Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care: November Newsletter

Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care (CoC) Newsletter | November 2022

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Provider Resources for Monkeypox

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have updated Monkeypox information for those experiencing homelessness. They have also made available toolkits and resource guides for providers at the links below:

HUD: Infectious Disease Toolkit for CoCs

HUD: Resources on Monkeypox

CDC: Monkeypox Toolkit for People Experiencing Homelessness

Monkeypox vaccine is available at all Maricopa County Department of Public Health clinics. Contact the MCDPH CARES Team at 602-506-6767.

 

Senior Workgroup Listening Session

MAG will be hosting a Senior Workgroup Listening Session to better understand senior service needs and inform coordinated service delivery. The workgroup would form in response to a marked increase in the senior population experiencing homelessness. The listening session will occur on Wednesday, November 16, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. For more information or to attend, please contact Haleigh Owens at HOwens@azmag.gov.

 

IRS Free File Remains Open

The IRS Free File is available an extra month, until November 17, for those who might still need to file a federal tax return in order to claim special benefits. The IRS is sending letters to over 9 million families who are potentially eligible but did not claim stimulus payments, EITC, the Child Tax Credit, and other credits.

 

Call for Presentations

There are a number of upcoming conferences that are looking for session proposals to bring your expertise. Are you interested in presenting? Connect with the Arizona Housing Coalition (proposals due TODAY, October 31), National Alliance to End Homelessness (proposals due 11/7), and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (proposals due 12/2).

 

Housing Data Explorer

The Regional Analytics team at MAG recently launched a new tab on our Housing Data Explorer which summarizes key data points related to housing and affordability in the region. The data is based on the analysis and presentations MAG has been presenting for different committees and groups for the past few months. This data will continue to be updated as data is available with the remaining tabs being updated through the end of the year.

 

Ashley's Place Opening

U.S. Vets is opening Ashley's Place, a transitional housing focused on addressing the unique needs of women who were exposed to sexual trauma during their military service and may be experiencing problems with substance use. Ashley's Place is opening on December 1st. To learn more about Ashley's Place, the referral process, and any questions you may have, reach out to ashleysplace@usvets.org.

 

PAST MEETINGS

The Continuum of Care Board welcomed new members to the Board in October including Michael Hughes with A New Leaf, Natalie Lewis with the City of Mesa, Rachel Milne with the City of Phoenix, and Vicki Phillips with Community Bridges. In October, they reviewed the System Flow Dashboard and updates to Pathways Home. The Board will review and make updates to their Strategic Plan this December and continue to shepherd the Strategic Plan work forward.

 

The Continuum of Care Committee reviewed the System Flow Dashboard and discussed the potential reasons for the reduction of individuals on the dashboard. The Committee opened recruitment for new members, who will be selected and approved at the November meeting. The Committee also created a workgroup focusing on connections to other systems of care. They will work to identify and increase these connections to ensure individuals and families are getting the care they need.

 

The Coordinated Entry Committee (CEC) voted in new members and will be welcoming them in November. Homebase was invited to present an update on the Coordinated Entry Evaluation. Questions and feedback were gathered from the group and provided to Homebase. The Coordinated Entry / Domestic Violence Workgroup welcomed Racial Equity Partners to provide feedback on the prioritization tool. The group will be finalizing the tool and, once completed, it will be presented in the DV Program Manager’s meeting.

 

The Data Committee will be moving forward with a goal of creating a baseline for non-HUD funded SSO and Outreach programs. The committee is also discussing strategies for handling data quality issues that concern data entry errors. In addition to these ongoing projects, the committee will take time in November to review HMIS Universal Data Element (UDE) data quality. 

 

The ESG Committee agreed that, as part of efforts to standardize and streamline practices, the group will be completing and comparing funding matrixes across each ESG funding entity. Starting in December, the ESG Committee will also be undertaking a series of trainings specifically focused on current knowledge gaps. The first training, taking place during the ESG meeting on Dec. 7th, will be an ESG 101 designed by CSH and ESG funders are encouraged to invite their teams to attend this training. 

 

The Lived Experience Committee (LEC) has voted in new members and will be welcoming them in November. The LEC is continuing to work on the Shelter Bill of Rights and will have in finalized by December.

 

The Local Jurisdiction Committee selected its Co-Chairs, Tempe Councilmember Doreen Garlid and Maricopa County Homelessness Programs Manager T.J. Reed. LJC began to form a Diversion Program Landscape Map workgroup to shepherd work outlined by the Board Strategic Plan. Members also reviewed updates on Pathways Home, including the Housing Targets, the completion of the Interdepartmental Teams and Community Court toolkits, the further development of the funding filter, and continued coordination with Home Matters on the public education campaign. 

 

The Race Equity Committee selected its Co-Chairs, Nikki Ramirez, the Senior Director of Housing Services with the Thrive Group and Joselyn Wilkinson, Program Administrator for Veteran Housing and Homelessness with the Arizona Department of Veteran Services will lead the group through 2023. All members from the previously named Race Equity Leadership Group recommitted to membership of the group, with one new member joining: Alexis Torrence with Solari. Representatives from Race Equity Partners attended the meeting and discussed future training options to be selected by membership for the community. Further, a discussion about data took place and how to take next steps to improve race equity regionally. The group will continue to meet monthly. 

 

The Chronic Workgroup has begun to identify chronic SMI folks on the By-Name-List (BNL). The group has decided to focus on screening chronic individuals on the BNL that are not assessed or were recommended for “No Housing Intervention”. The Human Services Campus and Mercy Care are working together to screen the list of 346 chronic individuals that do not have a VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index - Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) completed or fall into the “No Housing Intervention” range to determine next steps.

 

The Veteran Workgroup reviewed veteran data, including the System Flow Dashboard, the VA By Name List, and SSVF utilization. The Veteran Inflow Workgroup shared that they are looking for additional members and are currently working on fliers to distribute for resources for seniors. The Arizona Department of Veterans Services shared that the Higher Level of Care Pilot Project is underway and is working to streamline the referral process. ASU Action Nexus shared an update on their Shared Housing Initiative and will be contacting direct providers to share information on how to promote shared housing. The Workgroup welcomed Dawn Dishman and Regina Weiler from the Arizona Department of Economic Security, who shared a presentation on the resources that are available to seniors.

 

The Data Analytics Workgroup spent October working through the group's first data priority: a preliminary look at returns to homelessness by program. The group has decided not to put forward any policy recommendations at this time and will be spending the next month examining returns under greater detail. If you are interested in data analytics and want to join the workgroup, please reach out to Cleo Warner at cwarner@azmag.gov

 

The Outreach Collaborative is working on developing a mission statement and revising Outreach Policies and Procedures. MAG’s Regional Analytics Division (RAD) and Solari (HMIS) continue to work together to fulfill the requests that were given to improve the Outreach Viewer.

 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The Arizona Housing Coalition leads the efforts to end homelessness and advocate for safe, affordable homes for all Arizonans. For any questions, please contact Joan Serviss with the Arizona Housing Coalition at joan@azhousingcoalition.org, join the Arizona Housing Coalition, or get involved in their Advocacy Committee if you are a member.

 

UPCOMING MEETINGS

All meetings subject to change. If you are interested in attending and do not have a meeting invite, please reach out to hsinfo@azmag.gov.

CoC Meeting and Event Calendar

• ESG Committee – November 2 at 10:30 a.m.
• Data Analytics Office Hours – November 8 at 1:00 p.m.
• Continuum of Care Committee – November 9 at 9:30 a.m.
• Race Equity Committee – November 10 at 12:00 p.m.
• Outreach Collaborative – November 10 at 1:00 p.m.
• Coordinated Entry Committee – November 10 at 3:00 p.m.
• Data Committee – November 14 at 10:00 a.m.
• Communications Workgroup – November 15 at 11:00 a.m.
• Youth Provider Workgroup – November 17 at 10:00 a.m.
• Local Jurisdiction Committee – November 17 at 2:00 p.m.
• Data Analytics Workgroup – November 22 at 1:00 p.m.
• Continuum of Care Board – November 28 at 1:30 p.m.

 

UPCOMING TRAININGS AND WEBINARS

- Maricopa Association of Governments – Diversion Training

November 1 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

- Fresh Start Women’s Foundation – Law Day for Women

November 5 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

- National Center for Homeless Education – Paving The Way to College for Students Experiencing Homelessness

November 7 at 12:00 p.m.

- Maricopa Association of Governments – VI-SPDAT/TAY-SPDAT Training

November 8 from 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.

- Department of Housing and Urban Development – Affordable Housing Development for Newer Nonprofits

November 9 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

- Arizona Housing Coalition – Employment Resources for Case Managers

November 10 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

- Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence – Sexual Violence Core Advocacy Training

November 14 – 18 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

- Department of Housing and Urban Development – Leveraging Data in Decision-Making for Local Governments

November 15 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

- Department of Housing and Urban Development – Lead Safe Housing Rule Amendment Training for TBRA Recipients

November 15-17

- National Center for Homeless Education – Understanding Doubled Up

November 30 at 12:00 p.m.

 

PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Click this link for open Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), and Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO).

 

RESOURCES

Click this link for available service provider resources, including toolkits and definitions.

 

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