Overview

Operationally, the program:Combines data from outreach, healthcare, law enforcement, and emergency medical services to identify high need usersCreates a countywide system of prioritization for permanent supportive housing and supportive servicesMatches individuals with appropriate housing and services Housing NavigationVouchers Existing Programs Home Stretch Alameda CountySlide6

Eligibility and Prioritization

Persons* are eligible for referral to Home Stretch if, at the time of referral, they are both:HUD Literally homeless HUD Disabled18 years or older or an emancipated youthPriority will be given to those that are HUD chronically homeless AND high need

* Families are eligible for Home Stretch if the head of household is eligible.

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Eligibility and Prioritization

Home Stretch has four prioritization categories:Home Stretch Alameda County

Priority Group

Required Documentation

Chronically

Homeless

(HUD)

Disabled

(HUD)

High Need (CoC

)

Literally

Homeless

(HUD)

1

X

X

2

X

3

X

X

X

4

X

XSlide8

Definitions – “Literally Homeless”

An individual or head of household is literally homeless who is:Living on the streets, in a place not meant for human habitation, or in an emergency shelter or safe haven; ORIn an institutional care facility for no more that 90 days, where the individual was literally homeless at the time of entry into the care facility; ORIn transitional housing designated for homeless individuals and it is documented that they were homeless at the time of entry

* Institutional care facilities include jails, licensed inpatient substance abuse facilities, licensed inpatient mental health treatment facilities, hospitals, etc.

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Definitions – “Chronically Homeless”

HUD’s “chronically homeless” definition has three elements: PlaceDurationDisabilityTo be considered chronically homeless, an individual must meet all three elements

Home Stretch Alameda CountySlide10

Chronic Homelessness - Place

The client must be homeless and living in a place not meant for human habitation, in an emergency shelter, or in a safe haven.Home Stretch Alameda County

Image from:

http

://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/01/31/sf-supervisor-fears-booming-tent-cities-could-become-new-homeless-policy/

Image from: http://www.transequality.org/blog/win-hud-tells-homeless-shelters-to-respect-self-identified-genderSlide11

Chronic Homelessness - Duration

The client must have been homeless and residing in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter continuously for at least one year or on at least four separate occasions totalling a minimum 12 months in the last 3 years. Each period separating the occasions must be at least 7 days;

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Client can be diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions:

Substance use disorderSerious mental illnessDevelopmental disabilityPost-traumatic stress disorderCognitive impairments resulting from brain

injury

C

hronic

physical illness or disability

Home Stretch Alameda County

Chronic Homelessness - DisabilitySlide13

Definitions – “High Need”

There are several ways that a person may be determined to be “high need”:

They are high utilizers of inpatient health and/or mental health services;

They have high interactions with law enforcement and/or the criminal justice

system;

They have a high-risk health

condition

;

or

They

have a qualifying score on the VI-SPDAT assessment

tool

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High Need – Law Enforcement & Health Care Utilization

An individual is considered high need if they have experienced at least one of the following in the 12 months prior to referral:High law enforcement

contacts

*

3

or more

incarcerations

5 or more law enforcement contacts

High health care utilization **

3 or more admissions to Cherry Hill Detox or Sobering Station

3 or more medical and/or psychiatric hospitalizations *5 or more Emergency Medical Services transports

* Use Law

Enforcement

3

rd

Party Verification

** Use Health Care Utilization – 3

rd

Party Verification or Clinician’s

Gateway Face

Sheet

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High Need – High Health Risk

A person may also be classified as high need if they meet one of the high-risk categories defined below.

60 years of age or older AND one or more “chronic health conditions”

i.e

heart disease, emphysema/COPD, diabetes, asthma, cancer, or Hepatitis C

Kidney disease (end stage renal disease/dialysis)

History of frost bite, hypothermia, or immersion foot

Liver disease

(

cirrhosis or end stage liver disease)

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High Need – High Health Risk cont.

HIV+/AIDSArrhythmiaSeizure disorder

Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

Trimorbidity

(all of the following):

Mental health, learning, developmental, or cognitive disability

Substance use disorder

Chronic health condition

(heart disease, emphysema/ COPD, diabetes, asthma, cancer, or hepatitis C)

These

conditions must be verified by a licensed health care professional *

*

Use the Health Care Diagnostic Verification form

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High Need – VI-SPDAT

A person also demonstrates high need if they have a score of 8 or higher on the VI-SPDAT.* Single Adults: VI-SPDAT 2.0

Families: VI-FSDAPT 2.0

Transition age Youth: TAY – VI-SPDAT 1.0

*A score higher than 8 does not increase the priority level.

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Home Stretch Process Overview

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Submitting a Referral

Determine eligibilityComplete Home Stretch Referral Packet:Fax Cover SheetSigned Home Stretch Consent to Release of Information (ROI)

InHOUSE

Standard

Intake

High Need

Verification

and Supporting Documents (if applicable)

Contact InformationSubmit by fax or mail:Fax: 855.658.5466Mail: PO Box 29172, Oakland, CA

94612

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Referral Processing – Home Stretch Staff

Review referral and provide feedbackDetermine eligibility and prioritization by HMIS Standard Intake and supporting documents

Enter eligible individuals and households into HMIS

If client has no housing navigator, link with housing navigator based on priority and capacity

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Document Readiness

Clients who are in the Home Stretch registry must have all housing match documents submitted and verified before they will be eligible for housing match.Home Stretch Alameda CountySlide22

The following housing match documents are

required for a single applicant or head of household:Required Forms:Housing Profile FormGovernment- issued photo IDSocial Security CardVets verification (if applicable)Disability verification (specific type, if applicable to client) – serious mental illness, HIV/AIDS, developmental disability, substance use disorder

(dated within 60 days)

Housing History

Homelessness

Verification

(dated within 60 days)

Recommended Forms:

Income Verification

Tenant Resume/Sample Housing ApplicationTenant/Credit History Report Other Documents from Household Members or Special Needs (see Home Stretch Documentation Checklist for further info)

Home Stretch Alameda CountyDocument ReadinessSlide23

Housing Match

When PSH opportunity becomes available, Home Stretch matches a client through the following steps:Home Stretch Alameda CountySlide24

Connection to PSH

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PSH ServicesMoving-In and Transitioning– Important to help complete in partnership with Housing Navigator if available for client/tenant as part of service transition process.

Support with completing core housing tasks: rental agreements, utilities, methods for paying rent, obtaining furniture, etc. Help develop skills relevant to living in a residential community: conflict resolution, communication skills, raising concerns with neighbors and landlords, etc.Develop a housing crisis response plan outlining plans if challenges arise that may jeopardize housing stabilityProvide ongoing support services to help maintain housing stabilitySlide26

Homelessness and Disability Verifications

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Documenting HUD Homelessness

Types of Verifications Recognized by HUDOrder of priority for obtaining verification:Third-party documentation (can use HMIS records)Self Certification (only if unable to obtain other forms of documentation)If third-party evidence could not be obtained, efforts made to obtain third-party documentation

3 months of a one year period can be self certification, the other 9 months must be third party, intake observation, or HMIS recordsSlide28

Documenting HUD HomelessnessVerification must include:

Date of verificationName of clientStart and end date, as well as specific conditions of each homeless episodeClient and/or third party signatureThird party verifications must be written on agency letterheadHome Stretch Alameda CountySlide29

Documenting Chronic Homelessness

Use the Home Stretch Housing History Form to list each episode of homelessness starting with the current living situation and going back 3 years (in reverse chronological order).Determine what form of verification can be obtained for each episode of homelessness listed on the form.Obtain all verifications needed to verify each individual episode used to document chronic homelessness. Slide30

Documenting Chronic Homelessness

Obtain documentation of a disability from a professional licensed by the state to diagnose and treat the disability and his or her certification that the disability is expected to be of long-continuing or of indefinite duration and substantially impedes the individual’s ability to live independently OR written verification from the Social Security Administration OR the receipt of a disability check. NOTE: For Home Stretch, documentation from a licensed professional is preferable as this documentation can help qualify individuals for disability specific services and housing opportunities that the other forms of documentation may not provide. Slide31

Roger Rabbit has been homeless multiple times in the past three years. From 7/1/13-7/6/14 he was homeless near Grove and 580 in Hayward. He worked with the HOPE Project from 10/1/13 - 7/6/14. Then he went to stay with family for two months.

From 9/1/14 - 12/5/14 he stayed at EOCP emergency shelterAfter the shelter, he returned to the streets near Grove and 580 from 12/5/14 - 1/6/16 and regularly interacted with outreach workers from the HOPE Project.Right after New Year’s, he went and stayed at his sister’s house for 9 days. While at his sister’s house, he was able to get into the BOSS South County Homeless Project shelter and stayed there from 1/15/16-3/1/16. After exiting the shelter, he went back to his sister’s house from one month before returning to the streets in Hayward near Foothill and A St. While living on the streets he began working with the HOPE Project again.Slide32

Exercise: Sample Housing History

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Questions?

Contact usHomestretch@acgov.orgphone: 510.891.8938fax: 855.658.5466PO Box 29172, Oakland,

CA 94612

http://everyonehome.org/our-work/home-stretch/

Home Stretch Alameda County