LEVERAGING RESOURCES:
CROSS SYSTEMS
PARTNERSHIPS FOR RAPID
RE-HOUSING
Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
24th Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness
Wednesday, May 21st, 2014
ENDING FAMILY HOMELESS PROJECT
Goal: The intent of the Ending Family
Homelessness is to reduce homeless for
households with children who are unsheltered or
living in shelters and motels by 50 percent by
2015
Rapid re-housing targeted for TANF households
with immediate needs
 Progressive engagement - matching resources to
need through ongoing needs assessment
 Active coordination with DSHS and WorkSource

INRODUCTION
Presentation in 5 Segments
Roles in Partnership
 Project Partnership
 Integrating into agency’s service delivery
 What we have learned
 Case Studies

Time for Clarifying Questions between segments
and Q&A at the end of the presentation
How Families Access HFCA
All entry points
provide:
Rapid
Re-housing
provider
Rural
Outreach
•Screening
•Diversion
HFCA- The
Salvation
Army
•Assessment
•Referral to rapid re-
Phone
Walk-In
Email
housing
•RRH for all
populations
•SSVF
DV
provider
VOA- youth
provider
families with
hh under 18
•RRH for specific
geographic areas
•Referral to
prevention
•Housing placement
waitlist
Housing
Placement
HFCA
Maintains Waitlist for Family Housing
Programs
Using Assessment Tool places families into
appropriate housing
Works with all providers in placement
process
Various
scattered site
rental
assistance
programs
Interim
Housing
Programs
PSH units for
families
91 units
155 units
PANELIST:
Marci Sweet, Rapid Re-housing and Vocational
Program Coordinator
St. Margaret’s Shelter Catholic Charities of Spokane.
Lori Hunley, Spokane WorkFirst Supervisor
Washington State Department of Social and Health
Services
Shannon Booth, WorkFirst Supervisor
WorkSource Spokane
ROLES IN THE
ENDING FAMILY
HOMELESSNESS
PROJECT
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
 St. Margaret’s Shelter
We aim to embody an environment where families have the
physical, emotional, and spiritual resources they need, to
create beneficial changes in their lives in order to find and
maintain stable housing in the larger community
 Services Provided – Housing Focus
-Emergency Shelter
-Transitional Housing
-Permanent Supportive Housing
-Rapid Re-Housing
* Ending Family Homelessness Pilot Project
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
Receive all EFH referrals via HFCA and eJAS
 Conduct secondary screening over the phone

-TANF eligible
-Engaged in WorkFirst activities
-Literally Homeless
Complete eligibility paperwork
 Provide housing search resources and assistance
 Progressive engagement housing stabilization
services and financial assistance
 Connect with DSHS case worker, and
employment service provider assist in developing
a joint case plan

DSHS

Case managers complete Comprehensive Evaluation
on TANF clients

Develop Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) for each
TANF client

Identify barriers for barrier resolution

Social workers complete Pregnancy to Employment
Assessment and Barrier Assessments on clients

Case managers & Social workers refer clients to
Salvation Army co-located staff or clients can go
directly to Salvation Army
WORKSOURCE

Assessment, employment preparation and job
search activities

Generally a 12 week Program

Individualized coaching and mentoring services

Barrier resolution

Coach provides job referrals and job leads
connecting parents with employers
PROJECT
PARTNERSHIP
GOALS


All partners have the same basic goal: “eliminate
homelessness, and secure income”
We had to learn that each partner agency has
agency specific goals as well:




DSHS – Provide benefits, and monitor WorkFirst
compliancy
ESD – Provide employment support services and secure
employment
St. Margaret’s – Find permanent affordable housing
Once we had an understanding of each agency’s
individual goals, it was easier to partner knowing
the parameters we could all work within
LEARNING ABOUT THE PARTNERS




Met with partners individually to learn about
each of partner’s role
Building collaboration
Partners met on a monthly basis, rotating
locations
Educated staff about partner roles and services
PARTNER COORDINATION &
COMMUNICATION


Partners met on a monthly basis at different
sites to learn more about each of partners service
delivery
Within the monthly meeting Case Staffing took
place as well as on-going review of joint
customers being served

We all shared staff directories

Providers received E-Jas
INTEGRATION
St. Margaret’s – Integration
between the Partners
Educated
our staff about the pilot program, including goals,
outcomes, and model of service
Amended
our EFH Case Plans to include making
verbal contact with DSHS case manger
Amended
our Case Plans to include copies of
client’s IRP in each file
DSHS - INTEGRATION BETWEEN
THE PARTNERS


Co-location of Salvation Army housing provider
in DSHS local CSO
Having housing provider at DSHS, clients and
staff have more knowledge of housing
opportunities and communication with each
other. Clients are being serviced quickly; first
contact
WORKSOURCE - INTEGRATION
BETWEEN THE PARTNERS

Providers attend the Monthly WorkFirst Meeting

Co-location of Housing Provider in DSHS
MOVING
FORWARD
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
PARTNERS

What are we learning about communication
between Partners?

It takes building rapport and connections

Education about each agency culture

Job descriptions and responsibilities

Partner’s specialties

Partner’s resources
HOW TO KEEP BUY-IN



Continue to communicate with Housing agencies
Keep staff informed with updated housing
outcomes
We all have same goal for our clients
Trust in each Partner’s expertise


Each of know that we can pick up the phone or
e-mail at anytime for partner expertise and or
information that will help our mutual customer
We all have a very collaborative attitude towards
our goal to help the parent succeed
OUTCOMES &
BENEFITS
Outcomes based on May 2013 - April 2014 data.
CLIENT BENEFITS

Barriers reduced

All client providers communicating

Wrap around services and support
CASE STUDY #1
Single father parenting twins

On TANF 7 months, exited TANF with full-time employment

CPS case closed and full-participation in all his required activities

Found housing and was enrolled in the EFH program in
November 2013, currently has received 7 months of subsidized
rent, and was able to contribute over half his rent for May 2014

Worked with Career Path Services and secured full-time
employment in April 2014 at a convenience store

On track to exit the EFH program in July 2014
CASE STUDY #2
Single mother parenting four children

On TANF 20 months, exited TANF with full-time employment

Found housing and was enrolled in the EFH program in May
2013, was exited in April 2014. Received a total of 11 months of
subsidized rent

Worked with DSHS case worker, social worker, and housing case
manager closely to tailor her IRP requirements regarding her
specific mental health barriers

Secured full-time employment in March 2014 as a receptionist at
a local health care provider
CASE STUDY #3
Single mother parenting three children

On TANF 4 months, exited TANF with employment

Found housing in December 2013, and was exited in
January 2014, stating she had secured full-time
employment and was no longer in need of assistance

Worked with ESD, and WorkSource and secured
employment as an in-home health care provider
QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS?