Drug Court Housing Matters:
How to Build a Drug Court Housing
Case Management Program
Shannon Thomas, King County Drug Diversion
Court Housing Case Manager, 2009-present
Allison Howard, King County Drug Diversion Court
Housing Case Manager, 2009-present
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
1
Getting Started: Questions to Ask
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What are the housing barriers your participants face?
What are the housing resources in your community?
What type of in-office housing services will you provide?
What type of housing will you provide?
Who are you going to house?
What will compliance in housing look like?
What will your clean & sober/recovery model be?
How will you make referrals and placements?
What will case management in housing look like?
How will you pay for your housing?
How will you participate in public policy/community
advocacy?
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
2
What are the housing barriers your
participants face?
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Evictions
Criminal background
Lack of/poor residential history
Bad credit
Unemployed
Minimal benefits
Poverty
Family crisis
Domestic violence
Chronic homelessness
Chemical dependency
Mental health
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
3
What are the housing resources in
your community?
• Outreach/tour as many housing programs as you
can (shelters, transitional and permanent
housing)
• Educate housing programs on Drug Court and
establish a rapport
• Advocate for Drug Court referrals
• Establish a referral protocol for Drug Court
participants
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
4
What type of in-office
housing services will you provide?
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Eviction prevention
Utilities assistance
Landlord education
Applications for housing waitlists
Housing search
Locating move-in costs
Locating furniture/household items
Assessing housing needs
Connecting to community services and resources
Longer term planning
Crisis assistance
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
5
What type of housing will you
provide?
• Transitional single studio apartments
• Transitional family multi-room apartments
• Single room in a group home
• Permanent housing vouchers (private market)
• Permanent supportive housing
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
6
Who are you going to house?
• Single Adults
• Gender specific housing
• Young Adults (18-26)
• Families with minor children
• Couples
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
7
What will compliance in housing
look like?
• Clean and sober/recovery model
• Signed contract/program rules
• Curfew
• Guest policy
• House chores
• House meetings
• Working with a case manager
• Compliance with court and treatment obligations
• Rental fees
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
8
What will your clean &
sober/recovery model look like?
• Drug use puts housing at risk
• Relapse Prevention Plan
• Exits and evictions
• Disclosure and reporting
• On-site UAs
• Recovery-oriented staff
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
9
How will you make referrals and
placements?
• Develop referral process with partnering agencies
• Create and maintain a waitlist
• Develop a priority system for waitlist
• Assess the housing needs of every new participant
• Take instruction from Court as directed
• Provide regular presentation of housing services to
new Drug Court participants
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
10
What will case management in
housing look like?
• Require regular participation in on-site case management
• Set goals and make plans to achieve goals
• Address challenges, issues in the building with property
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and other residents
Next-step housing application and search
Financial planning and saving for next-step housing
Connecting client needs to community resources
Coordination/communication with Court Staff
Assistance with Employment/Education/Job Training
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
11
How will you pay for your housing?
• Grants
• Public monies/levies (i.e. 1/10 of 1%)
• Government programs
• Budget prioritization (making a case for housing)
• Resident fees
• Funding as part of Recovery Support Services (as
supported by National DC research)
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
12
How will you participate in public
policy/community advocacy?
• Reach out to local homeless/housing coalitions to join
their efforts (i.e. King County Committee to End
Homelessness)
• Attend community forums, information sessions and
organizational meetings focused on housing/homelessness
• Meet with legislators, attend Homelessness Advocacy Day
in Olympia
• Educate and inform these entities on the unique housing
needs of Drug Court participants
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
13
Housing case management forms
• Housing Self-Assessment
• Landlord Letter
• Housing Program Questionnaire
• Relapse Prevention Plan
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
14
Housing case management timeline:
2009-2014
2009:
Housing Voucher Program (single adults, transitional)
The Morrison (vulnerable single adults, permanent)
IMPACT (COD single adults, transitional)
*Expansion of Services*
2014:
Transitional Housing Program (single adults, transitional)
Transitional Housing Program (families, transitional)
Shelter Plus Care Vouchers (families, permanent)
Williams Building (single adults, permanent)
YMCA Young Adults In Transition (age 18-24, transitional)
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
15
Single Adult Transitional Housing
Hudson House
Bruksos House
Dalton House
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
Chamberlain
House
Birchtree Apts
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Single Adult Permanent Housing
Morrison Apts.
Williams Apts.
King County Adult Drug
Diversion Court
October 2014
17
Gender Specific Transitional:
Female
Katherine’s House and
Rita’s House
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
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Young Adult Transitional Housing
YMCA Young Adults in Transition
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
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Family Transitional Housing
The Snider Apts.
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
20
Current & future projects
• Continued involvement in shaping King County’s
Coordinated Entry Model for Family Housing
• Expansion of YMCA Young Adult Housing contract
• Support “Ban the Box” efforts around housing
• Expand network of “felony friendly” landlords
• Explore faith-based communities as potential housing
resources
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
21
Questions?
Contact Information:
Allison Howard: Housing Case Manager
allison.howard@kingcounty.gov
206-477-0794
Shannon Thomas: Housing Case Manager
shannon.thomas@kingcounty.gov
206-477-0839
King County Adult Drug Diversion Court
October 2014
22