Summer 2018 Release 1. Updates to the Housing Tracker 2. Updates to the Income Tracker 3. Updates to the Family Assessment Matrix (FAM) 4. Tracking Legal Support in CoDa 1. Updates to the Housing Tracker The Housing Tracker was built out a few years ago to be made perfectly for our programs at that moment. But times have changes, and the Housing Tracker needs to change as well! 1) Simplified Housing Stage options and made field required 2) Changed Move In Date to Start Date and made field required
3) Simplified Living Situation options and made field required - Replaced Safe Haven with DV Shelter - Added Psychiatric Respite to Hospital option - Combined all subsidy and below market options together - Combined friend and family categories - Created definition page that is accessible from the CoDa Help text 4) Change Subsidy Type to Subsidy/ Housing Type 5) Added more options to Subsidy/ Housing Type field, created categories, and definitions sheet 6) Took out Move Out Date, No. of months continuously homeless, Length of Stay
Living Situation Definitions for Housing Tracker Field Option When to Use / Definition Intake The family s living situation at intake Enrolled Any move while the family is in the program Housing Program Exit The family s living situation at exit Stage Post Program Exit Any time after the family has left Compass and staff find out about a new housing situation Place Not Meant for Habitation For example on the street, park, car, abandoned building Emergency Shelter (except DV) Including short term or long term shelter, medical room, PATH room, or hotel or motel paid for with emergency shelter voucher (specify which shelter in the Facility field and which subsidy in the Subsidy/ Housing Type if applicable) Transitional Housing Housing deemed transitional by the City with accompanying supportive services (specify which transitional housing in Facility field) DV Shelter Shelter or housing specifically for survivors of domestic violence Rental by client, market rate Any unit/ house that the client is renting without a subsidy or housing other type of below market discount Rental by client, subsidized or Any unit/ house that the client is renting with a subsidy OR below below market rate market OR supportive housing (specify the type of subsidy or Subsidy / Housing Type Staying or living in a friend or family members room, apartment or house (stable) Staying or living in a friend or family members room, apartment or house (unstable) Below Market Rate Unit HUD: Public Housing HUD: Section 8 Tenant Based Housing Voucher HUD: Section 8 Project Based Housing Voucher PSH: Shelter Plus Care PSH: LOSP PSH: Scattered Site Housing Subsidy: Calworks HSP Subsidy: Catholic Charities SFHOME Subsidy: Compass SF HOME Subsidy: Hamilton Housing Solutions Subsidy: Hamilton Heading Home Subsidy: HPP Share Subsidy: VASH housing type in the Subsidy/ Housing Type field) Client doesn t have to leave in the near future. Choose this option if family is doubled up and mark the Doubled up/ Overcrowed? field as Yes Client has to leave place imminently (or in the next two weeks), is in a volatile situation, or is couch-surfing A Below-Market-Rate (BMR) unit is a unit that is priced to be affordable to households that are moderate income or below. Federal program were housing is managed by the public housing authority and rent is marked at 30% of income Also called Housing Choice voucher. Voucher to find housing in any unit in the private market. Rent is marked at 30% of income Voucher to find housing in pre-defined privately owned buildings. Rents I marked at 30% of income Permanent Supportive Housing for individuals with serious mental health issues, substance abuse disorders or disabling HIV/ AIDS. Look at CCP Program exit housing tracker to clarify type of PSH Local Operating Subsidy Program. Permanent Supportive Housing for all other individuals. Look in CCP Program exit housing tracker to clarify type of PSH HPP Housing Plus programs Calworks Housing Support Program Includes Compass Rapid Rehousing Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing subsidy
2. Updates to the Income Tracker Case management program staff now need to create a Income Trackers for all families at intake and every quarter while the client is in the program, and at exit. The Income Tracker is now included on the intake page for all case management programs and everyone should make sure to include this in their intake conversation with families. Check which of your clients need income trackers on your personalized dashboard. Click into the dashboard to see which clients are missing: If you don t have a baseline or recent income tracker for a family, click into the case record and add one in the Income and Non-Case Benefits list at the top of the page. If you confirm that nothing has changed since the last time you created an income tracker, you can go into the previous income tracker and click the Clone button at the top of the page. An identical income tracker with today s date will be created!
3. Updates to the Family Assessment Matrix (FAM) We are in the middle of a major upgrade to our assessment tool to measure the changes in client s lives during their time working with Compass. Thank you to the many people who have helped so far to provide feedback on the tool. We are making changes to the tool in two phases. Phase One changes are already complete and are included in this release. Phase Two changes will be coming in the next six months and will include standardized trainings on how to use the FAM so that we can better trust the tool and use our findings to help inform how programs can have a greater impact on the families we serve. Phase One Changes: There is a new version of the FAM that everyone should use. It is attached to this email and it can also be found on the server in V:\Organizational\Case Management. If there is a place where your program keeps the tool, please save the new version there as well. Changes to the new version and to the database: 1. No more Income Category This has been taken out of the FAM so that people use the Income Tracker instead. 2. Updated Legal category with included script: see below for more details. 3. Updated Food Category Simplified to focus solely on meal pantries, food stamps and earned income. 4. Updated Adult Education & Training Took out language around Bachelors or Associate s degree. Now focused on obtaining a general degree. 5. Added draft date and instructions at the top of the document, such using 0 when the category is not applicable.
4. Tracking Legal Support in CoDa Many of our clients experience legal barriers to finding and maintaining housing. Therefore, Compass has partnered with Project Legal Link to support clients in obtaining legal support and removing housing barriers. In order to better assess client legal issues and track the progress that is made from this partnership, Compass is implementing a standard assessment and data entry protocol for legal services across the agency. i. Legal support you offer your client In the service entry page mark the Legal service check box whenever you are discussing legal issues with a client. ii. Legal Support you receive from Project Legal Link Select Collateral Contact for the Engagement Type and mark the Legal service checkbox iii. Legal Support your client receives from Project Legal Link Project Legal Link staff will begin entering in service entries to communicate with case managers. You will receive an email with this note if you are the assigned case manager on a case record. Case managers need to start entering the case record link in the Project Legal Link google doc so that the PLL lawyer is able to find the correct case record and enter the note. Sometimes PLL notes will only indicate that Legal Link met with your client. If the client authorizes it, Legal Link will share next steps. iv. During the quarterly family assessment (FAM) Case managers who use the Family Assessment Matrix will add the following questions to intake and every quarter to assess legal issues: Do you have: 1. Any evictions in the past? NOTE: Evictions that occurred in court and are viewable by the public (and future landlords) are the most problematic. To get more info ask: 1. Did you go to court or have an attorney? 2. Were you denied by a potential landlord due to a prior eviction? If the client doesn t know, get PLL help and/or look at: 1. Court records from the county of the eviction; or 2. Consumer report that lists public filings (Some Compass programs use the National Tenant Network (NTN) report. Ask your program manager what your program uses if you are unsure). 2. Any concerns about your immigration status?
NOTE: Some immigration statuses limit your housing options - this would include not having legal status, a temporary status that is ending, etc. 3. Any outstanding warrants? NOTE: A warrant (arrest warrant, failure to appear in court warrant) can limit housing options. 4. Any prior convictions? NOTE: You will be particularly interested in any California convictions that have not already been cleaned. 5. Any problems getting or keeping public benefits (ex: SSI, CalWORKS, CalFresh)? 6. Concerns about custody of your child/ren? NOTE: Custody can impact size of unit, type of unit, and what county someone can move to. If your client answers YES to any of the above, mark the FAM appropriately. When time permits: Do as much fact-finding as you can. Use the 5Ws of Legal First Aid as a guide: 1. WHO is already helping the client? 2. WHAT is the story? 3. WHEN does the client need help? 4. WHERE is the issue? 5. WHY is this an issue now? Assist client (and log your actions in CoDa as described above): 1. Provide information and a referral to your client (see www.projectlegallink.org); 2. Consult with Project Legal Link to problem-solve next steps or referrals; or 3. Sign clients up to meet with Legal Link. FAM Criteria Detail 1 2 3 4 5 Score Outstanding legal issues (no help yet) Outstanding issues, client has information or referrals on at least one legal issue Outstanding legal issues, client is actively working on at least one issue (with or without an attorney) At least one legal issue resolved No legal issues at intake or all issues resolved When to choose Client answered yes to one of the above legal questions or has other type of legal issue and is not currently addressing the issue Client got information from CM and/or from a provider (PLL or otherwise), but doesn t have an attorney representing them yet Client is either working with an attorney (in best possible hands to resolve issue/remove barrier) or pursuing on their own (sometimes the only option). One goal achieved (issues resolved/rem oved). All goals achieved, or no issues to begin with
Why these questions? These are common barriers to housing that may have a legal remedy. Even if there is nothing that can be done legally, this is important information to have when supporting a client with a housing search. 80% of low-income folks don t realize that the issues they face are legal in nature. By screening your clients for these issues, and informing them that there may be legal resolutions that could help them, they gain that knowledge and are able to take appropriate next steps.