Coordinated Entry Committee Meeting ... - sonomacounty.ca.gov

Sonoma County Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry Committee Meeting Meeting Minutes

Apri l 21, 2021 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Pacific Time – Meeting held by Zoom

1. Welcome and Introductions • Jennielynn Holmes called the meeting to order at 12:00 PM. • Roll Call was taken:

o Present: Jennielynn Holmes, Robin Phoenix, Amy Ramirez, Jed Heibel, Kathleen Finnigan, Asya Sorokurs, Lisa Fatu, Mary Haynes, Mark Krug

o Absent: Jaclyn Ramirez

2. Agenda Approval

• Robin Phoenix motioned to approve minutes from March 17, 2021 and Lisa Fatu seconded.

Ayes: Jennielynn Holmes, Robin Phoenix, Jed Heibel, Kathleen Finnigan, Asya Sorokurs, Lisa Fatu, Mary Haynes, Amy Ramirez Noes: None Abstain: Kathleen Finnigan, Mark Krug Absent: Jaclyn Ramirez

The motion passes.

3. Presentation on the emergency shelter standard group meeting.

Coordinated Entry Coordinator, Thai Hilton, gave updates from the meeting. Reviewed current standards and will be meeting again next week for the second meeting and hope to review provider’s thoughts on standards and make suggestions as needed.

Discussion ensued on current standards, Thai Hilton will send out current standards for board to review. Any suggested changes will move through this board.

Jaclyn Ramirez joined at this time.

4. Jennielynn Holmes provided an update on of LOI update for Coordinated Entry Provider applications and other Continuum of Care Board approvals. Committee did a review of RFI Responses, one response so far from Decipher HMIS partnered with Abode Services.

Discussion ensued about potential conflict of interest.

Page 1 of 3

Mark Krug: familiarity with Abode, disappointed with only one proposal so far. Lisa Fatu: Clarification needed on our role as a committee and role of operator.

Next step is to make a recommendation to the continuum of care board: we want an RFP, try to solicit more applicants including IMDT (plus understanding of conflict of interest). Committee wants to begin process as soon as possible. Goal is to engage more applicants.

Jennielynn Holmes motioned to request an RFP through the Continuum of Care Board. Mark Krug seconded.

Public Comment: Gregory Fearon

Ayes: Jennielynn Holmes, Robin Phoenix, Jed Heibel, Kathleen Finnigan, Asya Sorokurs, Jaclyn Ramirez, Lisa Fatu, Mary Haynes, Amy Ramirez, Kathleen Finnigan, Mark Krug Noes: None Abstain: Absent:

5. Group feedback on policies and procedures discussion.

Jennielynn Holmes gave a brief overview on need for update on procedures. Thai Hilton provided a brief update on the standards committee meeting, group will meet again next week and Thai will bring an update back to this committee. Thai and Jennielynn are seeking guidance from board on what should be updated first.

Board Comments:

Mary Haynes: look at VISPIDAT scoring as a tool and its use Karissa White: changed vulnerability weight of the assessment and there will be an update on the prioritization matrix. Jennielynn Holmes: VISPDAT, training and certification process for staff entering data, clients being “document ready,” more specific by names list Mark Krug: assessment for permanent housing and services. Jennielynn Holmes: How can organizations still serve as an access point for Coordinated Entry Karissa White: Training/certification process. Araceli Rivera: Will agencies have discretion to choose best fit for clients? Asya Sorokurs : Looking at program evaluation, how is the operator evaluating what they are doing/report that back? Araceli Rivera: Program transfers for policies and procedures and the grievance process for rejected clients, if IMDT is operator who would be that party? Mary Haynes: better integration with veteran and coordinated entry, focus on sub populations in entry.

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Jed Heibel: More fully flesh out case-conferencing policy because it has grown quite a bit

Karissa White: Also need to consider YWCA’s service with their comparable data base; must have same opportunity for placement.

Public Comment: Gregory Fearon

Board Comment: Jaclyn Ramirez: Consider a quarterly training if possible for data entry. Araceli Rivera: need more client feedback Asya Sorokurs: Accommodation section had not been approved by CoC board.

Jennielynn Holmes: Survey Monkey to create prioritization for ordering items to inform future agendas. Lisa Fatu: Want further CE staff input to ensure list is comprehensive.

Discussion on ranking ensued, board will use a 1-5 ranking of importance.

6. Meetings is adjourned at 1:15 pm.

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Housing First/Coordinated Entry Task Group

Coordinated Entry System Hot Topics

1. Emergency Shelter Referrals: Currently take up 90% of staff time. Recommend splitting referrals to have 50% of shelter beds receive referrals through CES and the other 50% reserved for the agency first come first serve or through emergency service workers (eg. Hospitals, jails, emergency responders). This will allow CES to focus more on new projects, Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing.

2. Shelter Referral Balance: Review policy/practice of splitting highest referral and 10 or under, should be highest and 13 down. Large swath of 10-13 Total Prioritization (TP) never accessing shelter. (TP= Vi-SPDAT Score plus additional points outlined in the prioritization matrix)

3. Adjustments to VI-SPDAT: CE proposes adding to VI, pursuing adoption of VI 2.0 (newest version of the VISPDAT) or provider completed full SPDAT assessment, not adopting a new assessment process for CE. SPDAT is “deeper dive” (longer assessment with open ended questions) to inform services and housing program supports. Most providers are not using this deeper assessment at the moment.

4. Adjustments to the Priority Matrices: Suggestions for additional points for prioritization include domestic violence, chronic health conditions, age, and any other factors?

5. After-hours intakes / CE referral Protocol Clarification: Need tracking mechanism, limit backdoor, set a limit on a number of after hour intakes. Current policies are very flexible and do not define how many people can be brought in after hours. This causes issues for participants who have already been assessed through CES and are awaiting placement. If emergency shelter referrals are adjusted to only take 50% of referrals through CE, there needs to be a system in place to ensure that high needs CES referrals are being requested/accepted at a similar rate of those accepted directly through the agency.

6. PSH Referral Accountability: Clarify provider obligations to take CE PSH referrals and clearly state reasons for rejecting referrals. Create mechanism/review body to hold providers accountable for not accepting based on perceived fit. PSH Shared Housing: Address compatibility concerns in shared housing for highest prioritized for placement. The current process prioritizes those who are the most vulnerable that meet program eligibility requirements, unless there is a clear safety violation (eg. restraining order).

7. Chronic Homelessness(CH) Verification: Policies and procedures need to clarify it is the provider’s responsibility to ensure homeless verification is completed. CE sets the stage and will forward any collected information for homelessness/disability verification to the provider (eg. HMIS records/first attempts). CDC create/adopt standardized CH/Homeless verification document for County/CE/all providers. Require all providers to give timely responses to requests from CE/Housing providers regarding CH Homeless verification. (CH forms/guide currently in the final stages of development with the CDC)

8. Rapid Rehousing(RRH) in Coordinated Entry: Clearly state process and parameters in P&P’s of discussed RRH related edits, including how to address housing ready self-referrals (MIC to COTS RRH or SJH to CC RRH) and non-typical VI range self-referrals from providers. CE otherwise screen’s By Names List for RRH prioritization range and eligibility. Possible solution – Dynamic Prioritization. Clients cannot be screened out due to lack of income.

9. Client Feedback: mechanisms/tracking needs more robust resources – Currently limited to grievance and notice of feedback survey at exit, only capturing those with grievance or successfully housed, none in between.

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Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Sonoma County Homeless Coordinated Intake

Sonoma County Community Development Commission

PURPOSE The Sonoma County Community Development Commission invites submissions from qualified nonprofit agencies to operate a Coordinated Intake Project, usingavailable funds in the amount of $311,418.

Release Date – Monday September 22, 2014

Submission Deadline – Friday, October 17, 2014 by 4:30 pm (no exceptions)

Index - The following sections are contained within this RFQ:

Section I Project Background and Funding Information page 1

Section II Schedule of Events and Submission Guidelines page 9

Section III Selection Process page 11

Section IV Technical References page 12

Section V Program Design page 12

Section VI Budget Detail page 16

Section I: Project Background and Funding Information

The Sonoma County Community Development Commission (CDC) is a local governmental agency responsible for administering affordable housing and other programs in Sonoma County, CA. The CDC serves as the host agency for the Sonoma County Continuum of Care (CoC) and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and is the recipient of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Project Number CA1173L9T041200, under which the Coordinated Intake Project is funded at $153,858. 1 Thus the CDC is seeking respondents—either a single agency or a collaborative with a single lead agency—to implementa combined project including Coordinated Intake for a total contract award of $311,418.

1 This figure differs from amounts previously published. The Coordinated Intake White Paper, titled “A New Front Door for Homeless Services,” used the figure $142,200, which included $102,198 (the amount of the Continuum of Care contract for this project), plus $40,000 match, with the total rounded up. Two adjustments have been made: 1) half the allowance for grant administration ($3,342) will be retained by the CDC for its reporting responsibilities; and 2) the CDC has added $15,000 from its HMIS funding, for HMIS Compliance activities by the Coordinated Intake system operator.

Sonoma Homeless Coordinated Intake - Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Page 1 of 15


This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) includes an overview of the Coordinated Intake program design and the HOT Pilot Project. Applicants should also review the following:

• “A New Front Door for Homeless Services – Coordinated Intake and Homeless System Entry Planning in Sonoma County, CA” (“Coordinated Intake White Paper”) describing the locally developed Coordinated Intake program design; and

• “08.19.14 Homeless Outreach Team Item 38 Summary,” describing the program design for the Multi-Disciplinary Homeless Outreach Team Pilot Project.

All background documents can be found at: http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+Force.

Funding is available for the operation of the Coordinated Intake program through Continuum of Care funding in the amount of $153,858 for the first year, and is anticipated to be the same amount in subsequent years assuming performance goals are met. CoC funds are governed by their own set of federal rules and regulations as published in the HUD 24 CFR §578, the Continuum of Care Program Interim Rule: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/CoCProgramInterimRule.pdf.

Eligible Applicants:

Eligible applicants may include private nonprofit organizations, or State or local government entities or instrumentalities.2 Coordinated Intake services will be made available county-wide to homeless families with childrenin order to meet the HUD mandate that the centralized system serve the Continuum of Care’s entire geography. Centralized access from anywhere in Sonoma County will be provided via Internet- and telephone-basedtechnology; therefore applicants mustdemonstrate capacity to provide on-site assessment and case management to homeless persons seeking assistance in multiple locations.

Because the Coordinated Intake and Homeless Outreach Team projects build upon and support one another in a synergistic way, the CDC seeks to execute a single contract to operate both the Coordinated Intake and the Homeless Outreach Team project. Collaborativeresponses that bring strong capacity from multiple agencies are welcomed. Collaborative applications must designate a single lead agency to contract with the CDC and submit an MOU describing the responsibilities of each agency.

2 These are all eligible subrecipients for Continuum of Care-funded projects such as the Coordinated Intake project.


http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+Force

https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/CoCProgramInterimRule.pdf

https://08.19.14


Local Preference:

It is the policy of Sonoma County to promote employment and business opportunities for local residents and firms on all contracts and give preference to local residents, workers, businesses and consultants to the extent consistent with law and interests of the public. A Local Service Provider is defined as a business or consultant who has a valid physical address located within Sonoma County from which the vendor or consultant operates or performs business on a day-to-day basis, and holds a valid business license if required by a city within the jurisdiction of Sonoma County.

Overview:

With this RFQ, the CDC is seeking a single operator for both the Coordinated Intake Project and the Homeless Outreach Team Pilot Project. Each is described below.

Coordinated Intake Project

The Homeless Emergency and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 included a requirement that all local homeless Continua of Care (CoC’s) establish a centralized or coordinated entry point into the local homeless system of care. In September 2011 a working group of Sonoma County CoC members was established to develop a local system of entry that would address federal coordination mandates as well as local challenges experienced by both homeless service providers and homeless persons to efficiently access service. The resulting program design is described in the Coordinated Intake White Paper, “A New Front Door for Homeless Services,” available at http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+Force

On July 28, 2014, the HUD Office of Community Planning and Development published Notice CPD-14-012 titled “Notice on Prioritizing Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness and Other Vulnerable Homeless Persons in Permanent Supportive Housing and Recordkeeping Requirements for Documenting Chronic Homeless Status,” (http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=14-12cpdn.pdf).Section IV.A. of the notice reiterates the provisions of 24 CFR 578.7(a)(8) which require that each CoC establish and operate a centralized system to provide initial, comprehensive assessment of the needs of individuals and families for housing services. The notice identifies a clear priority for permanently housing homeless persons based on the severity of their needs as an individual or family, rather than on a first come, first served basis, and suggests adoption of standardized, evidence-based assessment tools to accomplish this.

Local Coordinated Intake planning too has included prioritizing the most medically vulnerable homeless persons through the adoption of standardized assessment tools (also identified in CPD-14-012 Section 3.ii.). With Sonoma County’s 2013 Continuum of Care application, Sonoma County’s permanent supportive housing providers took steps to prioritize persons assessed as “chronically homeless” as beds turn over (see HUD’s definition in the CoC Interim Rule, 24 CFR Part 578.3, https://w ww.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/CoCProgramInter imRule.pdf.


http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=14-12cpdn.pdf


http://sonoma-county-continuum


The local Coordinated Intake system has been designed to cover the full geographic service area of Sonoma County, and will meet HUD’s requirement of easy access by individuals and families seeking homeless services. The Sonoma County Coordinated Intake system shall be well advertised,using the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to document client movement among local homeless service projects. Per regulation, the reasons for persons not enrolling in program services must also be tracked.

Sonoma County 211 will provide telephone-based initial eligibility screening and an appointment for enrollment into the Coordinated Intake program. The program operator selected through this RFQ process will provide for implementation of the selected standard screening tool by walk-in service providers to the greatest extent possible, for enrollment in Coordinated Intake. Once a homeless client is enrolled in Coordinated Intake, the program operator will meet with the client to administer an in-depth evidence-based assessment. The resulting scores from the screening and assessment will enable Coordinated Intake program staff to place the client into appropriate housing or onto the most appropriate housed service wait list. Additional services that will help the client move into housing will also be recommended and results tracked by the program operator.

HUD requires that the CoC establish written standards for Coordinated Intake, including eligibility criteria and documented gaps between client needs and the resources available to meet those needs, which determine priorities for placement of clients in available homeless-dedicated housing. The Coordinated Intake provider selected through this RFQ will be responsible for developing written policies and procedures for project operation, including procedures to address currently unresolved issues which the CDC anticipates will be resolved through system operation in consultation with a Coordinated Intake Advisory Group.3

Eligible clients will be those meeting HUD “homeless” definitions 1, 2 or 4.4 Under currently available funding for Coordinated Intake, the project can serve only persons who are homeless. Until additional funding is added to the Coordinated Intake project, for which eligible clients include persons determined to be “at-risk of homelessness” per the federal definition, these individuals and families will be provided direct referrals to homeless prevention services by 211.

During Phase 1 implementation (November 17, 2014-October 31, 2014), Coordinated Intake will be limited to homeless families with children under the age of 18 located anywhere in Sonoma County. Phase 1 is designed to allow the Coordinated Intake operator to develop procedures and identify

3 Once a contract is executed for a Coordinated Intake program operator, the Coordinated Intake Project Design Task Force that has worked on coordinated intake project design since 2011, will transition to an advisory role.

4 https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HEARTH_HomelessDefinition_FinalRule.pdf.


https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HEARTH_HomelessDefinition_FinalRule.pdf


unanticipated challenges with a small population, prior to expanding to serve Sonoma County’s much larger homeless population.

Responsibilities of the Program Operator:

The selected provider is responsible for ensuring both the Coordinated Intake Project is administered in accordance with the requirements of applicable Notice(s), other relevant laws, and the HOT Pilot Project as approved by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. The selected provider is responsible for carrying out the program activities and ongoing evaluation tasks as published in the Coordinated Intake White Paper, other public background documents, and in compliance with all applicable requirements.

In addition to the regulatory and working provisions outlined above and in the background documents, the program operator will seek to establish the following:

Coordinated Intake:

o Documented standardized practices for every point of the program design.

o Build trust and excellent communication among local homeless service providers so that service referralscan be made appropriately and in a timely manner with a high level of acceptance.

o Promote professional and technical capacity within the program staff so that homeless clients are directed to the most appropriately targeted type of housed and non-housed service.

o Accountability so that program design may be analyzed and adjusted through evaluation by homeless service providers, other key stakeholders and homeless clients.

Responsibility of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (CDC):

o Contract with, and oversee the work of, the selected program operator.

o Provide a Program Coordinator for the Homeless Outreach Team, to effectively link community based contract activities with County systems of care, Coordinated Intake, and homeless housing programs.

o Design, build and support the Coordinated Intake Program in HMIS and document the HMIS data collection requirements, including management and performance reporting for the Coordinated Intake program.



o Organize system-wide training on the VI-SPDAT and SPDAT tools including 211, Homeless Outreach Team staff, and Coordinated Intake operator staff.

o Monitor and evaluate all Coordinated Intake and HOT Pilot Project data and reporting in the HMIS.

o Monitor program effectiveness and facilitate recommended changes to the scope of work.

Eligible activities will include:

Coordinated Intake Supervision and training of Coordinated Intake program staff and volunteers Client Assessment – Initial client meeting, administration of the full SPDAT assessment, assignment to a “housed” waiting list and referrals to non-housed services as needed Crisis Case Management – Provide case management to divert people from homelessness as possible while they are on a “housed” waiting list Client Case Conferencing – Follow up to assure housing placement or other program disposition, logistical planning and execution of case conferencing sessions for clients who are unable to follow through with a targeted referral Travel costs for mobile staff to meet with Coordinated Intake clients in remote areas of the County

Eligible Activities for Both Projects: Client Intake - administration of the VI-SPDAT screening tool and scheduling with a

Coordinated Intake case manager Data Collection – required and timely collection of data for the standardized assessment

tools, case planning and services/referrals provided to homeless clients while they are served by the Coordinated Intake/HOT program

Performance Evaluation – reporting through the use of the Sonoma County HMIS; periodic program evaluation with the CoC Coordinated Intake Advisory Groupand Homeless Outreach

Team Planning Group (see footnote 3, p. 4; and “Program Performance Evaluation,” p. 16. Technology to support case management needs



Section II: Schedule of Events and Submission Guidelines

The following schedule is subject to change. Except as provided below, changes will be made by written amendment to this RFQ and shall be issued to all parties by the CDC.

Date Event

September 22, 2014 RFQ Released

September 29, 2014 RFQ Bidder’s Conference8:30 to 10:30 am (Mandatory for all Applicants) October 10, 2014 Deadline for submitting questions, 5:00 pm October 13, 2014 Responses to questions released to all bidders by CDC staff October 17, 2014 RFQ Submissions Due– no later than 4:30 pm Week of October 20, 2014 RFQ Selection Committee evaluates proposals November 14, 2014 Approval of recommended Program Operator by Board of Supervisors &

Contract Execution November 17, 2014 Program Begins Operation

Mandatory Bidder’s Conference:

All potential applicants must attend the mandatory bidder’s conference scheduled on: Monday, September 29, 2014, 8:30 to 10:30 am. The bidder’s conference will take place at:

Coordinated Intake/Homeless Outreach Pilot Program Bidder’s Conference

Offices of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission 1440 Guerneville Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95403-4107 General Info: (707) 565-7500

Questions concerning the RFQ:

Questions regarding this RFQ will be addressed at the mandatory bidder’s conference.Additional questions may be submitted to CDC staff by email until 5:00 pm on Friday, October 10th. Responses to questions will receive a single response to all applicants who attended the bidder’s conference by, Monday, October 13, 2014.

Instructions for Submission:



All respondents must submit one (1) electronic copy of the submission document in PDF format, one signed original hard copy, and five (5) unbound, one-sided copies, (for a total of six documents) to:

Sonoma County Community Development Commission Attn: Coordinated Intake/Homeless Outreach Pilot Program

Applications are due by 4:30 pm on Friday, October 17, 2014. If the application is delivered, it will be time/date stamped;applicants may request a copy of the cover page time/date stamped as documentation of timely submission.

Checklist for Content of Submissions:

Complete all questions on the attached Submission of Qualifications.

Original hard copy form must be signed and dated by organization’s Executive Director or other authorized representative as directed by the organization’s Board of Directors.

Hard copy will contain no alterations or erasures; no oral, telephone, or faxed submissions will be considered.

You must obtain and provide a Dunn & Bradstreet DUNS Number.

Collaborative responses must include a Memorandum of Understanding describing each agency’s responsibilities (including designation of a lead agency), and how the collaborative will function to effectively unify the efforts of multiple agencies.

A copy of your organization’s most recent financial audit and accompanying management letter (if your organization has not submitted one to the CDC within the past six months).

A copy of your most recent IRS Form 990 (if your organization has not submitted one to the CDC within the past six months).

A Board Resolution, authorizing your agency to enter into contracts. If possible this should be submitted with the application. If not, a Board Resolution is required by November 13, 2014.

You must obtain insurance coverage for Worker’s Compensation and Commercial General Liability as a condition of this contract.



Other Information:

Upon submission, all applications shall be treated as confidential documents until the selection process is completed. Once the notice of intent to award is issued by the CDC, all submissions shall be deemed of public record. In the event that a applicant desires to claim portions of its submission exempt from disclosure, it is incumbent upon the submitterto clearly identify those portions with the word “Confidential” printed on the top right hand corner of each page for which such privilege is claimed, and to clearly identify the information claimed confidential by highlighting, underlining, or bracketing it, etc. Examples of confidential materials include trade secrets. Each page shall be clearly marked and readily separable from the submission in order to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential portion of the proposal.

The CDC will consider a submitter’s request for exemptions from disclosure; however, the CDC will make its decision based upon applicable laws. An assertion by a submitterthat the entire submission, large portions of the submission, or a significant element of the submission, are exempt from disclosure will not be honored and the submission may be rejected as non-responsive. Budget details, deliverables, and terms of payment shall be publicly available regardless of any designation to the contrary.

The CDC shall not be liable for any pre-contractual expenses incurred by the respondent or selected contractor. The County of Sonoma shall be held harmless and free of any and all liability, claims or expenses incurred by, or on behalf of any person or organization responding to the Coordinated Intake/Homeless Outreach Team RFQ.

Any agency or representative of an agency representing a respondent shall not influence or attempt to influence any member of the selection committee, employee of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission or the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors with regard to the acceptance of the RFQ submission.

Section III: Selection Process

All submission documents will be thoroughly reviewed and scored by an RFQ Selection Committee consisting of local providers not applying for the program, County of Sonoma personnel, and the CDC’s Continuum of Care and HMIS Coordinators and Community Development Manager. Evaluation of the submission criteria will be weightedaccording to the following scale:

20% History of contracts with CDC funding streams.



40% Written responses to the questions posed in the Coordinated Intake/Homeless Outreach Team Program Application.

35% Demonstrated organizational capacity to deliver program services and field outreach, manage interns and volunteers, meet HMIS data quality and timeliness requirements, and integrate multiple project components for smooth overall operation of the combined program.

5% Local Preference: Applicant has a valid physical address located within Sonoma County from which the vendor or consultant operates or performs business on a day-to-day basis, and holds a valid business license if required by a city within the jurisdiction of Sonoma County.

The recommendation of the Coordinated Intake/Homeless Outreach Team Program Operator by the Selection Committee will be scheduled for final approval by the Board of Supervisors on November 14, 2014, with program activities to commence on November 17, 2014.

Section IV: Technical References

Applicants should become fully conversant withthe CoC Coordinated Intake White Paper, “A New Front Door for Homeless Services,” which details the program design. OtherCoordinated Intake resources are listed in the Appendix of the Coordinated Intake White Paper. The respondent(s) should also review the Continuum of Care Grant Agreement CA1173LT041200 – Coordinated Intake Project, as well as the “08.19.14 Homeless Outreach Team Item 38 Summary” and other HOT Pilot Project background documents. URLs are listed in the Attachments section at the end of this document.

Section V: Program Design

Applicants will read and respond to the RFQ based on the program design as identified in the Coordinated Intake White Paper, the 08.19.14 Homeless Outreach Team Item 38 Summary and related background documents. Supporting documents are listed at the end of this RFQ.

Client Eligibility:

Two populations are eligible to be served under this funding in 2014-15: 1. Families of at least one adult and one child under the age of 18 who are assessed to be “homeless” in

categories 1, 2, or 4 according to the federal definition at the time of intake, and who are located anywhere within the geography of Sonoma County; or

2. Homeless adults and youth living in places not meant for human habitation and referred into Coordinated Intake by the HOT Pilot Project.


https://08.19.14


Standardized Intake and Assessment:

All clients will be screened using the VI-SPDAT screening tool, which yields a preliminary score that indicates needed housing placement. An intake appointment will be made with Coordinated Intake staff as soon as possible, with priority on those with higher acuity indicated by the VI-SPDAT score. At the intake meeting, a standardized needs assessmentwill be conducted by Coordinated Intake staff, using the Service Prioritization and Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT). The evidence-based SPDAT takes into account the caseworker’s observations to yield a score. This score and other household demographics will determine placement onto one of six primary consolidated wait list groups. Copies of the screening and assessment tools are available at http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+Force.

Wait List Management:

After delivery of the VI-SPDAT and SPDAT evidence-based intake and assessment, participants will be placed on one of six primary wait lists designed for the most appropriate housing type including Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing or Permanent Support Housing for either Individuals or Families.

Wait List Case Management:

While participants are on a “housed” wait list, crisis case management will be offered to link clients to other needed services and assist the participants to resolve their housing crisis if at all possible prior to entering a shelter or other “housed” program.

Staffing:

Coordinated Intake Program Coordinator:

The 1.0 FTE Project Coordinator is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day activities of the Coordinated Intake Project, including creating and managing Coordinated Intake program content and initiatives consistent with the multi-year consensus-building process that has led to the opening of the program. Work will involve developing program requirements and polices for participant involvement, directing a Lead Crisis Case Manager, and developing an intern program to provide social worker or counselor training and to expand the reach of the Coordinated Intake Project. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for seeing the launch of the Coordinated Intake program through to finish, and will monitor and report on progress throughout the process. The Project Coordinator may also be involved in resource development to ensure the success of future program




https://score.At


expansions. Regional travel will be required throughout Sonoma County to oversee program implementation; travel may also be required to attend conferences or training related to the program. Regular interaction withthe CoC and with upper management of the non-profit is expected in order to provide project updates and report on the state of the program.

Lead Crisis Case Manger:

The primary function of case management in the Coordinated Intake Project is to help persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to achieve short-term, crisis related goals in resolving a housing crisis. The 1.0 FTE Lead Crisis Case Manager (LCCM) will act as Team Lead for a group of Crisis Case Management Interns (therefore must be licensed for such supervision). The Lead will work as a Crisis Case Manager as described below, but will also provide additional support for the Project Manager, helping to monitor project outcomes and distribute work and acting as a back-up to the Project Manager as needed. The LCCM additionally provides training, consultation, and problem solving assistance to the team of Crisis Case Managers. The LCCM is expected to exercise knowledgeable, independent judgment on routine and non-routine matters.

Crisis Case Management includesin-depth client assessment to evaluate unmet needs and to obtain information on what services the client is currently receiving. The job requires the LCCM to learn the history of the client, analyze the psychology, determine the needs, and coordinate withrelevant services to ensure the client's immediate needs are fulfilled. S/he acts as a liaison between service providers and recipients, making every possible resource available that will be beneficial to help his client resolve his housing crisis. The LCCM puts forth a wide range of choices that help the clients resolve their housing crises. The LCCM then guides his clients to choose the most appropriate one according to their needs.

Social Work or Counseling Crisis Case Management Interns:

The Coordinated Intake Project will enable master’s level social work students to gain experience in case management, counseling, harm reduction and health services. The Intern will receive training in providing support to persons experiencing housing crises, under supervision of the Lead Crisis Case Manager and their institution’s field instructor. The Intern will train on interviewing clients and family members, documenting the household’s history, screening and assessment, and development of plans to resolve the housing crisis.

The Intern will receive training and instruction in identifying and interpreting social, occupational, and environmental factors related to each case and the internal and external resources available to the Coordinated Intake Project. She or he will assist in the education of clients regarding client options and available services. She or he will assist in the establishment and maintenance of case files, records, and other required documentation and the preparation of periodic reports. The Intern will carry a small caseload of clients in need of on-going crisis support, including once a week meetings, psychosocial assessment, and client information data entry. S/he may assist and accompany fragile



persons to appointments; and will enter client data into the HMIS, and meet weekly with the case management team. Interns will be exposed to a variety of programs and services as well as the leadership and management of the Coordinated Intake Project.

HMIS Compliance Officer:

Designated HMIS Compliance staff will oversee data quality for both the HOT Field Work Team and the Coordinated Intake project, including the privacy, security, quality and timeliness provisions of the prevailing federal HMIS Standards as well as locally imposed requirements. Following the initial build-out of the program referral listings within HMIS, HMIS Compliance staff will be responsible for maintenance and updating of this resource.

The role of HMIS Compliance within the Coordinated Intake environment will be to assure timely, complete and accurate entry of all required HMIS data points, including: • All Coordinated Intake, 211, and HOT Field Work staff will live-enter the VI-SPDAT screening tool

into the HMIS. HOT Field Work staff are anticipated to live-enter such screenings in the field. • Coordinated Intake staff will assess the needs of participants (either referred into the

Coordinated Intake program by 211 or by the HOT Field Work Team) using the full Service Prioritization and Assessment Tool (SPDAT), also in the HMIS.

• Recording the designation of an appropriate housing solution, and if necessary, assignment within HMIS to an appropriate “housed” wait list.

• Review a daily Open Bed report to enable screening and assessment staff to stay abreast of housed program openings.

• Ensure recording of complete case planning notes and all services and referrals provided for the duration of a participant’s program enrollment.

• Liaison with partner agencies to ensure correct and current information on program eligibility criteria.

Funds are available for approx. 1.6 FTE for the combined Field Work Team. The applicant may propose a staffing pattern utilizing these funds to achieve the required overall makeup of the Field Work Team. The Field Work Team should include staff with prior experience working with homeless persons; there is a preference for at least one staff person with personal homeless experience.

Program Performance Evaluation:

The selected Program Operator will be required to participate in separateprogram evaluations for the Coordinated Intake project and the HOT Pilot Project. For Coordinated Intake, the evaluation focus group will consist of: CDC HMIS and program monitoring staff, CoC Coordinator, and representatives of the CoC Coordinated Intake Advisory Group (see footnote 3, page 4). The group will meet to provide feedback on project milestones, stakeholder participation,performance against goals and



suggested program scope of work revisions. For the HOT Pilot Project, an advisory committee will be convened by the CDC Homeless Program Coordinator, and will include representatives of all the partner agencies.

Section VI: Budget Detail

COORDINATED INTAKE PROJECT COSTS Program Coordinator 1.0 FTE @ $50,000 annual + benefits $65,000

Interns (2) Stipends @ $2,500 each $5,000

Lead Crisis Case Manager 1.0 FTE @ $40,000 annual + benefits $52,000 Technology Computer/tablet purchases & 2-1-1 referral $9,815

Communications Planning & Training

Web development $2,500

HMIS Compliance System-wide HMIS compliance monitoring $15,000 Program contingencies $1,200

Administrative expense Half of allowable administrative allowance per HUD contract

$3,343

Total funds available for Coordinated Intake $153,858 HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM PROJECT COSTS

Field Work Team 1. Behavioral Health Outreach 2. Field Eligibility Worker 3. Health Coordinator @ 1.62 FTE, combined

$105,300

Transportation Field worker mileage & client assistance $6,000 Storage Rental of storage units for client personal belongings $10,000

Technology Tablets/phones $10,000

Indirect/contingency (20%) $26,260

Total funds available for Homeless Outreach Team $157,560 GRAND TOTAL $311,418

Section VII: Additional Requirements

Terms and Conditions: The Coordinated Intake/Homeless Outreach Team Pilot Project contract will be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the CDC’s public services contract. A sample contract will be made available upon request (see page 10 for contact information). Respondents are advised to note in their response if there are any provisions to which they will object or will request to have changed.



Attachments:

A New Front Door for Homeless Services – Coordinated Intake and Homeless System Entry Planning in Sonoma County, CA http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+Force

Continuum of Care Program Interim Rule (HUD 24 CFR§578) https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/CoCProgramInterimRule.pdf

Continuum of Care Contract for Coordinated Intake operating funds - Project Number CA1173L9T041200 http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+ForceHomeless Definition https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HEARTH_HomelessDefinition_FinalRule.pdf

CPD-14-012 - Issued: July 28, 2014 (Notice on Prioritizing Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness and Other Vulnerable Homeless Persons in Permanent Supportive Housing and Recordkeeping Requirements for Documenting Chronic Homeless Status) http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=14-12cpdn.pdf

08.19.14 Homeless Outreach Team Item 38 Summary and background documents http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+Force

HMIS 2014 Data Manual – released May 2014 https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HMIS-Data-Standards-Manual.pdf




https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HEARTH_HomelessDefinition_FinalRule.pdf

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=14-12cpdn.pdf


https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/HMIS-Data-Standards-Manual.pdf

https://08.19.14

http://sonoma-county-continuum-of-care.wikispaces.com/Coordinated+Intake+Task+ForceHomeless

Coordinated Entry Committee Meeting ... - sonomacounty.ca.gov

Documents