Denise Collins, Executive Director and Jaime Parker, Case Manager MASH New London County Coordinated Access for Homeless Families

Overview NL County Coordinated Access System Working together for two years Enhanced cooperation Culture change Shared goals

Overview Focus Diversion Rapid Rehousing Outcome Better for Families Better for Providers

Where We Were… Four Family Shelters Shelter Staff Spent Considerable Time Problem Solving With Families No Shared Knowledge Difficult For Families To Access Shelter

How it works... Four Family Shelters + One State Agency o Mystic Area Shelter & Hospitality (MASH) o Covenant Shelter of New London o Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA) Shelter o Safe Futures o Southeastern Mental Health Authority (SMHA) (intake only) Single Front Door for Families Facing Homelessness o Phone call to = initial screening o Intake appointment with case manager = Diversion or shelter

Family Needs Shelter MASH TVCCA Covenant Shelter New London County Coordinated Access for Families Calls 211 Shelter intake Safe Futures Duty Services Coordinator DV Alternatives

2013 Family Calls To 211

NL County Coordinated Access Maximum 4 intake appointments scheduled per day Participate in daily DSC Team conference call to review waitlist status and current shelter availability. Also a chance to discuss best course of action for each client scheduled Focus heavily on Shelter Diversion. Our goal is to use shelter as a LAST option rather than to fill an open shelter bed

Intake Appointments Scheduled Intake appointments 306 attended intake appointment with Duty Services Coordinator (DSC) 131 were no shows (30%)

Shelter Diversion Why is diversion important? Negative impact of homelessness on children Financial cost of sheltering and re-housing a family How does it work? Alternatives to shelter Consider immediate housing options

Intake Questions Do you have any family/friends local to stay with? Temporarily? A week? A day? Do you have any family/friends in any other part of the US/World to stay with? Would your family/friends let you stay if you had anything to offer them? The last thing we want you to do is to enter shelter. There is a strong indication that people who enter shelter as children are much more likely to enter shelter as adults. Therefore, we try to keep you and your children out of shelter. Is there anyone else that you can stay with?

New London County Coordinated Access for Families 2013 Diversion

New London County Coordinated Access for Families 2013 Shelter

2013 Diversion 74% of families diverted without financial assistance None of these families entered shelter in NL County No HMIS/ECM number therefore unable to track recidivism outside NL County 26% received financial assistance Average Cost approximately $1,700 1 Family has subsequently entered shelter in NL County

Positive Impact Reduced shelter stock 50% shelter bed/unit reduction since start Limited periods of waiting lists Best outcome for families

Shelter Duty Services Coordinator processes shelter application (using DSS/HMIS form) Client enters shelter same day if available Make the expectations clear for timelines NL County Shelter Statistics 149 Families sheltered in Families sheltered in Families sheltered in 2013

Coordinated Exit: Rapid Re-Housing Rapid Re-Housing For Families in Shelter Critical to stabilize families Exit plan at intake Length of Stay Goal: exit within 30 days Case Managers Follow up work with families to overcome obstacles to staying housed

Rapid Re-Housing 2013 NL County Shelter System 44 Families Rapidly Rehoused Average Length of Stay was 45.5 days

Coordinated Access for Families Elements For Success: Communication to consumers Collaboration between providers Diversion from shelter Rapid Re-Housing out of shelter

Challenges & Next Steps… System Management Include Transitional & Supportive Housing Include other Services

New London County Coordinated Access Questions/Comments?