# Presentation: 811817

## Improving Access to Mainstream Services for Families with Children Experiencing Homelessness

*Sponsoring Partners*
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Education
*Collaborating Partners*
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

## OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY ACADEMY PROCESS

## AGENDA

**Welcome and Introductions**
- Participants, Facilitator,  Content Expert
- Review of Agenda
- Expectations for the Day
**Overview of the Policy Academy Process**
- Overview of the Process
- Technical Assistance & Follow-up
- Challenges and Effective Strategies
**Discuss Issues and Promising Practices **
- What we know
- Risk factors
- Interventions that work
**Discuss Critical Questions**
- State/Team Progress to Date
- Role of the Policy Academy
- Possibilities for Integration of Planning Activities
- Leadership, Teamwork, and Maintaining Momentum

**Develop or Revise Vision Statement**
**Lunch **
**Develop Reality Assessment/ SWOT Analysis**
**Break**
**Identify Priority Areas**
**Discuss Technical Assistance Needs and Opportunities**
**Discuss Next Steps **
**Wrap Up and Evaluation**

## What is the Purpose of This Academy?

- To develop a realistic, State-wide policy initiative (Action Plan) with the intent of:
- Increasing access to mainstream services for families with children experiencing homelessness
- Enhancing the linkages between services and housing
- Developing prevention strategies

## What are the Objectives of the Policy Academy Process?

**Improve Access**

**Promote Strategic Decision Making**

**Provide Technical Assistance**

**Create/Reinforce Collaborative Relationships**

## How Many States and Territories Have Participated?

**55 States and Territories** have participated in a Homeless Policy Academy of any kind
**States Attending Policy Academy 9:**

- California
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Massachusetts

- Montana
- Rhode Island
- Utah

## What Will Help Our Team Succeed?

**Find Incentive to Change**** **– figure out “what’s not working” and have data and TA to help develop an overarching change strategy
**Identify the Teams’  Vision and Core Values***** ***– create a common vision and ensure the planning and implementation process is built upon core values
**Involve Partners in the Change Process**** **– figure out who’s missing, invite them and prepare them to participate, and structure the process in such a way as to value input

## What Will Help Our Team Succeed?

**Implement the Agreed-Upon Action**** **– create an action plan, formalize the team, find resources to support the action
**Monitor and Evaluate Process and Outcomes**** **– collect data,  conduct process evaluation, share reports, and create a process for plan revision
**Plan for Sustainability**– align with other planning efforts, embed changes in emerging system, and consider long-term resource development

## Who are the Team Members?

**Critical:**
- Governor’s office
- Head Start
- Medicaid
- State substance abuse agency
- State mental health agency
- Primary health care services
- State administration for children and families
- McKinney-Vento Homeless Education State Coordinator
- State housing agency
- Employment
- State-level homeless services administrators or Continuum-of-Care contacts

**Additional:**
- Homeless or formerly homeless persons
- Community Action State Association Director
- State food and nutrition agency
- State developmental disabilities coordinator
- State legislators
- Advocacy organizations
- Providers
- Faith-based and culturally-based agencies/ organizations
- Veteran’s services
- Corrections/criminal justice

## What are the Academy Components?

**Site Visits**

**Academy Meetings**** **
**(Resources & State Team Work)**

**Post- Academy Follow-Up**
**(Action Plan Implementation & TA)**

**National Learning Meeting**
**(Outcomes, TA & Peer-to Peer)**

**Evaluation**

## What Happens During the Site Visit?

- Become familiar with the Academy process
- Coordinate and build upon planning activities
- Develop a common understanding of the issues
- Develop a common vision and draft SWOT analysis
- Begin to identify TA needs
- Formalize team processes
- Identify key points for Team Lead presentation

## What Should Be Accomplished Before Arriving At The Academy Meeting?

- Circulate draft vision statement and SWOT analysis to all members of team for polishing
- Provide HSR with revised _vision statement_ and completed _SWOT analysis_ to be included in meeting packet
- Select team leader(s), timekeeper, scribe
- Review resource material

## What Happens During the Academy?

**Interact with faculty and peers to:**
- Maximize resources and expand capacity for systems change
- Adapt evidence-based practices
- Enhance collaboration and planning activities
**Complete Team-related tasks, including:**
- Present vision statement and State’s key issues and efforts
- Continue developing Action Plans and identifying TA needs
- Receive feedback and TA from faculty and peers
- Report-out on Action Plan, priorities, next steps, and TA needs

## What Happens After the Academy?

**Finalize strategies and**
**specific action steps**

**Submit plan to **
**HSR 60 days after PA**

**Receive Federal Planning **
**Committee Comments**

**Prioritize/coordinate technical **
**assistance with HSR and PRA**

**Implement action plan with TA**

## What are the Objectives of the TA?

- Identify critical TA needs of States
- Design and provide TA to help States enhance collaboration and implement action plans
- Help coordinate and utilize Federal resources in a strategic, coordinated, and non-duplicative manner
- Create and disseminate TA tools and models
- Utilize the Technical Assistance Continuity Team (TACT):
**Health Systems Research, Inc. (HSR): **Provide overall coordination and quality assurance; *Primary Contact: Jamie Hart, 512-343-1086, jhart@hsrnet.com*
**Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA): **Coordinate TA activities; *Primary Contact: Francine Williams,518-439-7415, fwilliams@prainc.com*
**Lead TACT Member: **Assigned to each State to serve as a “case manager” to help coordinate TA and maintain momentum; *Primary Contact TBD*

## What Technical Assistance is Available?

**Available anytime**
- Written or internet-based materials
- Telephone consultation and referrals with PRA staff
- Policy Academy web site and listserv (www.hrsa.gov/homeless)
- Specialized literature searches
**Available after Action Plan submitted**
- Peer-based TA with other States
- Telephone consultation with Federal representatives
- Teleconference with content experts
- On-site consultation or training
- Additional on-site facilitation of State Team
- Assistance with in-State Policy Academies
**Be creative....**

## What Topics Might the TA Address?

_**Planning/Systems Change**_
- Coalition building
- Getting political buy-in
- Interagency Council development
- Addressing co-occurring disorders
- Discharge planning
_**Data/Research**_
- Cost-benefit study
- Needs assessment study
- Development of performance measures
- HMIS, data systems integration
- MOUs and data sharing agreements
- Data collection/research

_**Housing and Services**_
- Housing development
- Improved access to HUD programs
- Housing First model
- Models of integrated housing and services
- SSI/SSDI training for front-line staff
- Streamlining benefit application processes
- Accessing educational services for children
- Accessing mainstream funding and programs such as Medicaid; TANF; Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Social Services Block Grants; and those addressing veterans, labor, and criminal justice issues

## What Challenges Do Teams Face? 

- Building team consensus around Action Plan
- Integrating planning activities
- Identifying feasible strategies
- Presenting a clear message to influential policymakers
- Generating public and political will to support Action Plan
- Implementing the Action Plan through executive, legislative, administrative, and private sector (non-government) processes

## What are the Key Components of Success?

_**Environmental**_
- Political support from Governor
- Support from key stakeholders within mainstream and targeted services
- Public awareness of issue – high visibility
- Flexible funding streams
_**Team**_
- Strong and consistent leadership
- Dedicated staff
- Those who change policies on team
- Institutionalization of policies and practices
- Strategic planning and integration of planning across the State
- Technical assistance

## THE ACTION PLANNING PROCESS

- The Framework

## Action Plan Components

**Vision Statement**

**Reality Assessment/SWOT**

**Priorities**

**Strategies**

**Action Steps**

## The Vision Statement(Your State Tomorrow)

- Provides a statement of purpose
- Presents a picture of your ideal future (independent of the current reality)
- Serves as a reference point for all future decisions
- Does not assume that the system will have the same framework that as it does today
- Specifically addresses issue of improving access to mainstream services

## The Reality Assessment (Your State Today)

- Requires a review/inventory of:
- Key problems and issues in your State
- Previous policy actions taken to address these issues
- Current political environment
- Assesses your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
- Helps to identify resources at your disposal
- Provides context for your efforts

## Team Priorities/Goals (Gaps)

- Likely to be the “gaps” between your vision and the current reality
- Areas where you will focus your energy and resources in order to influence policy
- Form the basis for planning, policy-making and setting performance standards
- May be short-term and/or long-term

## Strategies with Potential(Tactical Plans)

- A plan to get from here to there
- The bridge between goals and actions
- Broad range tactics to affect change
- Often require State-wide or cross-agency efforts
- Should be directly related to your priorities/goals

## Action Steps(Work Assignments)

- Specific activities undertaken based on your strategy(-ies)
- Require action from specific individuals or entities (differentiate between what is within your control and what is not)
- Considerations
- Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
- Who is responsible for completing action?
- What resources are required?
- What is the timeline?
- Who will be affected?
- How will success be measured?

## THE ACTION PLANNING PROCESS

- Common Priority Areas:
- Challenges and Effective Strategies

## What are the Common Priority Areas?

- Increasing coordination and collaboration
- Increasing access to mainstream system resources
- Addressing gaps in and supply of (affordable) housing
- Increasing prevention and discharge planning
- Documenting the problem and integrating data systems
- Increasing public education and awareness

## Increasing Coordination and Collaboration

_**Challenges**_
- Maintaining momentum due to political changes, turf issues, and budget cuts
- Coordinating planning activities due to multiple plans and unique regional issues
_**Strategies**_
- Supporting the Teams’ work by integrating planning activities, identifying quick successes, and using data effectively
- Enhancing partnerships by reaching out to new stakeholders, tailoring the message, and exploring funding options

## Increasing Access to Mainstream System Resources

_**Challenges**_
- Negotiating eligibility restrictions, cumbersome application processes, and budget shortfalls
- Getting mainstream service providers to the table to help link services to housing
_**Strategies**_
- Offering presumptive eligibility
- Creating single application forms
- Collaborating with Departments of Employment, Veterans Affairs, Disability Services, and Corrections

## Addressing Gaps in and Supply of (Affordable) Housing

_**Challenges**_
- Limited supply of and access to housing stock
- Lack of collaboration with key stakeholders
- Lack of services to help maintain housing
_**Strategies**_
- Partnering with developers, landlords, and Public Housing Authorities
- Exploring funding opportunities (e.g., housing trust funds, set asides, and low income tax credits)

## Increasing Prevention and Discharge Planning 

_**Challenges**_
- Engaging partners
- Proving effectiveness of activities
- Restrictive definitions that exclude populations
_**Strategies**_
- Creating buy-in by collecting data, highlighting outcomes, and engaging in state-wide advocacy
- Preventing housing loss by linking services to housing and using bridge subsidies and flexible funds
- Using requirements to create policy change

## Documenting the Problem and Integrating Data Systems

_**Challenges**_
- Documenting homelessness due to lack of uniform, appropriate data elements and collection tools
- Utilizing, coordinating, and supporting data reporting systems
_**Strategies**_
- Integrating data collection efforts through Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
- Collecting qualitative and quantitative data
- Using data to identify gaps and funding strategies

## Increasing Public Education and Awareness

_**Challenges**_
- Resistance and lack of public awareness
- Lack of funding for educational campaigns
_**Strategies**_
- Launching public awareness campaigns, conducting public hearings, and educating legislators
- Using tax return check-offs and foundation support