Norfolk’s System Based Approach to Working with Families

1. Norfolk’s System Based Approach to Working with Families Presented By: Alisa Berry Debra Lombart

2. Overview Background Who we Serve Partners Central Intake and Assessment Shelter Partnership and Hotline Progressive Engagement and putting the pieces together Outcomes Challenges Future Considerations

3. Background • Norfolk Blueprint to End Homelessness- 2005 • Strategic Planning- 2006 • Central Intake 2007 • Housing Broker- 2007 • Contracted Case Management – 2007 • Continued decrease in funding - 2008 • Hotline services contracted to local shelter provider– 2010 • Pilot Subsidy Program- 2012

4. Who We Serve Norfolk Residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness according to the McKinney Vento Act Families must reside in Norfolk 90 days to be considered Norfolk residents. Households evicted from a Norfolk residence Households with Norfolk benefits are considered Norfolk residents

5. Partners (Internal) TANF/VIEW Eligibility (SNAP, TANF, Medicaid) Prevention Services Child Protective Services Foster Care

6. Partners (External) ForKids- Emergency Shelter, Hotline, Case Management Dwelling Place- Emergency Shelter YWCA- Emergency Shelter The Planning Council- Housing Broker Union Mission- Emergency Shelter NPS- School transportation CSB and Mental Health service providers

7. Central Intake and Assessment • Services: • Intake and assessment • Case management • Financial assistance • Back rent • Security Deposit • First Month’s rent • Ongoing short-term subsidies • Shelter/Diversionary Placement • Shelter Waiting List Management • TANF, Medicaid, SNAP intake for homeless persons

8. Additional Services Advocacy Reunification DHS City ID Birth Certificate obtainment Housing Program referrals Tenancy Classes Budgeting Classes Community Resource Connection

9. Staffing Structure Social Worker I- Family Intake and Assessment Social Worker I -Family Intake and Assessment Social Worker II- Family Intake and Assessment Social Worker I -½ Family Intake and Assessment / ½ Ongoing Case Management Social Worker I -½ Family Intake and Assessment / ½ Ongoing Case Management Social Worker I -Ongoing CTI case manager Social Worker II -Shelter Liaison Case Management Specialist- Family Intake and Assessment Case Management Specialist -Mainstream Benefits Eligibility Worker Case Manager II- Single homeless adult outreach worker/ case manager Support Tech-Data Management and other support Support Tech Casual Part-Time- HMIS Administrator Human Service Aide-Front Desk Human Service Aide-Transportation and other support

10. Intake • On average HART completes intakes on 1,500+ households per year. • Decrease in intakes since FY09 due to process changes • 125 households per month • Peak months are June –October • Low periods from January- April • Client requests range from emergency shelter to financial assistance

11. Intake • Clients are referred to HART through several mediums which include: • Word of mouth • ForKids Information and referral call in center • KRA/VIEW • CPS, Foster Care • 211 • Eligibility • School counselors • Sheriff’s 72 Hour Notices • Other agencies

12. A Look Over the Past 4 Years

13. Shelter Partnership and Hotline • MOA with the three family shelters located in Norfolk • DHS manages the shelter waiting list for shelter placements in Norfolk • ForKids manages the homeless hotline for Norfolk • Each shelter has agreed to place a family in a common area of the shelter overnight to ensure no child sleeps outside • Hotline arranges the overnight emergency shelter placements

14. Shelter Services Diversionary planning is our first response to households requesting emergency shelter 28% of clients presenting at intake request Emergency Shelter (425 families/FY) 28% of these families actually enter shelter and become literally homeless (117 families/FY) 8% of the total families served in HART actually enter shelter and become literally homeless

15. Community Housing and Assessment Team (CHAT) DHS and Shelter partners staff cases together twice a month Case management staff and Shelter liaison meet to discuss shelter clients and housing tracks that best suit their needs Open communication Looks at available transitional and permanent supportive housing. What clients would be best for Rapid Exit and/or subsidy program

16. Shelter Request vs. Placement

17. A Current Look FY 13 309 shelter requests 45% lost contact with the worker or refused placement after the initial request 26% found alternate housing after the initial request 27% have actually been placed in shelter 3 families are currently on the waiting list Most families are placed into shelter within 0-9 days from their request for emergency shelter

18. Progressive Engagement and putting the pieces together • Thorough and continuous assessment • HART assessment • Shelter assessment (CHAT) • Case management (regular meetings held at DHS) • Providing financial assistance as a last resort • Always look at what the household can contribute to resolve their housing crisis • Providing only what the client needs • Housing Broker for landlord negotiation • Linking client to all community and natural supports

19. Funding Diversity Family Preservation Promoting Safe and Stable Families TANF/VIEW CDBG HOME ESG Housing Trust Fund (applied)

20. Financial Assistance • Provided to approx. 29% of clients requesting assistance. • Rounds to 450 households/year • 80% used to prevent literal homeless episode • 20% used on literally homeless families • $1032.00 per Household • We anticipate an increase in this amount as we provide longer term subsidies for those families that are later assessed as harder to serve.

21. Outcomes/ Recidivism Measure- Those clients that returned to HART for services from one FY to the next

22. Recidivism

23. Recidivism

24. Challenges Decreased funding Continued partnership Funding Leveraging Consistent funding to serve single homeless adults

25. Future Considerations Better tracking of Case Management Data Better utilization of HMIS data

26. Questions?????? Contact Information: Kim Lombart- 664-3215 debra.lombart@norfolk.gov Alisa Berry- 664-7756 alisa.berry@norfolk.gov