1. Coordinated Entry August 24, 2017 Natalie Matthews, Abt Associates
Columbus-Muscogee/Russell County CoC
August 24, 2017

2. Agenda Overview of Coordinated Entry Goals, Purpose and Requirements
Training on Key Elements of Coordinated Entry
Local process for developing the CoC’s CE system, including the timeline and specifics for rollout

3. Purpose of Today’s Presentation
Today is about YOU. Ensuring that you understand what CE is in your community. That YOU ask questions and receive guidance. And that YOU express your concerns, share your hopes and continue this work towards an improved system for persons experiencing homelessness.

4. Goals and Purpose, and Requirements of Coordinated Entry

5. What is Coordinated Entry?
A systematic approach to addressing homelessness locally
Primary goals for these systems are:
Ensure that homeless assistance is allocated as effectively as possible
Make resources easily accessible to all persons in need, regardless of where or how people seek assistance
Prioritize resources for persons with the highest needs and longest periods of time homeless
Ensure fair and equal access to resources
Identify gaps and service needs across your system
HUD requirement, per CoC Program interim rule
Image from Home for Good Los Angeles:

6. What is Coordinated Entry?
Project Centered Approach
Person Centered Approach
Is this person eligible for my project?
What is the best project for this person?
Project Centered-Approach
Is this person eligible for my project?
Focus is on whether or not people seeking services can be helped by your project
Distinct application process and questions
Likely a lack of sharing information across providers
Distinct standards at each project
Reduced ability to understand what happens to people after they leave your project
Person Centered Approach
What is the best project for this person?
Focus is on finding the right resource, for the right person, at the right time
Consistent application and assessment process
Centralized prioritization list
Consistent community standards and policies
Enhanced ability to view system and to identify trends and longer term outcomes

7. Coordinated Entry in Context
Rapid
Re-housing
Temporary Shelter
Market Rate Housing
Community-Based Housing, Services and Supports
Diversion
Street Outreach
Permanent Supportive Housing
Transitional Housing
Coordinated Entry
Households avoid homelessness
Targeted Prevention
This graphic can be a helpful way to understand fundamental aspects of coordinated entry. In reading this from left to right, coordinated entry is not only the access point, or entry way, into the crisis response system, but also an assessment process that promotes a planned and intentional “flow” or referral for participants from initial crisis response, such as shelter or outreach, to permanent housing. This redesigned system approach also allows us to ensure the most vulnerable participants are prioritized for assistance.
The old model of continuums of care might have portrayed the same component types but without the systematic response which assists participants to quickly and successful navigate their way to permanent housing. The old system might have had prolonged program stays, participants cycling in and out of programs, or participants with the greatest need and highest vulnerability unable to access the very programs designed to meet their needs.
The old model of the CoC system places the focus on individual programs with the core organizing question being: “Should we accept this household into our program?” 
The new system approach inverts that structure and places the emphasis back on the persons experiencing homeless. The new systems asks: “What housing /service assistance is best for each household and quickly ends their housing crisis permanently?”

8. Background and Regulatory Context for Coordinated Entry
2012: CoC Program Interim Rule; ESG Program Interim Rule
2014: PSH Prioritization Notice
Updated in 2016, new CH definition
2015: Coordinated Entry Policy Brief
2017: Coordinated Entry Notice
In 2012, the CoC Program interim rule established minimum requirements for CE
Cover geographic area of CoC
Easily accessible by persons seeking assistance
Well-advertised
Includes a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool (process)
Provide an initial, comprehensive assessment of persons seeking assistance
Address needs of persons fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence (et al)
ESG Program interim rule – Required that ESG recipients and sub-recipients participate in the CoC’s coordinate entry process.
Prioritization Notice was released by HUD in 2014 and updated It recommended guidelines for how CoCs might establish prioritization standards for providing PSH assistance to persons who are chronically homeless and other vulnerable populations . That guidance was updated in 2016 after the chronic homeless definition was revised
Coordinated Entry Policy Brief
Released in 2015
Identified qualities of an effective coordinated entry
Defined role for coordinated entry in the homeless assistance system
And the Notice released in January of this year essentially codified much of the guidance HUD had telegraphed to us in the Coordinated Entry brief released two years prior.
HUD does not prescribe a particular model for coordinated entry, nor do they require a specific assessment tool
HUD released a Notice on Coordinated Entry in January of 2017, which identified the requirements that CoCs must then implement

9. Countdown to Compliance!
JANUARY 23, 2018
The clock is ticking. HUD expects CoCs to implement coordinated entry according to the requirements established in the Notice published earlier this year. The deadline for compliance is January 23, 2018.
Rather than putting all of the text of the Notice on lots of slides and then reading those slides to you, we’ve organized this training differently.
We’ve selected critical aspects of the new requirements and identified effective practices of coordinated entry and organized that information in a way that highlights how CoCs should start planning and refining their coordinated entry processes. But, this training doesn’t replace the need to actually read the Notice. We assume you’ll be able to do that on your own. With the context and background of this webinar the Notice information will hopefully be more clear and meaningful to you and your CoC.

10. Requirements and Recommended Best Practices

11. Coordinated Entry Requirements
Covers the CoC's geographic area
Is easily accessible by households seeking housing or services
Is well-advertised
Uses a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool
Responds to local needs and conditions
Covers at least all CoC and ESG programs
Includes a policy to address needs of those fleeing DV but seeking service from non-victim service providers

12. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
This is the framework we’ll use to walk through information during today’s presentation. This slide will start to become familiar to you because we’ll repeat versions of it multiple times as we move through the webinar.
The Notice specifies both requirements and recommendations for local coordinated entry processes. First we’ll discuss these requirements and recommendations in the context of the core elements of coordinated entry: (access, assessment, prioritization, and referral). Then Matt will walk us through how the Notice addresses planning, management & oversight, data management, and evaluation (which we are calling “infrastructure elements”).
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation
= must be documented in written policies and procedures

13. Core Elements: Access Points
Same assessment approach at all access points.
May include separate access points for:
adults without children
adults accompanied by children
fleeing DV, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, other dangerous or life-threatening conditions
unaccompanied youth
persons at risk of homelessness
Access points (which we defined earlier) must cover, and be accessible throughout, the entirety of the geographic area of the CoC.
What does it mean to cover the entirety of a geographic area?
Individual CoCs may only have one coordinated entry process covering their geographic area; however, for CoCs, such as Balance of State CoCs, whose geographic areas are very large, the process may establish referral zones within the geographic area designed to avoid forcing persons to travel or move long distances to be assessed or served.
Regulations do not prohibit multiple CoCs from joining together and using the same coordinated entry process. (Notice lists requirements which need to be explained in the CE p&p).
The coordinated entry process must offer the same assessment approach, including decision making standards, at all access points, and all access points must be usable by all people who may be experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. A person presenting at a particular coordinated entry access point should not be steered towards any particular program or provider just because they presented at that location.
The coordinated entry process may, but is not required to, include separate access points and variations in assessment processes to the extent necessary to meet the needs of the following five populations noted on this slide:
adults without children;
adults accompanied by children;
unaccompanied youth;
For example, a dedicated access point for unaccompanied youth that provides a safe and supportive youth environment and that is located in a space easily accessible to and commonly frequented by youth to increase the likelihood that unaccompanied youth will access the coordinated entry process;
(4) households fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions (including human trafficking);
Participants may not be denied access to the coordinated entry process on the basis that the participant is or has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking.
(5) persons at risk of homelessness. CoC’s access point(s) must be easily accessed by individual and families seeking homeless or homelessness prevention services. Prevention must be a part of coordinated entry and that coordinated entry must be designed to support persons at risk of homelessness!
The CoC may not establish a separate access point and assessment process for veterans; however, a coordinated entry process may allow VA partners to conduct assessments and make direct placements into assistance programs
** Talk about the motivation behind choosing separate access points for those populations?
** Talk about DV participation in CE?
A CoC, or recipient of federal funds, may be required to offer some variation to the process, e.g., a different access point, as a reasonable accommodation for a person with disabilities. For example, a person with a mobility impairment may request a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the coordinated entry process at a different location.
CoC should ensure that households who are included in more than one of the populations for which an access point is dedicated can be served at all of the access points for which they qualify as a target population.

14. Marketing and Accessibility
Core Elements: Access
Ensuring Access:
Emergency Services
Homeless Prevention
Marketing and Accessibility
Safety Planning
Street Outreach
WHAT IT MEANS TO ENSURE ACCESS…
EMERGENCY SERVICES – The coordinated entry process must allow emergency services, including all domestic violence and emergency services hotlines, drop-in service programs, and emergency shelters, to operate with as few barriers to entry as possible. Additionally, persons must be able to access emergency services independent of the operating hours of the coordinated entry’s intake and assessment processes. Doesn’t mean a CoC can’t use the CE process to prioritize emergency shelter beds, but if that process is creating a bottleneck or resulting in empty crisis beds then it isn’t operating in the true intent of coordinated entry.
HOMELESS PREVENTION:
CoC’s access point(s) must be easily accessed by individual and families seeking both homeless or homelessness prevention services. Prevention must be a part of coordinated entry and coordinated entry must be designed to support persons at risk of homelessness!
Marketing/Accessibility
CoCs’ written policies and procedures for the coordinated entry process must:
Include a strategy to ensure the coordinated entry process is available to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, familial status, disability, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
Document steps taken to ensure access points, if physical locations, are accessible to individuals with disabilities and document steps taken to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities.
Take reasonable steps to offer CE process materials and participant instruction in multiple languages to meet the needs of minority, ethnic, and groups with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
Safety Planning
CoC has a specific written CE policy and procedure to address the needs of individuals and families who are fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, but who are seeking shelter or services from non-victim service providers.
Street Outreach
Written policies and procedures describe how street outreach efforts funded under ESG or the CoC program are linked to the coordinated entry process
CoC’s must create written policies and procedures documenting the process by which persons are ensured access to emergency services during off hours when the coordinated entry’s intake and assessment processes are not operating
- CoC’s CE process allows emergency services to operate with as few barriers to entry as possible.
Process for persons seeking access to homelessness prevention services through the coordinated entry process
The Notice specifies several CE requirements must be documented in your Continuum’s coordinated entry policies and procedures. During today’s presentation we are going to call out a few of those instances.
-- WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DOCUMENT AND CODIFY AND UPDATE P&P.
-- The difference between putting something in the P&P and actually implementing it.

15. Put it in writing - Required Elements: Access
CoC’s written CE policies and procedures must:
Document a process ensuring access to emergency services during off hours
Document steps taken to ensure 1) access points are accessible to individuals with disabilities and 2) effective communication with individuals with disabilities
Address the needs of individuals and families who are fleeing violence
Describe how street outreach efforts funded under ESG or CoC are linked to the CE process
The Notice specifies many requirements that must be documented in writing in a continuum's CE policy and procedures. We’ll call out many those written CE P&P requirements throughout the presentation in our “notebook”.
It’s important to note the requirement is not to just have it written down, but to be actively implementing CE according to the written P&P.
CoC’s CE P&P must:
Marketing/Accessibility
CoCs’ written policies and procedures for the coordinated entry process must:
Include a strategy to ensure the coordinated entry process is available to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, familial status, disability, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
Document steps taken to ensure access points, if physical locations, are accessible to individuals with disabilities and document steps taken to ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities.
Take reasonable steps to offer CE process materials and participant instruction in multiple languages to meet the needs of minority, ethnic, and groups with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).

16. Discussion Question #1
Which CE access requirement do you think is most challenging to implement:
All access points consistently following CoC defined CE guidelines with standardized approaches
CE Access point services and guidelines are well advertised
All persons have emergency access to CoC crisis services regardless of business hours, subpopulation or geographic location
Persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency are provided special accommodation to ensure full access to CE services
Take 5 minutes at your table to discuss with your peers what you think will be the most challenging part of implementing CE access requirements

17. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation

18. Required Elements: Assessment
Participant presents at access point
Assessment process
Standardized process to document needs and preferences
Could be completed in phases
Participant autonomy & client-centered
CoC provides assessor training at least once annually
As we highlighted earlier, coordinated entry locations and models (whether via phone, in-person, online, etc.) must offer the same assessment approach and standard decision making processes. So no matter which access points at which a participant presents, they are going to encounter the same next step.
When we talk about assessment we are referring to one or more standardized assessment tool(s) used to determine a household’s current housing situation, housing and service needs, risk of harm, risk of future or continued homelessness, and other adverse outcomes. While note required, assessment may occur in phases which step by step collect only enough participant information needed to prioritize and refer participants to available housing and support services.
A client-centered approach that allows for participant autonomy is a critical aspect of the assessment tool and process. Participants get to decide what information they provide during the assessment process. Participants are allowed to refuse to answer assessment questions and to refuse housing and service options without retribution or limiting their access to other forms of assistance. Participants must be informed of the ability to file a nondiscrimination complaint. Written policies and procedures must specify the conditions for participants to maintain their place in coordinated entry prioritization lists when the participant rejects options. CoCs should include assessments into coordinated entry that are based in part on participants’ strengths, goals, risks, and protective factors.
Person-Centered Approach
Person-centered assessments
Accessible tools and processes
Sensitivity to lived experience
Participant choice
Clear referral expectations
Commitment to referral success
To help ensure a standard and consistent assessment process and decision-making, the Notice requires CoCs to train assessors at least once annually. The purpose of the training is to provide all staff administering assessments with access to materials that clearly describe the methods by which assessments are to be conducted. CoC’s coordinated entry process training curricula includes the review of CE policies and procedures, prioritization process, and criteria for uniform decision-making. CoCs must distribute training protocols and offer at least one training to all participating staff within 12 months of the publication of the Notice.

19. Put it in writing - Required P&P Elements: Assessment
Establish criteria used for uniform decision-making
Prohibit “screening out” people from assistance
Protect all data collected through the CE assessment process
Establish that the assessment process cannot require disclosure of specific disabilities or diagnosis
Provide training to staff administering CE processes
Your CoC’s CE P&P must include:
CoCs must maintain CE written policies and procedures that prohibit the coordinated entry process from screening people out of the coordinated entry process due to perceived barriers to housing or services, including, but not limited to, too little or no income, active or a history of substance abuse, domestic violence history, resistance to receiving services, the type or extent of a disability-related services or supports that are needed, history of evictions or poor credit, lease violations or history of not being a leaseholder, or criminal record.
Written policies and procedures must specify the conditions for participants to maintain their place in coordinated entry prioritization lists when the participant rejects options. Programs may require participants to provide certain pieces of information to determine program eligibility only when the applicable program regulation requires the information to establish or document eligibility.
CoC must establish written policies and procedures establishing that the assessment process cannot require disclosure of specific disabilities or diagnosis. Specific diagnosis or disability information may only be obtained for purposes of determining program eligibility to make appropriate referrals.

20. Discussion Question #2– Yes or No?
My agency currently collects information according to all the following stages:
Initial Triage – resolving immediate crisis needs
Diversion/Prevention – examination of existing resources and options instead of emergency shelter
Intake – basic information necessary to enroll participant in a CoC project
Comprehensive Assessment – documentation of participant’s needs, preferences, vulnerability
Next Step/Move On – assess interest and capacity for more independent housing
If not, how do you work to collect data now? How do you see CE helping or hurting in this effort to collect information in this way? Can you see the value in using a phased approach?

21. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation
= must be documented in written policies and procedures

22. Required Elements: Prioritization
Participant presents at access point
Assessment
Process
Prioritization
Definable set of criteria
Consistent with CoC and ESG written standards
Master Lists or BNL
P&P
Data collected via the assessment process is used to prioritize households for assistance. The coordinated entry process must, to the maximum extent feasible, ensure that people with more severe service needs and levels of vulnerability are prioritized for housing and homeless assistance, before those with less severe service needs and lower levels of vulnerability.
The assessment process, including information gathered from assessment tools, case workers, and others working with households, must provide sufficient information to make prioritization decisions. CoCs’ written policies and procedures must include the factors and assessment information with which prioritization decisions will be made for all homeless assistance.
CoCs should refer to the Notice on Prioritizing Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness and Other Vulnerable Homeless Persons in Permanent Supportive Housing for detailed guidance on prioritizing Permanent Supportive Housing beds.
The prioritization process may use any combination of the following factors:
significant challenges or functional impairments, including any physical, mental, developmental or behavioral health disabilities regardless of the type of disability, which require a significant level of support in order to maintain permanent housing (this factor focuses on the level of support needed and is not based on disability type);
high utilization of crisis or emergency services to meet basic needs, including but not limited to emergency rooms, jails, and psychiatric facilities;
the extent to which people, especially youth and children, are unsheltered;
vulnerability to illness or death;
risk of continued homelessness;
vulnerability to victimization, including physical assault, trafficking or sex work; or
other factors determined by the community that are based on severity of needs.
These factors are intended to help identify and prioritize homeless persons within the geographic area for access to housing and services based on severity of needs. CoCs are prohibited from using any assessment tool or the prioritization process, if it would discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, familial status, disability, type or amount of disability or disability-related services or supports required. In addition, CoCs are prohibited from discriminating based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
Assessment tools might not produce the entire body of information necessary to determine a household’s prioritization, either because of the nature of self-reporting, withheld information, or circumstances outside the scope of assessment questions. For these reasons, it is important that case workers and others working with households have the opportunity to provide additional information through case conferencing or another method of case worker input. It is important to remember, however, that only information relevant to factors listed in the coordinated entry written policies and procedures may be used to make prioritization decisions, and must be consistent with written standards.
The coordinated entry prioritization policies should be established by the CoC with input from all community stakeholders and must ensure that ESG projects are able to serve clients in accordance with written standards.
A community-wide list generated during the prioritization process, referred to variously as a “By Name List,” “Active List,” or “Master List,” is not required, but can help communities effectively manage an accountable and transparent referral process. If a community-wide list is used, CoCs must extend the same HMIS data privacy and security protections prescribed by HUD in the HMIS Data and Technical Standards to “By Name List,” “Active List,” and “Master List” data.
Regardless of how prioritization decisions are implemented, the prioritization process must follow the requirements in of the Notice.
Person-Centered Approach
Participant choice
Clear referral expectations
Commitment to referral success
CoCs should adjust Prioritization to reduce waiting time for assistance

23. Put it in writing – P&P Required Elements: Prioritization
Include the factors and assessment information used for prioritization decisions
Clearly distinguish between the interventions that will and those that will not be prioritized
Document process for participants to file a discrimination complaint
Specify the conditions for participants to maintain their place in CE prioritization lists when the participant rejects options
Prioritization is based on a specific and definable set of criteria that are documented, made publicly available and applied consistently throughout the CoC for all populations.
CoC’s written policies and procedures include the factors and assessment information with which prioritization decisions are made.
CoC’s prioritization policies and procedures are consistent with CoC and ESG written standards under the CoC Program interim rule and the ESG Interim Rule
Note – Refer to HUD Prioritization Notice: CPD for detailed guidance on prioritizing persons experiencing chronic homelessness and other vulnerable homeless populations in permanent supportive housing

24. Discussion Question #3
What happens if two or more homeless households are identically prioritized for referral to the next available unit, and each household is eligible for referral to that unit?
Let the housing provider select the candidate they feel is a best fit for their program.
The CoC should refer the household that first presented for assistance in the next available unit.
Engage both homeless households in a joint case conference meeting so they can decide who should be referred.
In the event that two or more homeless households within the same geographic area are identically prioritized for referral to the next available unit, and each household is also eligible for referral to that unit, the CoC should refer the household that first presented for assistance in the next available unit. The CoC’s written policies and procedures must also include a process by which individuals and families may appeal coordinated entry decisions.

25. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation

26. Required Elements: Referral
Participant presents at access point
Assessment
Process
Prioritization
Referral
Uniform process for all beds, units & services
Does not screen out
CE = only referral source
The coordinated entry process must implement a uniform and coordinated referral process for all beds, units, and services available at participating projects.
The CoC does not screen potential project participants out for assistance based on perceived barriers related to housing or services. PRIORITIZATION vs ELIGIBILITY…
- What happens when an agency rejects a referral?
CoC- and ESG-program recipients and sub-recipients use the coordinated entry process as the only referral source from which to consider filling vacancies. WHICH MEANS…
Prioritization List
CoC extends the same HMIS data privacy and security protections prescribed by HUD for HMIS practices in the HMIS Data and Technical Standards for a Prioritization List
Non-discrimination
CoC and all agencies participating in the coordinated entry process comply with the equal access and nondiscrimination provisions of Federal civil rights laws.
CoC’s referral process is informed by Federal, State, and local Fair Housing laws and regulations and ensures participants are not “steered” toward any particular housing facility or neighborhood because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or the presence of children.

27. Required Elements: Referral
Non-discrimination
CoC and all agencies participating in the coordinated entry process comply with the equal access and nondiscrimination provisions of Federal civil rights laws.
CoC’s referral process is informed by Federal, State, and local Fair Housing laws and regulations and ensures participants are not “steered” toward any particular housing facility or neighborhood because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or the presence of children.

28. Put it in writing – P&P Required Elements: Referral
Document assessment, vulnerability and need-based factors used to make prioritization decision
Include a process by which individuals and families may appeal coordinated entry decisions
Document protocol for participant rejection of a referral
Describe the process by which persons will be prioritized for referrals to homelessness prevention services
Written policies and procedures must document:
the uniform referral process, including standardized criteria by which a participating project may justify rejecting a referral; and
in the rare instances of rejection, the protocol that participating projects must follow to reject a referral, as well as the protocol the coordinated entry process must follow to connect the rejected household with a new project.

29. Discussion Question #4
I operate a project that receives no CoC program or ESG program funds. Must I only accept referrals from the CoC’s defined CE referral process?
Yes, all projects regardless of funding source must accept CE referrals.
No, homelessness assistance agencies who receive no HUD funding are not obligated to accept referrals from the CE process.
It depends. The CoC may establish local CE referral protocols that extend requirements for participation to all local homeless assistance providers within the CoC’s geographic area.

30. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation

31. Infrastructure Element: Planning
Shelter Providers
Housing Providers
Service Programs
Outreach
Teams
Mainstream Systems
Crisis Response System that promotes homelessness as rare, brief, non recurring
Principles
Goals
Gaps
Standards

32. Put it in writing - Required P&P Elements: Planning
Establish policies guiding CE operations
Define CE geography, participation expectations and roles, training, oversight and management
Align written standards for providing CoC assistance with written policies and procedures for CE
Ensure equal access to CE for all persons
Your CoC’s CE P&P must include:
Written policies and procedures which specify the conditions for participants to maintain their place in coordinated entry prioritization lists when the participant rejects options. Programs may require participants to provide certain pieces of information to determine program eligibility only when the applicable program regulation requires the information to establish or document eligibility.
CoC must establish written policies and procedures establishing that the assessment process cannot require disclosure of specific disabilities or diagnosis. Specific diagnosis or disability information may only be obtained for purposes of determining program eligibility to make appropriate referrals

33. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation

34. Infrastructure Element: Management
The process of implementing your CE will be ONGOING. This is something that will take full community involvement and support, will be informed by data and experiences, and will regularly change to reflect the adjusting needs of persons experiencing homelessness in your community.

35. System Element: Oversight
Oversight & Management
Each CoC must establish or update its coordinated entry process in accordance with the goals established by the CoC and requirements in the Coordinated Entry Notice.
HUD does not prescribe a specific governance, oversight or management approach to the design, planning, implementation, or ongoing operation of coordinated entry.
Each CoC will need to define a CE governance and operational management approach that address the local needs and preferences of the CoC.

36. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation

37. Infrastructure Element: Data Management
Document participant needs and preferences
Maintain master list/ By Name List
Coordinate participant service delivery
Evaluate CE
Evaluate CoC System
Protect participant privacy
Maintain data security

38. Put it in writing - Required P&P Elements: Data Management
Ensure adequate privacy protections of all participant information
Define protocol for participant consent to share data
Prohibit the denial of services if participants don’t share
If using HMIS, ensure all users are trained and understand CoC privacy and security expectations
Your CoC’s CE P&P must include:
Written policies and procedures which specify the conditions for participants to maintain their place in coordinated entry prioritization lists when the participant rejects options. Programs may require participants to provide certain pieces of information to determine program eligibility only when the applicable program regulation requires the information to establish or document eligibility.
CoC must establish written policies and procedures establishing that the assessment process cannot require disclosure of specific disabilities or diagnosis. Specific diagnosis or disability information may only be obtained for purposes of determining program eligibility to make appropriate referrals

39. Coordinated Entry System Elements
Core Elements
Access
Assessment
Prioritization
Referral
Infrastructure Elements
Planning
Management & Oversight
Data
Evaluation

40. Infrastructure Element: Evaluation
Annual CE evaluation answers the following questions:
Does CE work for persons experiencing a housing crisis?
Does CE work for providers of homeless assistance?
Is CE functioning according to CoC’s design principles?
Is CoC system more efficient and effective as a result of CE?

41. Put it in writing - Required P&P Elements: Evaluation
Define frequency and methods by which CE evaluation will be conducted
Your CoC’s CE P&P must include:
Written policies and procedures which specify the conditions for participants to maintain their place in coordinated entry prioritization lists when the participant rejects options. Programs may require participants to provide certain pieces of information to determine program eligibility only when the applicable program regulation requires the information to establish or document eligibility.
CoC must establish written policies and procedures establishing that the assessment process cannot require disclosure of specific disabilities or diagnosis. Specific diagnosis or disability information may only be obtained for purposes of determining program eligibility to make appropriate referrals

42. Summary
CoCs have an opportunity to design a system that is locally meaningful and builds on existing successes
HUD Coordinated Entry Notice is out now, and deadline for compliance has been set by HUD (January 23, 2018)
HUD funding applications will likely continue to be impacted by the CoCs ability to meet the goals and requirements of CES

43. Break

44. Coordinated Entry in Columbus-Muscogee/Russell County CoC

45. Local Coordinated Entry Launch Date
January 1, 2018!
Aim to launch earlier, but a firm launch by January 1, 2018

46. Local CoC CE Stratgey and TA
Phase 1: Planning and Decision Making Design
Phase 2: Implementation Preparation
Phase 3: Launch
Phase 4: Evaluation and Implementation
Ongoing

47. GA 505 CoC’s CES Committee CE Committee is not very active right now
Only two people showed up at the last meeting
WE NEED YOU
Did a virtual meeting as well
Mostly one way coming back up
The purpose of the GA 505 CoC’s Coordinated Entry Committee is to:
Create a vision and set of guiding principles for the local coordinated entry system
Make a set of clear coordinated entry system recommendations to the CoC Board and/or membership
Develop coordinated entry policies and procedures, tools and resources to support the launch and implementation of coordinated entry
Meeting Frequency and Schedule
The CoC has committed to launching its Coordinated Entry (CE) system by October 2, To achieve that goal, HUD TA has recommended that the Coordinated Entry Committee meet twice a month to move the CES design process forward. Once the system launches, TA recommends that the committee continue to meet monthly to evaluate and adapt the CE process, as needed.
Meeting Month
Topic(s)
September
CES Guiding Principles and Vision
Access
Assessment
Prioritization and Referral
October
HMIS/Evaluation of CE
Subpopulations
Policies and Procedures
November
Training
Marketing Materials
December
Next Steps with Coordinated Entry Committee and CE
Suggested Membership
Please note that members can fill more than one role from the suggested list of members below.
CoC Board representative
Emergency Solutions Grant recipient representative
Emergency Shelter provider
Transitional Housing provider
Rapid re-housing provider
Permanent Supportive Housing provider
Domestic Violence provider
Veterans provider
Youth provider
Recovery housing provider
HMIS project representative
United Way representative

48. Local Decision Making Process
CoC staff drafts content
CE Committee reviews and provides feedback and revisions
CE Committee discusses key policy areas and documents
CE Committee formally votes on a topic
CoC Board gives final approval/vote on a topic

49. Work Completed Identified an access model for CE
Selected the assessment tool
Drafted CE Policies and Procedures

50. Access Model
Centralized; will leverage United Way’s system to take in all requests for assistance
If potentially eligible for CE, then the client will be assessed
Process will not slow down access to emergency services
If you are a local homeless assistance program, then you need to start utilizing CE before new clients are provided services in your organization
Everyone will be routed through 2-1-1
Client will be assessed using VI-SPDAT and prioritized/referred for assistance

51. Assessment Tool
VI-SPDAT: Vulnerability Index Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool
All agency staff participating in CE will receive training on the tool
Use of the VI SPDAT will be to make referrals within CE; once clients are at an agency, the agency can ask additional questions to further determine eligibility

52. Referral and Prioritization Processes
CoC staff (Home for Good) will have access to, manage and update the CoC’s prioritization list
VI-SPDAT score and other key data will be used to ensure that the people who are most vulnerable receive services
Agencies and clients will both still have the ability to reject referrals
There will be a process for the CE Committee to review rejections, to identify why those are occurring and if any changes need to be made to the process

53. Immediate Next Steps
Finalization of CE Policies and Procedures, and update CoC and ESG Written Standards
Establish and complete MOUs for each CE participating agency
Provider training on VI-SPDAT and additional CE processes (including CE Policies and Procedures)
Potential adjustments to the CE Committee membership for ongoing work on CE
Launch of HMIS and other data sources to manage CE system
Development of marketing materials for CE
TA is ongoing through end of January, 2018
Remind people to give feedback on the draft CE PnP

54. What will change on January 1?
If an Emergency Shelter provider….
Staff will need to connect clients to CE system within 3 days of their shelter entry date
If a Street Outreach provider…
Outreach teams will need to be ready to connect clients to CE system as part of their engagement process
If a Transitional Housing or Permanent Housing (RRH or PSH) provider….
Staff will need to connect any potential clients to CE system BEFORE they can be assessed or accepted into your project

55. Q&A and Open Discussion

56. Natalie Matthews, MSW Abt Associates, Inc.
(617)
feedback on the PnP to me as well, if you have it
CoCs CE Meeting agendas and topics