Strategies for Involving Consumers of HMIS Operation

1. Strategies for Involving Consumers of HMIS Operation Julia Tripp, UMass Boston Carolyn Smith, The Technologist Ray Francis, Church Army Branson Joseph Mazza, Eva’s Village September 13-14, 2005 St. Louis, Missouri Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

2. Consumer Involvement in HMIS:How it Began & Continuing to Make it Happen – The Methodology Tour Julia Tripp, Constituent Coordinator Center for Social Policy, UMass Boston John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies September 13-14, 2005 St. Louis, Missouri Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

3. The History of Consumer Involvement in HMIS – Get on Board Overview of Session: What is consumer involvement? How I got involved How the concept developed What are some of the challenges Where it went Who were some of the successes Where its at now Where it needs to go Where you can get on board – tomorrow! Next steps

4. What Is Consumer Involvement? • Involvement of persons impacted by poverty, who may receive services within the CoC, participating in the generation of ideas and providing feedback to agencies and programs • Education to fully participate

5. How I Got Involved • 1997 – Invited to join a Privacy protections group • 1998 – Invited to join the HMIS Steering • 1998 – Invited to join (NHSDUG) National Homeless Services Data Users Group • I took a stand to defend our continued inclusion • Sequence initiated a personal transformation • 1999 – I was invited to join a national homeless coalition

6. …and Got Hooked • 1999 – Initiated and managed a Consumer Advisory Committee • 2000 – Participated in the early stages of the implementation process with Seattle, Washington’s, Safe Harbors Project • 2001 – Hired as a consultant to develop a philosophy and a national model for consumer involvement in HMIS • 2001 – 2005 - Delivered and refined work in over 30 trainings

7. How the Concept Developed • Hired as a consultant to develop a philosophy and a national model for consumer involvement in HMIS Swimming in the dark!

8. Challenges • Engaged the staff in an open discussion to generate ideas that the whole staff could embrace • Noted that there are many challenges to consumer participation • However, including consumer voices is the right thing to do and it is what set CSP apart from other research efforts • We wanted to get feedback from constituents on our reports • One way was to have a panel of constituents to review and reflect on those reports

9. The First Consumer User Group HMIS Implementation Guide National Training HUD Conference 2004 Incorporated into a play Other communities initiating efforts Explanation of CSPTech project An overview of HMIS Running a report to show how we use data Overview of software and how it benefits us all Privacy, confidentiality & security Role play Added an evaluation design component Where Consumer Involvement Evolved To

10. Class of 2004

11. Where It’s At • HUD expectations • Maine – consumer education • Discussion guide & video on consumer involvement • PATH Audio Conference • UMass Boston website

12. Where It Needs To Go • Ensuring continuation of CI at local level • State, regional models (in development) • National advocacy (advocacy tips for consumers)

13. How You Can Get on Board the Train: • Your local CoC • Stewards of the data? • State Housing Authority • Other ideas….? • Or…

14. Where You Can Get on Board Tomorrow: • Art Stimulating Life: The Bringing America Home Project; Making public policy education a dramatic experience • Putting action behind the act & making data sing

15. Next Steps…. • Consumers involved in HMIS implementation Walk Across America??? • To raise awareness • To raise hope • To raise the roof! • You tell me…

16. For More Information on Consumer Involvement in HMIS: More information on topics referred to in this presentation can be found at: • http://www.mccormack.umb.edu/csp • http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/ hmis/index.cfm

17. A Change Is Coming:A Portrait of HomelessnessChicago Carolyn L. Smith The Technologist, Inc. Chicago, Illinois September 13-14, 2005 St. Louis, Missouri Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

18. Challenges We Face • Reduced funding from HUD • Constituency based representation Chicago Continuum of care • Transition to Housing First model • Economic conditions (loss of employers) • Lack of affordable housing (gentrification) • 30,000 emancipated youth per year from foster care system, 30,000 ex-offenders from Illinois prisons • De-funding of community based homelessness providers

19. Reduced HUD Funding • Homeless count from CDHS has remained at 13,000 for last several years • Level count compresses the allowable dollars as the HUD budget reduces • HUD funding is the primary contributor to the Chicago Continuum funding • Point in time homeless count of 7,000 in 2005 with 1,700 counted as unsheltered

20. Constituency Based Representation • The Chicago Continuum Board has been reduced from 60 to 28 • Consumers representation has increased from 8% to 25% • Public and private sectors have 50% representation • Special provider constituencies constitute 25% representation and include the black caucus, youth, domestic violence, ex-offenders, community developers, Hispanic caucus, Asian caucus, Polish caucus and others

21. Housing First Model • All housing is converted to permanent with various support service models; All permanent housing are existing occupied beds • Eliminates funding for emergency shelter, interim and transitional housing • Support services are funded outside of HUD • Within two years 400 emergency shelter beds and several hundred interim and transitional housing units have been eliminated • Permanent housing is in the construction phase with completion in 2007 • Those hit hardest are youth, family and those homeless persons that are not permanently disabled

22. Economic Factors I. Employment A. Loss of manufacturing jobs B. Loss of trade school education C. Under education D. College Costs II. Gentrification A. Demolition of Public Housing (175,000 –25,000) B. Communities of Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Cabrini, Uptown, Garfield, Humbolt, Little Village, etc. plus rising real estate taxes C. Affordable housing units replaced at a rate of 15%

23. Emancipated Youth From Foster Care • Approximately 30,000 per year are emancipated • 80% are in Chicago and surrounding suburbs • 60% have graduated high school • 7% attend some college • 25% are employed at time of emancipation • 55% experience homelessness within 2 years

24. Ex-Offenders and Homelessness • 30,000 reported to be released to the Chicago area in 2005 • Lack of job training • Cannot benefit from CHA housing • Cannot benefit from CHAC voucher program • Incidence of HIV/AIDS infection and impact on general population • Do not quality for many entitlement programs

25. De-funding of Community Based Organizations • Chicago Continuum ranking process has reduced the number of funded programs from 145 (2003-2004) to 96 (2005-2006) • Small CBO’s are becoming sub-contractors of large agencies (results in a loss of personality of how programs work) • Loss of CBO’s equated with loss of cultural sensitivity, dis-enfranching of consumers from community and decreasing visibility of homelessness

26. Affordable Housing • Gentrification forces long standing residents to leave the area due to enormous tax increases • The CHAC voucher program is closed until possibly 2007 • Traditionally Black and Hispanic working and middle class neighborhoods bear the brunt of gentrification • Increased burden on South and West Suburban communities

27. Practical Solutions • Expanding the funding base of the Continuum through alternative public and private funding • Partnering with educational and research facilities to disseminate aggregate HMIS data • Use HMIS data to develop a conversion plan to transition to the Housing First model • Increase the direct involvement of consumers on standing and ad-hoc committees • Provide consumer trainings city-wide regarding issues pertinent to integration within society

28. The Cuts • Recent cuts in emergency shelter, transitional and interim housing have caused the displacement of about 700 consumers into the streets. They do not qualify for specialized housing programs and are not eligible for permanent housing programs. This is the quiet crisis.

29. The Scathing Reality • Long standing community housing providers found themselves losing anywhere from 30-100% of their funding, closing programs and forcing people back into the streets and other substandard living conditions.

30. Consumer-Provider Partnerships • Homelessness cannot be solved without the input of people it effects • Evaporating public and private funding opportunities dictate the necessity of new operating paradigms • Partnerships demonstrate human dignity and respect • Partnership elicits trust, better program development, and pertinent outcomes • We may all be potential consumers

31. It’s a Beginning… Moving toward significant consumers involvement in not only HMIS but also the planning process of how homelessness is eradicated is not easy. But it is simple. We are all in this together and the success of all depends on each one I have been in the process of putting myself out of business as an advocate; As providers I hope you endeavor to do the same It takes education, opportunity and a sincere change in thinking; There is no us or them; In reality we are all human The human condition puts us all at risk of being homeless if our society is not a compassionate and responsive one;

32. Consumer Involvement in Branson Ray Francis Church Army Branson September 13-14, 2005 St. Louis, Missouri Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

33. Consumer Involvement in Branson, MO. • Rural Community • NIMBY Issues • Plight of the Hidden Homeless • Public Education regarding Homelessness • The Role of HMIS in gathering data and developing resources to house the homeless

34. Consumer Involvement in New Jersey Joseph L. Mazza, HIMS Coordinator Eva’s Village Paterson, New Jersey September 13-14, 2005 St. Louis, Missouri Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

35. Eva’s Village Programs and Services • Eva’s Kitchen • Central Intake • Shelters for Men and Women • Shelter for Mothers and Children • Primary Care Clinic • Residential Recovery Program • Intensive Outpatient Program • Permanent Housing for Men

36. Where Hope Begins… Our Creed We believe in putting faith into action and that all those who are hurting and homeless need us as friends and companions on their journey. The Lord commanded us to love one another and encouraged us to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. He said to us, “What you do for the least of my brethren, you do for me.” (Matt: 25.46) In that spirit, we hope to fulfill this mandate by making God’s love more visible in the world.

37. You Are Making a Difference! “I stand before you today, a product of your success. Please know that you are making a difference. It might be one person at a time, one day at a time – but I am living proof.” Joey

38. HMIS Is Making a Difference… • Demonstrates impact • Documents significance of homelessness • Provides demographics • Identifies needs • Substantiates unmet needs You have to have responsible people involved in the HMIS process. Data has to be accurate to be useful.

39. Client Involvement • Staff must have sensitivity for the client to be effective • Staff must establish rapport • Establishing trust is essential • Respect the client

40. Community Involvement • CEAS • Homeless Continuum of Care • Grant Funding We cannot afford for the poor, the homeless and the addicted to remain faceless, ignored and overlooked.

41. Resources “A Portrait of Prisoner Re-entry” Nancy G. LiVigne, Cynthia A. Mamalian with Jeremy Travis and Christy Visher. Urban Institute Justice Policy Center. 2003. “Final Report Illinois Child and Family Services Review” United States Department of Health and Human Services. 2004. “Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Conditions of Youth Preparing to Leave Foster Care in Illinois” Mark E. Courtney,Sheri Terao, Noel Bost. Chapin Hall Center for Children University of Chicago. 2004. “Structural Change and Economic Growth: Sources of Output Change in Chicago During the 1990’s” Saurav Dev Bhatta. 2002. City of Chicago Web Site. Chicago Department of Human Services Web Site. Safer Foundation Web Site. Chicago Continuum of Care Website. Chicago Tribune “Record numbers of ex-cons return to Illinois streets” June 19, 2005.