Coordinated Assessment: Understanding Assessment Tools 1 Kim Walker & Norm Suchar November 2013

The Usual Reminders This webinar will last one hour. All participants are muted. The webinar is being recorded and will be posted in the Coordinated Assessment Toolkit. We’ll take audience questions at the end of today’s session. The Usual Reminders

Agenda Coordinated Assessment: A Very Brief Review The Assessment Phase Choosing and Using Assessment Tools Question and Answer Coordinated Assessment: A Very Brief Review The Assessment Phase Choosing and Using Assessment Tools Question and Answer Agenda

Description of Coordinated Assessment “…is defined to mean 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.” (CoC Interim Rule, Section 578.3) Description of Coordinated Assessment

Moving Away From… Having to call the same programs every day for weeks or months Being sent from program to program Finding out about more helpful programs too late Being asked the same questions over and over again Moving Away From…

Key Elements Safe, accessible location(s) Standardized assessment Data collection and management Informed referrals System change Key Elements

Assessment Phase Phase used to gather information needed to determine the best immediate next step for a person experiencing homelessness (or at-risk) that will get them back into permanent housing Assessment Phase

Managing Expectations Won’t deliver perfect information Won’t change your system It’s not necessarily the most important part of your process. Managing Expectations

Assessment Process A good assessment phase: is tiered is consistent includes some element of consumer choice Assessment Phase

Tiered Prevention/Diversion (Everyone) Housing Barrier Assessment (within the first two weeks) PSH Prioritization Assessment ( people experiencing chronic homelessness) Tiered

Consistent Standardized tools (same questions and scoring process) Written procedures that lay out when and how tools are administered and by and to whom Staff trained in administering the tools and interpreting results Consistent

Consumer Choice Program Model Wait Time to Get into Program Average Length of Stay Consumer Choice

What can you assess for? Risk of Becoming Homeless Risk of Remaining Homeless Housing options outside of the homeless assistance system Vulnerability to Homelessness Self Sufficiency Service Needs Health Status DV Risk Income/Education HMIS Data Elements Program Eligibility

Risk of Becoming Homeless Risk of Remaining Homeless Housing options outside of the homeless assistance system Vulnerability to Homelessness Self Sufficiency What should you assess for in coordinated assessment? Service Needs Health Status DV Risk Income/Education HMIS Data Elements Program Eligibility

Things that we wish assessment tools could assess, but so far cannot. Who will and won't succeed in a program How much you need of different interventions

What is the purpose of assessment? Prevention priority Homelessness diversion Shelter priority Rapid re-housing priority Transitional housing priority Permanent supportive housing priority Housing plan Service plan Evaluate client progress Evaluate program performance What is the purpose of assessment?

What is the purpose of coordinated assessment? Prevention priority Homelessness diversion Shelter priority Rapid re-housing priority Transitional housing priority Permanent supportive housing priority Housing plan Service plan Evaluate client progress Evaluate program performance What is the purpose of coordinated assessment?

Tool rule 1! An assessment tool should include a question only if the answer to that question is needed right then to determine what kind of assistance a person will receive. Tool rule 1

Tool rule 2! If an assessment tool results in so many referrals to a program that it causes long waiting lists, then the tool should be modified. Tool rule 2

Vulnerability Index Assessing vulnerability Prioritizing for permanent supportive housing Good for...Not good for... Assessing housing options outside of the homeless assistance system Prioritizing for interventions other than PSH Vulnerability Index

SPDAT (multiple versions) Assessing vulnerability Assessing service needs Prioritizing for permanent supportive housing Evaluating client progress Good for...Not good for... Assessing Housing options outside of the homeless assistance system Tool rule 1 SPDAT (multiple versions)

Canton diversion tool Assessing housing options outside of the homeless assistance system Homelessness diversion Good for...Not good for... Prioritizing for interventions other than homelessness diversion Canton diversion tool

Assessing risk of continued homelessness Good for...Not good for... Assessing vulnerability Hennepin housing barrier tool (and offspring)

Assessing self sufficiency Assessing service needs Evaluating client progress Good for...Not good for... Assessing housing options outside of the homeless assistance system Tool rule 1 Arizona Self Sufficiency Matrix

Assessing risk of continued homelessness Prioritizing for rapid re- housing and transitional housing Tool rule 2 Good for...Not good for... Assessing vulnerability Prioritizing permanent supportive housing Alliance/Prince George's County assessment tool