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Rapid Re-housing Case

Management and Services

Today’s Speakers

• Kay Moshier McDivitt, National Alliance to End

Homelessness, Washington, DC

• Vera Beech, Community Rebuilders, Grand

Rapids, MI

• Kimberly Tucker, St. Joseph’s Villa, Richmond,

VA

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Core Components of Rapid Re-

Housing

Housing Identification

Rent and Move-In Assistance (Financial)

Rapid Re-housing Case Management and Services

Rapid Re-Housing Case Management Core Principles

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

Core Principle: Client Driven

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• Voluntary case management and service participation requires active engagement

• Strengths-based approach so as to empower the client

• Client directs when, where, and how often case management meetings occur

Core Principle: Housing Retention Focused

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• Case management and financial assistance are individualized and typically short-term (3-6 months).

• Case plan goals are lease-based meaning they are focused on how client can maintain the lease.

• Case managers allow families space to test & problem solve, especially with landlords.

• Case managers are available to landlords to mediate issues as necessary

Core Principle: Home Based

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• Case management meetings and service

delivery occur in the client's home or in a

location of the clients choosing whenever

possible

• Case managers respect the client's space

as their own and only enter when invited

in by client and respect client's personal

property and wishes while in home

Core Principle: Collaborative

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• Case management focus is on client building a support network outside of program.

• Case management is intended to provide client with independent problem solving skills and resources outside of the program.

• Case management is intended to connect a client with community resources and service options that continue beyond program.

Parenting/Parent Support

Youth Mentoring

Legal Assistance

Employment

Local Churches

Financial Assistance &

Literacy

Volunteer Opportunities

Adult Education

Tenants Education

Utilities

Medical/Mental

Dental

Households

Mainstream Community Connections

“If your services are meaningful to participants’ goals, they

will choose engagement”

“Removing ‘enforcement’ from role of advocate allows new

kind of relationship with participants to form”

“intake aimed at minimal intrusiveness, focus is on info

needed to being work together…participants share at their

discretion; having this choice invites and honesty and

relationship that’s more genuine and less power-based.”

HomeFree: Working with Survivors – Staff Observations (K. Billhardt)

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Transitioning to Voluntary Services Approach

• Services are unique to each households needs

• Individualized housing plan developed specific to that assessment

• Service participation is voluntary and client driven – focus on client

need, client choice

• Primary focus is on housing services – what helps the client get

housed

• External service providers are engaged to provide services

• Big consequences for agencies: shifts the role of the program, role

of staff, focus of staff, specifically:

• Shift from “what you need to do to stay in program” – to “what do

you need to move out quickly and sustain your housing” - a

whatever it takes approach

COMMUNITY REBUILDERS

RAPID REHOUSING

PRESENTED BY

Vera Beech Executive Director

Community Rebuilders

1120 Monroe Suite 220

Grand Rapids, MI. 49503

(616)458-5102 Ext. 119 vbeech@communityrebuilders.org

COMMUNITY REBUILDERS 2007 Leap of Faith

• Embraced the idea of Housing First, Strengths-Based consumer driven services – New Values

OUR INITIAL EFFORTS

• To Rapidly Rehouse 69 Homeless Households – Homeless Connect Event

• Transitional Housing Redesign- Transition in Place, Rapid Rehousing Model (went from 24 households served /year to 48)

SHIFTING OUR PHILOSOPHY

It’s all about Values • All clients have the ability to improve their situation

• Clients are appreciated as the experts on their own life

• Clients know what will work for them in reaching change

• Client is the central change agent

• Service providers role is facilitative

• New perceptions reveal achievable solutions

SECURING HOUSING

• WHAT WE DO IS HELP TO HOUSE PERSONS WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS

• IT’S A BUSINESS TRANSACTION- EVERYONE WANTS TO GAIN OR AT LEAST BE LEFT WHOLE AT THE END OF THE TRANSACTION

• EVERYONE HAS RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS

• TRUST AND PARTNERHSIP ESSENTIAL

Housing Resource Specialist

• Focus on what is strong not what is wrong.

• Share Expertise

• Have Genuine interest and partnership in Mind

• Help change the resources available

• Believe in and create hope where there is little

• See Barriers as evidence of struggle and strengths

• Take Aspirations seriously

IMPACT Homeless Households are housed within 21

days. (2014: 14 days)

85% of households served are stably housed 12 months post exit. (2014- 92%)

100% report that they utilized their own strengths and resources to achieve their goals

100% of consumer report feeling respected

Implementing the Rapid Re-housing Model

Kimberly Tucker

How we did it:

Participated in a RRH pilot in 2010. • Moved from Transitional Housing to Long Term Shelter with RRH focus.

- Restructured program, re-wrote all job descriptions,

staff re-applied. - Eliminated case managers at TH.

- Revamped all processes and procedures to become

housing focused.

• Closed TH in June 2013 and became a full rapid re- housing program

Shifted the Organizational Culture

Involved staff in the development of the vision, the remaking of the program

Re-wrote every job description Shared Job Descriptions with staff 3 months prior Staff “re-applied” for new positions Evaluated staff based on past performance and critical skill sets New Policies & Procedures & Flow Chart Staff Training Retreat Made time to discuss values/roles Encouraged more independent thinking and ownership; less

processing

New staffing structure RICHMOND – 1 FTE Operations Director (split between Richmond & Petersburg) 1 FTE Intake & Assessment Coordinator (split - Richmond &

Petersburg) 1 FTE Housing Specialist 3 FTE RRH Stabilization Case Managers 1 FTE Employment Specialist .5 FTE Administrative Assistant PETERSBURG – 1 FTE Housing Specialist 2 FTE RRH Stabilization Case Managers

Critical Skill Sets EXAMPLE:

Housing Stabilization Case Manager

Ability to work with clients at different levels of assistance which requires continually assessing client’s progress and real need

Ability to juggle high case load with clients of varying need while maintaining all documentation

Ability to connect re-housed clients to community resources so they are not program dependent and do not become homeless again

Lessons Learned: You have to try it to learn it

Supervision is critical AND -

Have to move away from Clinical Team/Treatment model

Empower your workers to use their own judgment and make decisions, for ex., the Housing Specialist needs to recommend rental assistance amount

Let go of your judgment – “high barrier” folks will surprise you!

Celebrate successes; don’t dwell on the resistant ones

Our role has changed

Contact Information Kimberly P. Tucker

Director of Housing & Homeless Programs

St. Joseph’s Villa

8000 Brook Road

Richmond, VA 23227

ktucker@sjvmail.net

804-553-3210

Core Components Questions

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• What does client-driven case management look like in your programs?

• What have been some of the biggest challenges for staff who transitioned to a voluntary services approach? What have been some of the benefits for clients and for staff?

Core Components: Questions?

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• What does housing retention focused services look like in each of your programs? What are some typical activities that workers have to engage in to promote housing retention?

• How do you intervene when clients are not working on meeting their employment/income goals that they need to retain their housing long-term if services are not required?

Core Component Questions

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• What does home-based case

management services look like in your

program?

• Is it appropriate to unexpectedly “drop-

in” on families? What if your clients

don’t want the worker in their home?

Core Principle Questions Collaborative

Client Driven

Housing Retention Focused

Home Based

Collaborative

• What does collaborative services look like in each of your programs?

• What are the kinds of connections you are helping the people you serve make in their community to help them meet their long-term goals and achieve greater stability?