1. Unified Shelter Model Mary Frances Kenion Suzanne Wagner March 13, 2019

2. Agenda Introductions What is a Unified Shelter Model?
Why Implement a Unified Shelter Model?
Best Practices in Emergency Shelter
Implementation of a Unified Shelter Model in Arlington County, Virginia
Discussion

3. What is a Unified Shelter Model?
Standardized approach across programs and agencies to delivering services to homeless people
Includes standards for practice – assessment, housing planning, housing access, case mgmt and connections to community resources
Common performance outcomes
Standardized policies and procedures
Common contracting requirements
What is a Unified Shelter Model?

4. Why implement a Unified Shelter Model?
Equity – consumers receive similar services no matter what agency they are served at
Ensure consistency in level and approach to service
Reflect community norms, priorities and values
Adopt best and evidence-based practices and improve performance and results
Levels the playing field
Why implement a Unified Shelter Model?

5. Best Practices in Shelter
Housing focused services and Housing First approach
Shelter rules that mimic/simulate standard lease obligations
Provide education on tenancy skills and how to comply with a lease
Connect to housing, income, community services and natural supports – assist with self-resolution
Person-centered, trauma-informed and uses motivation-building and other evidence-based practices
Best Practices in Shelter

6. History
In 2008, the Center for Urban Community Services published Recommendations for Re-Designing the Emergency Winter Shelter
In 2009, the Homeless Emergency and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH Act) outlined administrative, planning, governance and performance requirements for the nation’s Continuums of Cares (CoCs)
In 2010, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness was presented to the Office of the President and Congress
In 2014, Housing Innovations, LLC visited Arlington to learn about local priorities, programs and processes and meet key stakeholders in an evaluation of the extent to which current shelter models in the County were well aligned under the HEARTH Act and local and federal strategic plan goals

7. HEARTH Act Reduce Improve
Reduce the average length of time people are homeless
Reduce
Reduce returns to homelessness
Reduce the number of families and individuals who are homeless
Improve the employment rate and income amount of families and individuals who are homeless
Improve
Reduce the number of families and individuals who become homeless for the first time
HEARTH Act

8. Opening Doors Finish the job of ending chronic homelessness by 2015
Prevent and end homelessness by veterans by 2015
Prevent and end homelessness for families, youth, and children by 2020
Set a path to ending all types of homelessness
Opening Doors

9. Crisis Response System Transformation
Transform systems and programs that are not effective and/or efficient
Preserve
Preserve intensive interventions for people with the highest need
Move away
Move away from housing readiness models and towards Housing First models
Invest in
Invest in shelter diversion and rapid re-housing strategies
Use
Use Evidence-Based Practices (Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care, Critical Time Intervention, etc.)
Implement
Implement an outcome/performance driven approach to achieve goals
Focus
Focus shelter services on securing housing placements and increases in income and benefits for homeless clients
Crisis Response System Transformation

10. Establish core purpose that drives all funding decisions, contracts, performance expectations, program activities, and policies and procedures

11. Housing Focused Approach
Clearly establish housing placement as the primary responsibility for the shelter case managers
Establish a shelter diversion program
Limit shelter rules to a clear, brief list of containing only those rules that are both necessary and enforceable
Avoid rules requiring service participation
Align staff and client schedules to enable completion of housing focused case management
Expand exit options

12. Housing Focused Case Management
Be timed strategically to conserve scarce resources
Focus on resolving the most critical barriers as quickly as possible
Create clear goals and time frames
Identify needed resources
Clarify roles of the client and the case manager
Track progress and make course corrections
Include supervisory review
Focus on the hardest to place
Include post placement follow-up

13. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
An approach to performance management, starting with the belief that any service can be improved, regardless of how effective it may currently be, and rely on data-driven decisions to inform continual, strategic efforts to make services better.

14. Coordinated Access
Streamline access for those experiencing homelessness
Use a standardized assessment process to assess housing needs, preferences and vulnerability
Use assessment to target inventory of community housing resources and services for prioritization
Make referral to an appropriate intervention based on prioritization

15. It’s hard work, but the benefits are far reaching
If you think you’ve involved all stakeholders, continue to search beyond who you already have at the table
Build out a schedule of ongoing training to maintain fidelity to the model and its implementation
Take your time during implementation
Connect with other communities before, during and after the changes
All staff may not be onboard with changes and it is okay to part ways

16. Eliminated “waiting lists” for shelter
Reduced average shelter utilization to approximately 75%
Recidivism has decreased over a 3-year period from 25% to 16%
Exits to permanent housing increased from 17% in 2015 to 45%
Reached and sustained “functional zero” for Veterans
In the final stretch of reaching “functional zero” for chronically homeless individuals