Setting the Foundation – Systems Planning Approach. Provincial Housing & Homelessness Conference April 24, 2018 Gander, NL Jaime Rogers MSW, RSW

Homeless-Serving System Local or regional system for serving those who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness. 1. Method of organizing and delivering homeless services appropriate to client needs. 2. Tangible metrics to determine program and system success, and examine how funds are expended. 5. Organizations working together towards the same goal of ending homelessness. 3. Ensuring individual programs contribute to system success. 4.

Foundational Concepts 1 System planning response focuses on both ending homelessness and preventing future homelessness. Uses the concept of functional zero as the measurement for ending homelessness which means that homelessness is prevented whenever possible, and that experiences of homelessness are rare, brief, and non-recurring. 2 3 Ending and preventing homelessness require renewed leadership & accountability across stakeholders and investment in what works. 4 Critical need to increase permanent supportive and affordable housing supply, and a greater focus on prevention and diversion, including longer term supports where appropriate.

System Planning in Brief Cross-sectoral leadership & engagement across stakeholders. 1. Highly coordinated homeless-serving system planning. 2. Clarity on governance model & lead System Planner Organization for Plan. 3. Coordinated funding to advance common Plan objectives. 4. Information system & performance management across homeless-serving system 5. Research, evaluation and data embedded in & refine efforts in real time. 6. Housing First program responses to address chronic & episodic homelessness. 7. Housing-focused outreach for rough sleeping. 8. Diverse housing options, including Permanent Supportive Housing, Affordable Housing, Rent Subsidies, Short-term Supportive Housing. 9. Tailored intervention to priority groups, inc. Indigenous people, youth, families, most vulnerable, etc. 10. Targeted prevention intervention for those at highest risk of homelessness. 11.

System Planner Organization Recognized model across North America homeless-serving system operations. 1 Supported by extensive consultation in community through advisory boards, lived experience councils, etc. 5 2 Emerged through local/provincial/federal collaboration over last 8 years & outlined in legal agreements. Strategically situated in particular organizations in independent non-profits or municipality. 4 3 Distinct system planning, Collective Impact backbone supports, services delivery & funding functions merged in nimble model.

System Planner Organization - Roles Lead development and implementation of Plans to End Homelessness; Design and coordinate homeless-serving system; Develop and implement Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS); Engage key stakeholders, including people with lived experience, throughout Plan activities; Manage and coordinate diverse funding streams towards common ending homelessness objectives and local needs; Ensure comprehensive performance management, service standards, quality assurance and investment monitoring; Advance Housing First and other innovative, evidence-based supports and housing approaches tailored to local contexts; Support best practice learnings for agencies, policy makers, and peers by sharing learnings, providing technical assistance and training; Champion homelessness issues locally, provincially and nationally.

Transitionally homeless Episodically homeless Designing the System 80% Transitionally homeless 10-15% Episodically homeless 640 from 5-10% Chronically homeless

Acuity & Homelessness Rapid Rehousing, Affordable Housing, Prevention Lower Acuity ICM, Transitional Housing Moderate Acuity Note: Permanent Supportive Housing, ACT Higher Acuity 2010-11 Organizational Performance - HR Ctee Feb 28 2011

Indigenous Cultural Supports PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER IN THE HOMELESS-SERVING SYSTEM HOMELESSNESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM GOVERNMENT SERVICES HOUSING OPTIONS COMMUNITY SUPPORTS RAPID REHOUSING INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TRANSITIONAL HOUSING Services Ahead HOUSING RESOURCES Household Amenities Warehouse Landlord Amenities Engagement Indigenous Cultural Supports EMERGENCY SHELTERS Streets Shelters Services Ahead Systems People Experiencing Homelessness Youth Indigenous Chronic/Episodic Families Prevention Diversion COORDINATED ACCESS Outreach & Engagement Assessment & Referral System Entry Points

System Processes 1 2 Referral processes Eligibility criteria 6 3 Agreed upon standards, policies and protocols to guide program and system operations including: 1 2 Referral processes Eligibility criteria 6 3 Safety, etc. Service standards 5 4 Privacy Client engagement

Performance Management Empowers clients through participation in quality assurance activities at program and system level. Evaluates system’s impact on target populations. Performance expectations at the program and system levels aligned and monitored to drive Plan targets. Illustrates the level of performance expected of everyone. Promote service integration across sector and with mainstream systems. Articulates what the system aims to achieve.

HMIS: Beyond the Basics HMIS allows communities to implement and undertake system planning using real time data. Agencies can track progress at client level, while funder can assess system performance. Allows for unduplicated count of shelter population longitudinally to assess program gaps. Fundamental infrastructure to track how clients move through homeless serving system.

Coordinated Access & Assessment Common processes to ensure appropriate program matching, consistent prioritization, and streamlined flow of clients across Homeless-Serving System. Coordinated process for people to access supports. Provides information, screening, referral, and intake through one or multiple sites. Assessment supports appropriate matching of client to programs.

Integration Strategies Successful integration achieved when particular strategies applied across systems. Common policies and protocols, shared information 1 Adopting and using an interagency management information system 7 2 Coordinated service delivery and training 6 3 Co-locating mainstream services within homeless-serving agencies and programs Having staff with the responsibility to promote systems/service integration 5 4 Centralized authority for homeless-serving system planning & system coordination Creating a local interagency coordinating body

Break Time

Group Discussion Questions What are your concerns and frustrations with how the sytem(s) are currently operating? 1 Group Discussion Questions Why are things not operating optimally in your community/region? 2 What is working well in your community/region? 3 How do we do more of what is working well? 4