Evaluating and Improving Coordinated Entry Systems NAEH Conference on Family & Youth Homelessness February 2017

Coordinated Entry System in Context Targeted Prevention and Diversion Rapid Re-housing Temporary Shelter Community-Based Permanent Housing (includes market rate and subsidized) Community-Based Services and Supports Street Outreach Permanent Supportive Housing Transitional Housing

Coordinated Entry Notice Required: Ongoing planning and stakeholder consultation CoCs must solicit feedback at least annually from projects and persons participating in CES Surveys, focus groups, and/or individual interviews of a representative sample of provider staff and persons participating in coordinated entry Use feedback to make necessary changes and update CES policies and procedures Participants in the evaluation must include individuals engaged in or referred to housing through coordinated entry Policies and procedures must describe frequency and method of CES evaluation

CES Evaluation Considerations Establishing an Evaluation Plan Which aspects of participant, project and system effectiveness will be measured? Which aspects of coordinated entry processes will be evaluated for fidelity to CES policies and procedures? What data is necessary to track the selected measures? How will evaluation data be collected? How will CES evaluation results be used to inform other aspects of system planning and monitoring? Who will manage the CES evaluation process?

CES Evaluation Considerations Participant Care Coordination Does initial CES screen identify diversion opportunities? Can the participant’s housing crisis be resolved quickly and safely? Is an emergency response the appropriate intervention? Are participants’ needs and preferences accurately documented through assessment process? Are participants being connected to mainstream services? Are participants being effectively prioritized for CoC resources? Are participants being effectively referred to CoC resources?

CES Evaluation Considerations System Effectiveness Is entirety of CoC covered by CES? Is CES used to document system gaps? How efficient is triage and diversion screening? Is assessment process comprehensive, efficient, timely? Are CES referrals resulting in PH placements? Are placements sustained?

CES Evaluation Considerations System Planning How many people are seeking crisis services? How many people are diverted? Are diversions effective? Of CES participants, how many are first time homeless? How many HP participants experience subsequent homelessness? How does distribution of referrals compare to available CoC housing and services? What is the length of time for each component of CES – access, assessment, prioritization, referral? Are CES referrals successful?

CES Continuous Quality Improvement What I’ve learned (and keep learning): Just get started Planning is good. Figuring it out as you go is also okay. Ask CES and project participants. They’ll tell you what’s working, and what’s not. This is systems change. It’s supposed to be hard.