Coordinated Entry

 A system-wide process that evaluates households for the best housing fit - rather than ‘are you eligible for services here’ it asks ‘what services will best lead your household to secure housing’  A system for triaging the right resources to the right people – i.e. prioritizing those most in need for permanent supportive housing and helping those who are able to move out of the system quickly What is it?

 Helping people move through the system faster  Sends households to intervention best fit from the start  Reduces new entries into homelessness by looking for prevention and diversion opportunities  Improves data collection and quality  Provides accurate information about what services consumers need Purpose of Coordinated Entry

 Access  Centralized or Decentralized?  Region 12: Vanderburgh Centralized, Posey Centralized, remaining counties decentralized  Vanderburgh – Aurora’s Homeless Outreach Team will adjust their services to act as a single entry point for the system (will probably continue to travel, will have restrictions on hours of availability) System Components and Decisions

 Assessment  All of the Balance of State will use the same assessment tool(s)  Several tools are being considered – Vulnerability Index, Vulnerability Assessment Tool, Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool, and VI-SPDAT (combination of first and last)  Locally we recommended the SPDAT prior to the release of the VI-SPDAT – we will be looking at this updated version System Components and Decisions

 Assignment  The assessment process leads the case manager to a prioritized list of referrals for the household  Agencies in the system agree to accept households referred by the intake agency (1 in 3 households expected to be accepted)  Client choice, case manager discretion, and receiving agency recommendation may affect the final placement of the household (warm transfers required) System Components and Decisions

 Accountability  Accountability teams provide training and support, monitor the process, and help adjust the process over time  Locally the Coordinated Entry Task Force and Homeless Services Council Standards of Care Committee will work together to provide unbiased monitoring; meets monthly  The state will have an accountability team with a minimum of 5 members; all regions are welcome to have a representative on the team; meets quarterly System Components and Decisions

 Individual providers must release some or all control over the intake process, for the following benefits:  Individual agency’s staff no longer bear the burden of assessment  Providers know that households coming to their programs have already been determined to be eligible  Coordinated Entry can be a component of incorporating the systems focused approach encouraged by HEARTH Making the Transition

 Staff should be prepared for the changes in intake procedure  ‘Side doors’ should be eliminated  Local implementation details are under the jurisdiction of the Coordinated Entry Task Force – all shelters are encouraged to participate, ESG recipients may be expected to have ‘decision making’ staff participating Making the Transition

 Ongoing evaluation looks at:  Increase in Prevention and Diversion  Length of stay  New entries into homelessness  Repeat episodes of homelessness  Program capacities – which programs have waiting lists and which have openings  Consumer survey responses  Feedback from staff  Other indicators chosen by the community Evaluation