1. Collaboration: Homeless Service Programs & the Department of Corrections
Kate Erickson | Correctional Programs Director| DOC
Katelyn Warburton | Homeless Programs Grant Manager | DHS
Marcel Urman | Community Action Agency Grant Manager | DHS

2. Depending on group size…
Ask all attendees to share why they chose this session (who, why, which unit/programs do you work with)?
OR, as a handful of attendees to share why they chose this session(who, why, which unit/programs do you work with)?
Who is in the room?
Agencies invited: CAP agencies, Head start, Weatherization, Energy Assistance, and Community Action
Name, agency, role

3. Why are we here? Time to work! What happens next? Run, run at the 5K!
Agenda
Why are we here? Time to work! What happens next? Run, run at the 5K!

4. Baseline: Policy Challenge
“90 days or less”…. “fewer than 90 days”
“…institutional care facility, including a jail, substance abuse or mental health treatment facility, hospital or other similar facility…”
Department of Human Services received notice in Spring, 2018 of an upcoming monitoring visit from Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Component of monitoring is to visit grantees and review client files (eligibility according to HUDs definition of homelessness, service receipt, data privacy documentation, etc.).
Monitoring visit findings documented ineligible participants based on most up to date Interim Rules (24 CFR Parts 91 and 576)
Finding(s): Two participants had exited an institutional care facility after a stay of more than 90-days, had not spent a night elsewhere, and were technically ineligible without documentation to stay in a shelter.
The Office of Economic Opportunity supports agencies’ that provide shelter to those who present need and for those whom diversion isn’t an option.
Many of those individuals are those with an institutional stay in their history.
Given the massive, intricate systems included under the “institutional care facility” definition, I decided to hone in on one particular area. Started with corrections…reached out to Kate!
24 CFR § 91 and 576

5. Setting the Stage…
Those who have been incarcerated once before are 7 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public;
Individuals who have been incarcerated two or more times are 13 times more likely than the general public to experience homelessness.
Indicate what is a homeless experience….
Couch hopping
Doubled-up
Staying outside
Utilizing motel vouchers
A report on the single night count of people experiencing homelessness conducted by Wilder Research was published during March, According to the report, the number of adults (ages 25-54) counted during the 2018 study was 4,382 individuals—up 20% since the 2015 study. Additionally the number of people experiencing homelessness not accessing formal shelter services (i.e. doubled up or staying outside) increased 62% from 2015 to 2018.
ASK:
What is your experience (professional/personal…humanize these numbers)?
Picture from: Pioneer Press
Couloute, L. (2018, August). Nowhere to Go: Homelessness among formerly incarcerated people. Retrieved from

6. In Minnesota…
Approximately 110,000 individuals are on correctional supervision in the state of Minnesota.
Approximately 10,000 individuals are incarcerated in state correctional facilities, and approximately 7,500 individuals are released to communities every year.
Approximately 4,500 individuals on correctional supervision in the state of Minnesota are homeless/experiencing housing instability.
MCF St. Cloud

7. What is the role of a corrections agent?
First Steps
What is the role of a corrections agent?
What is the difference between probation and supervised release?
What do different levels of offense mean?
Although we had some insights given previous work experience and feedback from grantees, we wanted to gather additional, statewide feedback.
DOC & DHS staff drafted a brief survey sent to agencies funded via OEO providing homeless specific services…includes CAP agencies, non-profits, and tribal programs.
Asked questions such as:
What type of information from the DOC would be helpful to document homelessness status? And to provide more effective services?
Any hesitations in working with DOC? Or folks with a conviction history?
Programmatic restrictions based on conviction history?
Etc.
“What do different levels of offense mean?”
Marcel: If someone is showing up at your facility seeking services, they have “paid their debt”/done what they are supposed to do according to the justice system. Not the responsibility of the service provider.
Important to work with individuals to ensure they have the practice/tools to advocate for themselves (i.e. get employment reference, etc.)
If individual divulges on supervised release, agency could save themselves money by not running the background checks. Establish/sign release with agent.

8. What barriers do you see within your work that prohibits individuals who are justice involved from connecting with services and resources?
What are the successes, and what do you believe led to those successes?
What do you need in order to best do your work in regards to supporting housing stability and why?
Introduce the activity!
Focus on individuals justice involved/corrections system. Those individuals with criminal histories experience housing stability and likely also experience disabling conditions, substance use, trauma, other public health factors.
Why are we asking?
All work in policy development—effort to make connection with front line staff to inform our work. What we hear today, will guide next steps that we take.
Split into groups of 2-3 OR 4-5
Questions (10-15 minutes/question):
What barriers do you see within your work that prohibits individuals who are justice involved from connecting with services and resources?
Is that a policy? Where does it come from? Who is involved?
What are the successes and what do you believe led to those successes (best practices)?
Is there someone that you connect with? Are there certain questions you ask? What has worked well when partnering with landlords (i.e. risk mitigation, partnerships with other agencies, etc.)?
What do you need in order to best do your work in regards to supporting housing stability and why?
If the sky is the limit, what do you want?
Harvest (15 minutes)

9. Contact Kate if trying to connect with community correction system stakeholders.
Feedback from local/frontline perspective will be shared with current administration.
Additional session at the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Conference.

10. Thank you! Kate Erickson, kate.a.erickson@state.mn.us
Katelyn Warburton,
Marcel Urman,