Zarrow Mental Health Symposium Coordinated Entry: HUD Rules and Tools September 2016

Coordinated Entry: HUD Rules & Tools A review of effective coordinated entry processes and discussion of tools and resources available to CoCs. Marcy Thompson, HUD Irene Peragallo, CSH Matt White, Abt Associates

Coordinated Entry Primary Goals 1.CoC homeless assistance is allocated as effectively as possible – Prioritize assistance to those most vulnerable and with the greatest severity of service needs 2.CoC homeless assistance is easily accessible no matter where or how people present – People receive assistance in a timely manner 3

Coordinated Entry is… 24 CFR defines centralized or coordinated assessment as: “…a centralized or coordinated process designed to coordinate program participant intake assessment, and provision of referrals. A centralized or coordinated assessment system covers the geographic area, is easily accessed by individuals and families seeking housing or services, is well advertised, and includes a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool…” HUD considers the terms “Centralized or Coordinated Assessment System” and “Coordinated Entry Process” to be interchangeable. 4

Types of Access Points Can be virtual or physical where a household is able to access coordinated entry Examples: – Central location(s) within a geographic area – A 211 or other hotline – A “no wrong door” approach – Use of “hubs” 5

Components of Assessment and Referral Assessment is the use of one or more assessment tools to determine housing and service needs Scoring is the process of deriving an indicator of risk, vulnerability, or need Prioritization is the process for determining order in which households will be served Determining Eligibility is the project level process to determine eligibility 6

Minimum Requirements: CoC Program Rule requires the following: 1.cover the entire geographic area, 2.be easily accessed by people seeking assistance, 3.be well advertised, 4.include a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool, 5.provide an initial, comprehensive assessment of individuals and families for housing and services, and 6.include specific policies and procedures to guide the operation of the coordinated entry process for persons fleeing or attempting to flee DV, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or trafficking. 7

Other Important Elements: 1.Full coverage 2.Standardized access points and assessment approaches 3.Standardized prioritization 4.Lowering barriers 5.Affirmative marketing 6.Street outreach 8.Emergency Services 9.Referrals projects 10.Safety planning 11.Participant autonomy 12.Privacy protections 13.Assessor training 14.Ongoing planning and stakeholder consultation 8

Additional Policy Considerations Incorporate a person-centered approach Incorporate cultural and linguistic competencies Assessment tools and processes Incorporating mainstream services Using HMIS and other data collection systems Addressing waiting lists 9

HUD Guidance and Resources Coordinated Entry Policy Brief (February, 2015) Prioritization Notice (July, 2016) CES FAQs (for HMIS and DV providers) CES Prezi and videos Coordinated Entry Communities of Practice (BoS focus)

Forthcoming Guidance and Resources Coordinated Entry Guidebook CES Compliance Self-Assessment CES Implementation Plan & Checklist CES Toolkit of Community Samples Designing Community-Specific Assessment Tools Data Sharing and Management in CES

Discussion Questions How can Coordinated Entry operational practices be adjusted for rural or large BoS CoCs? What accommodations or adjustments might be appropriate for different subpopulations – DV, veterans, chronically homeless? What are HUD’s expectations for when CES needs to be fully operational? 12

Discussion Questions How will CES support CoC system goals for achieving Opening Doors objectives? How does By Name List, Master List, Active List, Registry fit into CES operations? 13