Housing First Intensive Case Management Team

Our Team Two Program Managers: Gail Thornhill (Director of Supportive Housing @ Stella’s Circle) Paula Soper (Program Coordinator of Moving Forward @ Choices For Youth) Program Coordinator: Janet Meaney (Located @ Stella’s Circle) 4 Case Managers: Amy Alexander (Located @ Stella’s Circle) Kent McGrath (Located @ Stella’s Circle) Jenni MacPherson (Located @ Iris Kirby House) Kayla Noseworthy (Located @ Choices For Youth) 2 Housing Support and Mental Health Workers: To Be Added

What is Housing First? – 5 Key Principles 1) Access to housing with no readiness requirements 2) Consumer choice & self determination 3) Recovery Orientation 4) Individualized & person-centered supports 5) Social & community integration

What Do We Do? Once housing is established, if it aligns with the individuals goals, our team will offer support with: Housing maintenance and landlord engagement Client advocacy Life skills Connecting with community supports Community networking Our primary goal is to support individuals in our program to find safe, secure and permanent housing. Location and type of housing is chosen by the individual.

& Program Criteria Either: Chronically Homeless OR Currently Homeless Episodically Homeless & *Individual must also be willing to meet with staff at least once per week *Program criteria will change over time as the program evolves, in order to meet the needs of the community

How to Refer Individuals can self-refer or can be referred from community or government agencies. There is a referral form that focuses mainly on obtaining the individual’s housing history over the past year. There is a “Consent to Share Information” form attached to every referral. Forward completed forms to Janet Meaney via email (j.meaney@stellascircle.ca) or fax (709) 738-0670.

Intake and Assessment Process Once the referral is received, the program coordinator will make contact with the individual and/or referral source within 3 business days to complete an intake assessment. Intakes can occur in an office or in the community. If the individual is accepted into the program, a case manager will be assigned. The case manager will do a more detailed assessment, which may take several meetings to complete.

Intake and Assessment Process Once the assessment is completed, the goal is to find safe, secure, permanent and appropriate housing within 14 days. Once housing is established the case manager will continue to offer individualized, client-driven supports. The program will aid individuals in gaining skills needed to maintain housing and in making both formal and informal community connections. Supports provided by our program are meant to be short term in nature – 6 to 12 months.

Program Benefits Approximately 30,000 Canadians are homeless on any given night. As many as 50,000 may be considered “hidden homeless.” In Canada, the estimated cost of homelessness annually is $7 billion. Those who are chronically homeless represent only 11% of shelter users, but account for 50% of shelter stays. http://housingfirsttoolkit.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/CanadianHousingFirstToolkit.pdf Polvere, L., MacLeod, T., Macnaughton, E., Caplan, R., Piat, M., Nelson, G., Gaetz, S., & Goering, P. (2014). Canadian Housing First toolkit: The At Home/Chez Soi experience. Calgary and Toronto: Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Homeless Hub.

Program Benefits Recent research in Vancouver estimates a cost savings of 30% by giving those who are homeless stable housing. A Canadian study found traditional institutional responses to homelessness (the prison system and psychiatric hospitals) substantively more expensive (estimated annual costs : $66 000 – $120 000) than investments in supportive housing (estimated annual costs: $13 000 – $18 000). Housing First in Calgary has been so successful there have been shelter bed closures. http://housingfirsttoolkit.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/CanadianHousingFirstToolkit.pdf Polvere, L., MacLeod, T., Macnaughton, E., Caplan, R., Piat, M., Nelson, G., Gaetz, S., & Goering, P. (2014). Canadian Housing First toolkit: The At Home/Chez Soi experience. Calgary and Toronto: Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Homeless Hub.

Questions?!

Housing First – Intensive Case Management Team Thank You For Joining Us! Janet Meaney 738.0635 j.meaney@stellascircle.ca Housing First – Intensive Case Management Team