Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care: November Newsletter

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Launch of New Workgroup!   

As our system takes on more data analysis and tools, there is an increasing need for translating analysis into meaningful action within the CoC. The Data Insights Workgroup will be formed off the Data Committee to fill this gap.  The workgroup is currently seeking members who have knowledge of both the CoC and data, and who are ready to discuss actionable steps that can be derived from data analysis. This group will meet the second Tuesday of each month as needed at 1:00 pm, beginning November 14th. If you are interested in participating, please register here or contact Cleo Warner at cwarner@azmag.gov.   

AHCCCS 1115 Waiver: H2O Capacity Building 

CSH is partnering with AHCCCS to assess the organizational capacity of Arizona’s Community Based Organizations (CBOs) who currently deliver housing services and support that will have the potential to tap into the Medicaid funding stream for current and future services. CBOs include agencies offering shelter, unsheltered outreach, permanent supportive housing, and other services to help people obtain and maintain housing. CSH will be hosting a Webinar, four focus groups, and launching a survey to gather information to support the state’s efforts to implement the new Medicaid waiver. Your responses will help CSH develop recommendations for how best to support your agency to bill Medicaid for H2O services. 

DWEL-AZ Administrative Operator RFP 

DWEL-AZ, the statewide data warehouse, is seeking an entity to oversee the administrative functions of the project. This project integrates the three Arizona Homeless Management Information System databases and other relevant human services data, such as AHCCCS. View the RFP here.  

For questions or submissions, please contact Linda Jensen, Education Director, Arizona Housing Coalition, linda@azhousingcoalition.org.  

NEW! Increasing Income Training for Providers and Clients 

The Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care has recently launched the Increasing Income Training for Providers and Clients which is designed to help prepare providers who are working with people who are re-entering the workforce. The training includes benefits resources and cliffs and employee development resource guides. Check it out on the CoC Learning Gateway! 

Community Conversation: Workforce Development and Increasing Income 

Please join us for a Community Conversation around Workforce Development and Increasing Income.  

This Community Conversation is designed for providers to share their successes, opportunities, and ask questions of one another regarding increasing client income, both through employment and non-employment means. Register here! 

PAST MEETINGS 

A complete description of each of the CoC meetings can be found on the CoC Committee Overview where you can learn more about the Committees, find out when they meet, or contact the appropriate MAG staff member. Registration for CoC meetings and events can be found on the Meeting and Event Calendar. 

The Continuum of Care Board reviewed the System Flow Dashboard and discussed the Shelter Bill of Rights. The Board also heard updates from the Coordinated Entry leads as well as progress made on the Strategic Plan. In November, the Board will hear updates on the Coordinated Entry assessment tool, a presentation on the HMIS evaluation, and updates on Pathways Home.  

The Continuum of Care Committee received presentations on metrics for Monitoring and Evaluation, a funding overview, and how to make the Committee’s annual priorities more impactful. The Committee also opened up new member recruitment. 

The Coordinated Entry Committee continued development of the new regional assessment and prioritization tool, finalizing and approving the first draft for presentation to the CoC Board. CE Committee also requested development of the tool in HMIS, which will allow initial field testing. At the same time, CE Committee held a Community Conversation forum (and is hosting a second one on November 1) to discuss potential changes to the prioritization of people experiencing homelessness resulting from implementation of the new tool. The Coordinated Entry-Domestic Violence Workgroup met and agreed on updates to the CE-DV workflow to improve access to permanent housing resources for DV providers and their clients. 

The Data Committee finalized a new process for agencies applying for HMIS use, heard updates on the DWEL-AZ data warehouse and the Data Analytics Workgroup, and recommended the removal of COVID-related fields in HMIS UDEs. Additionally, committee members mapped out updates for Strategic Plan updates and held an in-person brainstorming sessions for interested members. Strategic Plan updates will be finalized in the November meeting.  

The ESG Committee hosted several provider feedback sessions, yielding suggestions such as the need for common best practices, additional flexible resources for RRH providers, and more support from funders. The committee will use these in coming meetings to develop a workplan for implementing changes where feasible. 

The Lived Experience Committee reviewed the 2023 Strategic Plan and identified what successes they had over the last year. They also discussed what they would like to recommend to the Continuum of Care Board for the 2024 strategic plan. These ideas will be shared with the Board for their consideration. 

The Local Jurisdiction Committee discussed updates on various Pathways Home toolkits, including the recently completed Employer Toolkit and the Prevention & Diversion Toolkit in development. Members also considered the committee’s progress on 2023 goals and identified key areas to focus on in 2024. 

The Race Equity Committee leadership are focusing meetings and speakers on the four identified goals in the 2021 Race Equity report: redesigning the Coordinated Entry assessment, inclusion of people with lived experience, building capacity to use data, and workforce development. There are two remaining race equity trainings that will be offered in 2023.  

Register for Developing Diverse Organizations: Mitigating Bias in Program Design and Delivery on November 17, 2023 at 2 pm here.  

Register for Understanding Racism: a Structural and Historical Analysis on December 8, 2023 at 2 pm here.  

Both trainings are being provided by Racial Equity Partners. All are welcome to attend.  

The Youth Action Committee received an update on the Continuum of Care Board and the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project Grant. The Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care was not selected for this round. The Youth Action Committee discussed the Point In Time Count and how youth can be more engaged both in the planning process and the actual count. 

The By-Name List Workgroup completed their content drafting for a BNL training that will be created for the Learning Gateway. Once the training is completed, it will be tested by community members and edited by the workgroup as needed prior to final publication.  

The Communications Workgroup will meet again in November to discuss the changes to the System Flow Dashboard and upcoming changes to the Homelessness Trends Report. Talking Points continue to be sent to the Communications Listserv about activities happening in the homelessness and housing space. If you or your Communications staff are interested in being added, reach out to Katie at kgentry@azmag.gov. Finally, the CoC launched our social media! Follow us on X at @MaricopaCoC or LinkedIn at Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care.    

The Connecting to Systems of Care Workgroup recapped the Rapid Rehousing and Funder Conversation and determined that the feedback received fell into four groups: flexible funding, contract length and language, natural supports, and increasing income. The workgroup elected to break these four groups into two topics: Contract Focused and Client Focused. The workgroup will begin working on the Contract Focused groups in November. 

The Continuum Referral to External Systems Workgroup concentrated on developing one-pagers to aid case managers and frontline staff when referring to other care systems, such as healthcare, justice, and education. Discussions centered around identifying agencies and organizations to disseminate the one-pagers with a high impact. The group also discussed common challenges or misconceptions associated with interfacing with each system. They deliberated on the most crucial information to include on each one-pager and its structure. In the November meeting, the workgroup plans to evaluate the draft versions of the one-pagers and refine their content. 

The Emergency Shelter Workgroup continues to meet to improve coordination of shelter beds. The group reviewed the process for ensuring this tool is kept up-to-date and impactful. 

The Move On Workgroup finalized and rolled out its training module for PSH/RRH providers with clients potentially interested in transitioning to lower service model subsidies. The training is conducted through the Learning Management System. If not yet enrolled in the CoC Learning Gateway, please fill out the CoC Partner survey. 

The Outreach Collaborative has continued work on a regional outreach standards document, completing an outline of the document and fleshing out standards as a group. The collaborative will be adding additional working meetings during November and December to accelerate this process. 

UPCOMING MEETINGS, TRAININGS, AND WEBINARS 

Click here to learn more about the CoC Learning Gateway and on-demand training opportunities, or check out the CoC Event Calendar for live events. 

Community Resource Fair – The event will be held at Stonepoint Community Church, located at 4445 W. Olive Ave in Glendale.  At the event, there will be representatives for education/training, employment, legal, medical, and housing resources, fun & games for kids, food/drinks, and so much more! Register Here! 

November 4 from 10:00am – 1:00pm   

Workshop: Conflict Resolution in Housing – Conflicts may be unavoidable in landlord tenant relationships.  How can case managers address conflicts in a way that benefits both landlord and tenant, and keeps residents stably housed? Participants will learn common causes of conflict and skills to approach and resolve conflict, and practice those skills on realistic landlord tenant scenarios. Register Here! 

November 7 from 9:00am – 11:00am    

Low-Barrier Shelter Models for People Who Use Drugs – Attendees will learn about different models for providing low-barrier shelter access for people who use drugs and will have the opportunity to hear from people about their own experiences staying in low-barrier shelter programs. Register Here! 

November 14 from 10:00am – 11:30am 

Building Capacity to Integrate Health and Housing in Arizona – The State of Arizona recognizes the link between Health and Housing to improve health outcomes, build health equity and address housing and homelessness instability. Within the next few years, housing and homeless providers will have the opportunity to bill Medicaid for many of the services they offer, including rental assistance. This webinar will focus on the basics of Arizona’s Medicaid system for providers new to this funding stream and how agencies can prepare for the upcoming opportunities. The webinar is hosted in partnership with CSH, AHCCCS, and the Vitalyst Health Foundation. Register Here!  

November 14 at 1:00 pm   

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. 

Click this link to view previous months’ newsletters.    

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