TRIAGING:
USING ASSESSMENT TO CONNECT FAMILIES TO THE
RIGHT SERVICES
UMOM New Day Centers
Mattie Lord, Chela Schuster, Randy Hade
PRE 2014 FROM A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE
• 12 agencies
• 26 programs
• No shared wait lists
• Multiple, lengthy
applications
• No shared eligibility
criteria
Getting into shelter = Needle in a haystack
ONE DOOR, ONE PROCESS
• Single Application
• Regional approach
• Prioritization
STANDING STRONG FOR FAMILIES
A New Leaf
ABC Housing, Inc.
CASS Vista Colina
Community Bridges,
Inc.
• Family Promise
• Homeward Bound
• House of Refuge East
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• Labors Community
Service Agency
• Salvation Army
• Save the Family, Inc.
• UMOM New Day
Centers
• Watkins Emergency
Shelter
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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In August 2012, the Coordinated Assessment Workgroup
developed these guiding principles:
The assessment and referral process should be client-centric
The system must be easy for clients to navigate
Establish multiple points of access
Prioritize enrollment based on client need
Prioritize “hardest to serve” clients first
Focus on ending the client’s homelessness as quickly as
possible
Balance provider choice in making enrollment decisions with
the system’s need to serve all clients
Initial Assessments should be as simple as possible
Establish accountability amongst assessment workers and
providers
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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Make a system that is sustainable
Leverage and support existing partnerships and strong partnership
Streamline any parallel processes
Offer choices which promote self-sufficiency
Deliver services that are well coordinated between all staff and
agencies
Support provider staff with appropriate referrals
Ensure availability and access to a broad, flexible array of effective
services and supports for consumers and their families that address
their multiple needs
Provide individualized services in accordance with the unique
potentials and needs of each consumer and family
Use a Housing First approach
Use real-time data to make quick referrals
ASSESSMENT TOOL
Maricopa County agreed to use the Family VISPDAT
and VISPDAT tools as assessment for coordinated
entry
The VI-SPDAT helps identify who should be
recommended for each housing and support
intervention, moving the discussion from simply who is
eligible for a service intervention to who is eligible
and in greatest need of that intervention. While the
SPDAT is an assessment tool, the VI-SPDAT is a survey
that anyone could complete, to help prioritize clients.
UMOM NEW DAY CENTERS:
A BRIEF OVERVIEW
OUR CONTINUUM OF SERVICES
• Coordinated Entry
• Diversion
• Emergency Shelter
• Rapid Rehousing (RRH for families, SSVF and
Transition in place for victims of Domestic
Violence)
• Transitional/ Extended shelter (Families, GPD
for veteran families)
• Permanent Supportive Housing
IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
COORDINATED ENTRY & THE FAMILY HOUSING HUB
FHH – Central Mon.- Thurs.
East valley- 2 days per week
West Valley- 1 day per week
Phoenix Elementary school.5 day per week
CONFIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS
• Safety first (DV?
Crisis?)
• Diversion questions
• Family VI-SPDAT
• Special Needs
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ADA
Family size
Geography
Veteran status
• Eligibility questions
• Full assessment for
very high acuity
WHAT IS DIVERSION?
From “Ending Family Homelessness” Strategic Plan 2020…
• We agree to commonly fund and support services to
families seeking shelter, with a strong focus on resolving
and diverting as many families as possible whenever it is
safe and appropriate to do so.
• Diversion includes looking at the current circumstance
of the family – from wherever they are connecting from
across the County – and professionally, sensitively, and
patiently attempting to solve their housing instability
without ever requiring shelter admission.
RESOURCES
The FHH waiting room is full of resources and
information on housing, employment and other
resources to help divert families prior to even
meeting with FHH Staff members.
DIVERSION IMPACT
• 885 households were formally
diverted 10/14 – 12/15.
• 235 households returned to FHH for
homeless/housing services.
• 650 households did not return.
Formal diversion Rate 27%
SELF-DIVERSION
In person Families
2,985
Families entering shelter
810
ASSESSMENT DETERMINES
INTERVENTION
Emergency
Shelter
Eviction
Prevention
Rapid
Rehousing
Family
VI-SPDAT
score
Permanent
affordable
housing
Subsidized/
Section 8
Transitional
Housing
Permanent
Supportive
EMERGENCY SHELTER
• 5 different programs
Marcus
• Typically up to 120 days
• Only intervention
offered to lowest acuity
• Used as “bridge” to
other interventions for
moderate and high
acuity
• 32 year old single dad
• 2 children
• Employed less than 3
months
• Felony 10 years old
• past eviction
RAPID REHOUSING
3 different providers
Core Components
• Housing Search and
Placement
• Temporary Rental
assistance
• Case Management
Typically up to one year,
average of 6 months
assistance
Offered to moderate
acuity families
Isabel
25 YO single mother
2 children
Less than 30% AMI
2 past evictions
Owes money to utility
company
 Major credit problems
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TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
• 6 different
programs
• Typically up to 2
years
• Offered to high
acuity households
Michaela
• 41 year old single mom
• 3 children
• Receives sporadic child
support
• Recent felony
• Long history of substance
use
• Child welfare
involvement
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Liz and Tom
3 different providers
• Scattered site
• Clustered
Not time limited
Core Components
• Housing Search &
Placement
• Rental assistance
• Case Management
• Offered only to highest
acuity households
5 children
No employment
No HS diploma/ GED
Recent felony and
misdemeanors
• 2 past evictions
• Major credit issues and wage
garnishments
• History of mental health and
substance use on and off for 10
years.
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MULTIFAMILY/SECTION 8
Currently in process of piloting work
with Multifamily housing with
preference for those experiencing
homelessness
DOCUMENT & DATA COLLECTION
• Documentation of
homeless status
• Proof of identity
• Proof of relationship
with child(ren)
• Documentation of
income
• HMIS Entry created
• Informed consent
• DV victim files are closed
• UDEs collected
• F-SPDAT score
attached
• Documents uploaded
• Electronic file prepared
to be manually
opened to receiving
program.
REFERRAL TO RRH, TH, OR PSH
PROGRAMS
• 1 page referral sent from
FHH to Program
• Program accepts/denies
within 24(ish) hours
• Goal: 85% acceptance
rate
• If accepted, either
placed on SPL or sent to
agency if unit is
available.
• If denied, FHH works
toward alternative
referral.
NO IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY
Week of
11/2
11/9
11/16
11/23
ES
78
79
74
79
RRH
72
55
45
TH
66
70
GPD
0
PSH
17
Week of
12/7
12/14
12/21
12/28
ES
83
91
103
93
87
RRH
54
62
59
65
73
71
TH
86
81
75
70
1
1
0
GPD
0
1
0
0
15
19
22
PSH
6
7
8
7
PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT
• Family VI SPDAT score will be used as starting
point for providing services to all families
• If a family fails an intervention and the case
manager has completed a full F-SPDAT
showing need for a higher intervention,
family will be placed on that SPL.
Q1 W1
Q1 W2
Q1 W3
Q1 W4
Q1 W5
Q1 W6
Q1 W7
Q1 W8
Q1 W9
Q1 W10
Q1 W11
Q1 W12
Q1 W13
Q2 W1
Q2 W2
Q2 W3
Q2 W4
Q2 W5
Q2 W6
Q2 W7
Q2 W8
Q2 W9
Q2 W10
Q2 W11
Q2 W12
Q2 W13
Q3 W1
Q3 W2
Q3 W3
Q3 W4
Q3 W5
Q3 W6
Q3 W7
Q3 W8
Q3 W9
Q3 W10
Q3 W11
Q3 W12
Q3 W13
Q4 W1
Q4 W2
Q4 W3
Q4 W4
Q4 W5
Q4 W6
Q4 W7
Q4 W8
Q4 W9
Q4 W10
Q4 W11
Q4 W12
Q4 W13
RESULTS
UNDUPLICATED HOMELESS FAMILIES 2015
N = 2,639
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
The average number of families slipping into homelessness in Maricopa County = 51 families per week.
RESULTS
INITIAL ACUITY SCORE SAMPLE FOR
HOMELESSS, NON-DIVERTED FAMILIES
(N = 414)
PSH
10%
ES
11%
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TH
28%
RRH
51%
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On any given week at the Family Housing Hub…
380 will people call to inquire about FHH services.
62 families will walk through the door of a FHH site.
51 families will be identified as experiencing
homelessness.
12 homeless families will be formally diverted, of which
9 will not return.
39 homeless families will be formally assessed for
interventions. Initial assessment scores will indicate:
4 will likely need only a short stay in Emergency Shelter
20 will likely need Rapid Rehousing (& ES as a bridge)
11 will likely need Transitional Housing (& possibly ES as
a bridge)
4 may need Permanent Supportive Housing, but will
need a full FSPDAT assessment
• 27 homeless families will access a shelter or housing
intervention.
RESULTS
• Oct 1 – Dec 4
• 298 families were fully
assessed and placed
on Service Priority
Lists.
298
252
• During the same time
period, 252 families
were removed from
Service Priority Lists as
they entered
programs.
• - 168 entered shelter
• - 58 entered RRH
• - 26 entered TH
• - 0 entered PSH
CHALLENGES
• Change is hard
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Family habits/expectations
Provider habits/expectations
VIP habits/expectations
Funder habits/expectations
Operation of side doors
Oversight/accountability
Public misperceptions of diversion
No immediate services for immediate needs
NEXT STEPS
Seek continued, sustainable funding
Strengthen diversion to homeless system
Define measures of success
Coordinate with multifamily/ Sec 8
Coordinate with DV system
Coordinate with youth system
Continued education to funders (Regional
approach)
• Work with partners to minimize eligibility criteria
• Continue tracking data in an effort to right size
interventions
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PLAN TO END FAMILY HOMELESSNESS
Ending Family Homelessness
Service Provider Commitment & Strategic Plan 2020
Maricopa County, AZ
August 2015
QUESTIONS?
Mattie Lord
Chief Program officer
Mlord@umom.org
Chela Schuster
Director of Strategic Housing resources
cschuster@umom.org
Randy Hade
Family Housing Hub Coordinator
rhade@umom.org