Enhancing Supportive Housing Through Standards and Best Practices Initiatives

1. Standards & Best Practices Committee Quality improvement and results

2. Standards & Best Practices Current Activities • PSH Checklist • Peer to Peer Skill Share Program • Updated Dimensions of Quality • HEARTH Trainings and Technical Assistance • Potential Research Projects • PSH Checklist • A smaller group of Standards & Best Practices members have volunteered to meet to begin to develop a PSH Checklist. • People often get confused when talking about various housing models. • The goal is to have a one-page document that organizations could “check” and confirm that their housing is indeed, supportive housing. • Will use various resources already created. • Will vet the document with SHPA members during our November Annual Meeting. • Will provide guidance and definition for stakeholders and decision makers.

3. Peer to Peer Skill Share Kick-Off S&BP Committee, using the example of the Pierce Family Foundation, decided to create a SHPA Peer to Peer Skill Share Program. WHY? When SHPA was younger and had fewer members, a natural mentoring happened during Quarterly Meetings. You often were seated by someone you didn’t know and you began talking and knowledge exchange occurred. Now, you often sit with fellow staff members or people you already know, not much mentoring or knowledge exchange occurs. We want to connect SHPA members with expertise and wisdom to SHPA members who want to learn. The SHPA Peer to Peer Skill Share Program is born! Standards & Best practices

4. Peer to Peer Skill Share: Here is How it Works 1) SHPA staff will solicit member organizations for their areas of expertise related to the Dimensions of Quality (see pink Peer Skill Areas of Expertise form also see Blue Examples of Sharing Around DoQ). 2) SHPA staff will keep a master spreadsheet of organizations and their self-identified areas of expertise. 3) Announcements about the Peer-to-Peer Skill Share process will be advertised to the SHPA membership at quarterly meetings, through Monday Memos and through the SHPA website. 4) Organizations may submit a request for a specific technical assistance to SHPA (see pink Request for Assistance form). 5) SHPA staff will match organizations and provide the appropriate contact information to and for each organization. Standards & Best practices

5. Peer to Peer Skill Share: Here is How it Works (cont.) 6) The requesting organization should take initiative for establishing initial contact with the organization providing the TA. 7) Matched organizations will independently establish how, when and where the skill sharing session will take place (for example, via phone call, in-person, etc.). The organizations should strive to establish the session within 12 weeks of being matched. 8) Around 12 weeks of the TA request having been made to SHPA, SHPA staff will follow-up to determine if the TA was provided or to help address any communication barriers preventing the organizations from connecting. 9) SHPA staff will collect feedback from each organization regarding their experience with the process every six months. Standards & Best practices

6. The Corporation for Supportive Housing received a grant from the MetLife Foundation to revamp the Dimensions of Quality in Supportive Housing. • There are now key components or primary elements of supportive housing: • Project Design and Administration • Property and Housing Management • Supportive Services • Community Dimensions Of Quality Revamp

7. And Dimensions of Quality: • Tenant-Centered • Accessible • Coordinated • Integrated • Sustainable Dimensions Of Quality Revamp

8. Members of the Standards and Best Practices Committee provided input and feedback to CSH during the development process. Check out the new Dimensions of Quality Supportive Housing Guidebook and Matrix. http://www.csh.org/quality Dimensions Of Quality Revamp

9. HEArth Trainings and Potential research • The Corporation for Supportive Housing and SHPA are continuing to partner during the next year to provide ongoing HEARTH trainings and technical assistance to Continua of Care and their members. • In late summer and early fall, in-person technical assistance will be provided to each Continua of Care leadership team who participated in previously delivered HEARTH trainings. • Webinars will be delivered to Continuum memberships about the basics of HEARTH.

10. HEArth Trainings and Potential research • It has been four years since the Study of Supportive Housing in Illinois: A Wise Investment was released. • The S&BP Committee has been considering if SHPA should embark on a new research project. • What should we study? Cost efficiency has been proven, what now? • Potential Research Options: • Option #1: Longitudinal and Systems Usage • Option #2: Resident Needs Assessment • Option #3: Case Studies • Option #4: Provider Survey • Option #5: Together 4 Health • Option #6: Review of Existing Cost-Benefit Studies What do you think?

11. Join this exciting committee to assist us in our work this year! We meet on the Fourth Monday of the Month at 10am (see schedule included in packet). Your participation is welcomed and needed! Simply fill out the Get On Board With SHPA Form included in your packet and return it to Dave Thomas or Lore Baker. Standards & Best practices