1. King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
Drug Court Housing Matters: How to Build a Drug Court Housing Case Management Program
Shannon Thomas, King County Drug Diversion Court Housing Case Manager, 2009-present Allison Howard, King County Drug Diversion Court Housing Case Manager, 2009-present
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

2. Getting Started: Questions to Ask
What are the housing barriers your participants face?
What are the housing resources in your community?
What type of in-office housing services will you provide?
What type of housing will you provide?
Who are you going to house?
What will compliance in housing look like?
What will your clean & sober/recovery model be?
How will you make referrals and placements?
What will case management in housing look like?
How will you pay for your housing?
How will you participate in public policy/community advocacy? ST
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

3. What are the housing barriers your participants face?
Evictions
Criminal background
Lack of/poor residential history
Bad credit
Unemployed
Minimal benefits
Poverty
Family crisis
Domestic violence
Chronic homelessness
Chemical dependency
Mental health ST
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

4. What are the housing resources in your community?
Outreach/tour as many housing programs as you can (shelters, transitional and permanent housing)
Educate housing programs on Drug Court and establish a rapport
Advocate for Drug Court referrals
Establish a referral protocol for Drug Court participants AH
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

5. What type of in-office housing services will you provide?
Eviction prevention
Utilities assistance
Landlord education
Applications for housing waitlists
Housing search
Locating move-in costs
Locating furniture/household items
Assessing housing needs
Connecting to community services and resources
Longer term planning
Crisis assistance ST
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

6. What type of housing will you provide?
Transitional single studio apartments
Transitional family multi-room apartments
Single room in a group home
Permanent housing vouchers (private market)
Permanent supportive housing AH
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

7. Who are you going to house?
Single Adults
Gender specific housing
Young Adults (18-26)
Families with minor children
Couples AH
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

8. What will compliance in housing look like?
Clean and sober/recovery model
Signed contract/program rules
Curfew
Guest policy
House chores
House meetings
Working with a case manager
Compliance with court and treatment obligations
Rental fees ST
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

9. What will your clean & sober/recovery model look like?
Drug use puts housing at risk
Relapse Prevention Plan
Exits and evictions
Disclosure and reporting
On-site UAs
Recovery-oriented staff ST
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

10. How will you make referrals and placements?
Develop referral process with partnering agencies
Create and maintain a waitlist
Develop a priority system for waitlist
Assess the housing needs of every new participant
Take instruction from Court as directed
Provide regular presentation of housing services to new Drug Court participants AH
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

11. What will case management in housing look like?
Require regular participation in on-site case management
Set goals and make plans to achieve goals
Address challenges, issues in the building with property and other residents
Next-step housing application and search
Financial planning and saving for next-step housing
Connecting client needs to community resources
Coordination/communication with Court Staff
Assistance with Employment/Education/Job Training ST
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

12. How will you pay for your housing?
Grants
Public monies/levies (i.e. 1/10 of 1%)
Government programs
Budget prioritization (making a case for housing)
Resident fees
Funding as part of Recovery Support Services (as supported by National DC research)
AH/MT
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

13. How will you participate in public policy/community advocacy?
Reach out to local homeless/housing coalitions to join their efforts (i.e. King County Committee to End Homelessness)
Attend community forums, information sessions and organizational meetings focused on housing/homelessness
Meet with legislators, attend Homelessness Advocacy Day in Olympia
Educate and inform these entities on the unique housing needs of Drug Court participants
ST/AH
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

14. Housing case management forms
Housing Self-Assessment
Landlord Letter
Housing Program Questionnaire
Relapse Prevention Plan
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

15. Housing case management timeline: 2009-2014
2009: Housing Voucher Program (single adults, transitional)
The Morrison (vulnerable single adults, permanent)
IMPACT (COD single adults, transitional)
*Expansion of Services*
2014: Transitional Housing Program (single adults, transitional)
Transitional Housing Program (families, transitional)
Shelter Plus Care Vouchers (families, permanent)
Williams Building (single adults, permanent)
YMCA Young Adults In Transition (age 18-24, transitional) AH
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

16. Single Adult Transitional Housing
Hudson House
Chamberlain House
Bruksos House ST
Dalton House
Birchtree Apts
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

17. Single Adult Permanent HousingST
Morrison Apts.
Williams Apts.
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

18. Gender Specific Transitional: FemaleST
Katherine’s House and Rita’s House
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

19. Young Adult Transitional HousingAH
YMCA Young Adults in Transition
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

20. Family Transitional HousingAH
The Snider Apts.
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

21. Current & future projects
Continued involvement in shaping King County’s Coordinated Entry Model for Family Housing
Expansion of YMCA Young Adult Housing contract
Support “Ban the Box” efforts around housing
Expand network of “felony friendly” landlords
Explore faith-based communities as potential housing resources
AH/ST
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014

22. King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
Questions?
Contact Information:
Allison Howard: Housing Case Manager
Shannon Thomas: Housing Case Manager
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014