1. CEA-BHRS Housing Assessment
Master Assessor Training
Introduction: Name, Org, What does CEA-BHRS or coordinated entry means to you in a word or phrase.

2. CEA-BHRS is a new centralized housing referral process that…
Streamlines access to homeless services
Standardizes assessment/triage tools
Prioritizes housing referrals for those with the most severe needs
CEA-BHRS, which stands for Coordinated Entry and Assessment-Based Housing Referral System, is a new centralized housing referral process that:
Streamlines access to homeless services
Standardizes assessment/triage tools
Prioritizes housing referrals for those with the most severe needs

3. Coordinated Entry Stages
ACCESS
ASSESS
PRIORITIZE
REFER
There are 4 stages or elements of the new CEA-BHRS process that ensure a new system that is more efficient and more fair. The focus of today’s training is on Assessment stage, as Emergency Housing is so crucial to this.

4. CEA-BHRS Housing Assessment (Phase 2 assessment) includes:
Severity of service need (VI- SPDAT)
A program/project eligibility screening
Household needs & preferences
In the past, we completed housing applications with our participants. This CEA-BHRS housing assessment will replace the existing housing applications in HMIS, and it will need to be completed with current and future participants in our programs.
There are 3 major components of the Housing Assessment, and we will discuss each of them, but our primary focus will be on how to do the VI-SPDAT most effectively because it is such an important aspect of CEA-BHRS. If the VI-SPDAT scores aren’t done correctly, we aren’t really able to build a system where we are truly prioritizing vulnerability.

5. Introducing your Master Assessors
Provides training, TA, and resources for current & future housing assessors
Shares learns learned & other feedback with OHS (on behalf of your organization)
Updates my staff on shifts/changes to the CEA-BHRS policies and processes
As your Master Assessor, I’m here/we’re here to offer training and resources about the housing assessment and to answer questions or troubleshoot problems with you. I am also OHS’s point of contact for updating them on issues/problems with the process and also updating our staff about adjustments that will be incorporated into the new process.

6. VI-SPDAT as a triage tool
Assesses health (VI) + social needs (SPDAT)
Examines current vulnerability and future housing stability factors
Informs which housing intervention may be most beneficial
What is the VI-SPDAT? It is a triage tool that helps inform the type of support and housing intervention that may be most beneficial for a household experiencing homelessness.
It is not intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of each person’s needs.

7. What does the VI-SPDAT do? Select all that apply.
Examines current vulnerability and future housing stability factors
Identifies all services a participant/household might need
Helps the case manager build rapport with the participants
Informs which housing option may be most beneficial.
What is the VI-SPDAT? Answers: A & C. The VI-SPDAT informs which housing option may be most beneficial by examining each households current vulnerability and future housing stability factors. It’s not intended to replace your case management tools, and because you have to read the questions in their entirety, it may make it more difficult to build rapport.

8. Housing Assessors should…
Get consent
Encourage participation
Stick to the script/questions
Provide clarification
Focus on Yes/No answers
Encourage accurate self-report
To make this easier to remember, here are 6 easy steps to remember for conducting the VI-SPDAT.

9. Get consent
Before beginning the interview, its critical that you share and read the VI-SPDAT Screening and Match Initiation Consent form and request the person’s signature (or mark). The person experiencing homelessness may choose not to do the interview, and its important to respect his or her wishes at the moment. As you get more familiar with the person, you may find success later by following up with a request to reconsider.

10. Encourage participation
Talking Points:
Answers may help match to housing
Difference from other similar questions: solely for matching to possible housing
Some questions are personal, but not asking them to spill their guts (just yes/no)
They don’t have to answer everything at once.
Answers may help match to housing
Difference from other similar questions: solely for matching to possible housing (acknowledge that it’s annoying to have to answer so many questions)
Some questions are personal but we’re not asking them to spill their guts (just yes/no)
They don’t have to answer everything at once.

11. Stick to the script/questions
How the questions are structured is important as is the ordering of the questions
Each word and phrase within the tool has been carefully and rigorously tested
Ask the question exactly as it is written
The VI-SPDAT is an evidence-informed tool, which means each word & phrase within it has been carefully vetted by homeless services professionals from across the country. For this reason, it is important that you ask the questions exactly as written. In addition to the questions, there is also an introductory script, which uniformly explains what the VI-SPDAT is and why it’s important to complete.

12. Provide clarification
If a participant does not understand a question, you can explain/provide clarification
For questions that reference time periods (past 6 months, in the last year, etc), help break down the time period. Ex: “Since last April”, etc.
Be prepared to explain why questions are especially long or wordy.

13. Focus on Yes/No answers
Emphasize that this is an assessment tool that’s designed to take 10 minutes.
Avoid follow-up questions.
Make a note and return to more involved case management topics.

14. Encourage accurate self-report
You aren’t investigators; record the person’s response.
DO NOT complete surveys by observation
DO NOT correct their responses.
Encourage them to answer all questions to give a whole picture of their housing and support needs.
If needed, rely on the flag review process.

15. Calling a Flag Review WHO? Housing Assessors WHEN?
While completing the VI-SPDAT, as a last resort!
WHY?
Person refuses to answer after 3 attempts
Person is unable to answer
Assessor believes that the score does not represent the person/family’s vulnerability & service needs
While the flag review process is crucial for a successful CEA-BHRS process, it is my hope that through several of our activities today, we can shift the

16. Flag Review Process Case manager submits person/family case submitted
Rotating Review Team of 3—including OHS, DBH, provider—meets regularly to review cases
Case manager (plus others) offer information about the person/family’s service needs and vulnerability
Review Team conducts a case conference to determine if a person’s VI-SPDAT score should be adjusted
Here’s what the flag review process looks like…

17. Explain what the survey does. Provide clarification when/if requested.
DON’T
Ensure the client has completed a VI-SPDAT Screening and Match Initiation Consent form prior to conducting the VI – SPDAT
Share the HMIS Notice of Privacy Practices with the person you are interviewing
Explain what the survey does.
Provide clarification when/if requested.
Encourage people to be honest.
Complete a survey without informed consent of the client
Complete the survey by observation
Tell people there is a score (number)
Lead people to believe there is a waiting list
Promise anything as a result of the survey
Change wording or scoring
Change the order of questions
Review the Do’s and Don’ts.

18. Role Play Challenges

19. Role play challenge: The 10-minute interview that takes an hour
Jeanine is accustomed to people on the street avoiding engagement with her, so she is thrilled that you as an assessor are interested in her story. For every question, she has a long, extended response.
Scenario: Jeanine is accustomed to people on the street avoiding engagement with her, so she is thrilled that you as an assessor are interested in her story. For every question, she wants to answer more than just “yes” or “no.” For instance, during the first couple weeks she lived on the street, she was attacked and ended up in the hospital for a several months. Despite the fact that she swears she was the victim, the other person in the fight asserted that she was the aggressor, and she is facing an assault charge.

20. Role play challenge: Getting stuck at consent
Jack intensely mistrusts authority is hesitant to answer any questions that might allow people in the federal government to “track him down” at a later date. He has lots of questions about the implications of the consent form.
Scenario: Jack intensely mistrusts authority, and he is very hesitant to answer any questions that might allow people in the federal government to “track him down” at a later date. When presented with the VI-SPDAT and asked to sign the consent, he has lots and lots of questions about the implications. As the assessor, you are charged with making the case to Jack to complete the VI-SPDAT.

21. Role play challenge: Unable to understand the long questions
Julian is originally from El Salvador, and while he speaks English fluently, he is struggling to follow the lengthy questions with the long lists of examples.
Scenario: Julian is originally from El Salvador, and while he speaks English fluently, he is struggling to follow the lengthy questions with the long lists of examples.
In particular, he needs help understanding questions #4d, #4e, #10, #11, & #14. [If Julian is part of a family, he needs help understanding questions #13, 14, 15, 37, & 41].

22. Role play challenge: Offended & refusing to answer questions
Heaven and her 2 daughters have been sent to multiple places that were supposed to “help” her, and now that she’s in a shelter, she’s sick and tired of people who don’t know her asking all kinds of personal information about her and her 2 daughters.
Character 4: Heaven
Challenge: Offended & refusing to answer 
Heaven and her 2 daughters have been sent to multiple places that were supposed to “help” her, and now that she’s in a shelter, she’s sick and tired of people who don’t know her asking all kinds of personal information about her and her 2 daughters. In particular, she can’t believe that anyone would ask her about questions #11, 12 or 13 AND #39 or #40. 

23. Master Assessor Knowledge Check
When should you do the housing assessment with a new participant in your shelter?
Within 3 days of arrival
After 2 weeks
On the first day they arrive
After 7 days
Answers: D

24. Master Assessor Knowledge Check
What are the major components of the housing assessment?
VI-SPDAT, barrier assessment, household needs/preferences
VI-SPDAT, eligibility screening, household needs/preferences
VI-SPDAT
VI-SPDAT & eligibility screening
Answers: B

25. Master Assessor Knowledge Check
Which of the following are housing assessor “don’ts”? Select all that apply.
Help to clarify questions.
Change the order of the questions.
Let them know they can skip questions.
Answer questions by observation.
Answer: B, D

26. Master Assessor Knowledge Check
What is the first thing you should do before beginning the VI-SPDAT?
Get consent
Answer: Get consent