U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Improving Access to Mainstream Services for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, Westin Peachtree, Atlanta Georgia, January 29-31, 2003

 

AGENDA

Objectives:

  • To assist State and local policymakers to develop an Action Plan intended to improve access to mainstream health and human services that are coordinated with housing for persons who are “chronically” homeless;
  • To create and/or reinforce relationships among the Governor’s office, State Legislators, key program administrators, and stakeholders from the public and private sectors;
  • To provide an environment conducive to the process of strategic decision-making; and
  • To assist State and local policymakers in identifying issues or areas of concern that may result in a formal request for technical assistance.

Wednesday, January 29, 2003

10:00 a.m.

Registration

12:00 p.m.

Working Lunch

 

Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Lawrence Bartlett, Director, Health Systems Research, Inc. (HSR), Moderator
 
  • Introduction of Videotaped Greetings
    • Peter Dougherty, Director, Office of Homeless Veterans Programs
      Department of Veterans Affairs
 
  • Videotaped Greetings
    • The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
      Secretary Anthony Principi
 
    • The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
      Secretary Mel Martinez
 
    • The Department of Health and Human Service (HHS)
      Secretary Tommy Thompson
 
  • Philip Mangano, Executive Director, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
 
  • Introductions of State Team Members, Faculty, and Resource Persons and Brief Presentations by Each Team

2:00 p.m.

Break

2:15 p.m.

A Personal Account from a Formerly Homeless Person

 
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Presenter:

Jesse Merrill, Highland Rivers Community Mental Health Center

 

Q & A Facilitator: Larry Bartlett, Health Systems Research, Inc.

2:45 p.m.

Plenary Session One: Developing and Implementing a Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

 
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Presenters:

Virginia Harmon, Deputy Director, Quality Management and Customer
     Services Administration
   Department of Community Health, Lansing, MI

 

 

Chuck Kieffer, Homeless Programs Coordinator
   Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Lansing, MI

3:45 p.m.

Break

4:00 p.m.

State Team Session One: Vision Statement, Reality Assessment, Priority/Goal
Setting and “Haves/Needs” List
 
  • Revisit Vision Statement (if necessary, revise based on draft developed by State Team prior to Policy Academy)
    • Statement of purpose
    • Picture of Team’s ideal future (independent of current reality)
    • Reference point for all future decisions
  • Revisit Reality Assessment (if necessary, revise based on draft developed by State Team prior to Policy Academy)
    • Inventory/review of: current programs/activities, key challenges, previous policy actions, current political environment
    • SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
    • Provide context
    • Identify resources
  • Priority/Goal Setting - Identify:
    • Gaps between the Team’s vision statement and the current reality
    • Areas to focus energy and limited resources
    • Basis for planning, policymaking, and setting performance standards
  • “Haves/Needs” List – Identify:
    • Models or assistance that the Team can offer other State Teams
    • Issues for which the Team would like peer-to-peer assistance

6:30 p.m.

Dinner (On your own)

Thursday, January 30, 2003

7:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m.

Overview of the Day

8:15 a.m.

Plenary Session Two: Addressing Chronic Homelessness

 

What Works: Evidence-Based Practices and Best Practices Models
 

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Presenter:

Fred Osher, Associate Professor, Director, Center for Behavioral Health, Justice and      Public Policy
   University of Maryland School of Medicine

 

What Works: State-Level Approaches
 

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Presenters:

Terry Ball, Director, Division of Community Services
   Department of Community Affairs, Atlanta, GA

 

 

Paul Bolster, President
   Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care Services, Atlanta, GA

9:45 a.m.

Break

10:00 a.m.

State Team Session Two: Complete Priority Setting and Begin Developing Strategies
 
  • Complete Priority Setting
    • Gaps between the Team’s vision statement and the current reality
    • Areas to focus energy and limited resources
    • Basis for planning, policymaking, and setting performance standards
 
  • Develop Realistic Strategies/Tactical Plans
    • Broad-ranging tactics requiring statewide or cross-agency efforts
    • Usually involves the combination of several courses of action
    • Should be directly related to Team’s goals and priorities
    • Includes identifying technical assistance needs

12:00 p.m.

Working Lunch

 

The Dynamics of Homelessness, and the Impact of Supportive Housing on Services Use and Costs
 

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Presenter:

Dennis Culhane, Associate Professor
   University of Pennsylvania
 

“Haves/Needs” Networking Session
Utilizing the lists created on Day One, State Teams members will collaborate with other teams to highlight models and receive/provide peer-to-peer assistance on certain issues.

2:00 p.m.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions: Strategies for Addressing Chronic Homelessness
 
  • The Use of Block Grant Funding to Serve Chronically Homeless Persons

    Presenter:

    Joan Disare, Coordinator of Housing and Homeless Services
       New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
 
  • VA Programs

    Presenters:

    Peter Dougherty, Director, Office of Homeless Veterans Programs
       Department of Veterans Affairs

     

    Craig Burnette, National Director, Project CHALENG for Veterans
       Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center
 
  • HUD Programs

    Presenter:

    John Garrity, Director, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs
    Mark Johnston, Deputy Director, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs
       U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
 
  • Medicaid Services

    Presenters:

    Patricia Post, Policy Analyst and Communications Manager
       National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
     

    Mark Trail, Chief Medical Assistance Plans
       Georgia Department of Community Health

2:45 p.m.

Break

3:00 p.m.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions: Strategies for Addressing Chronic Homelessness

 
  • Expediting Eligibility Determinations

    Presenters:

    Yvonne Perret, Executive Director
       Advocacy and Training Center
     

    Jeremy Rosen, Staff Attorney
       National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty

 
  • Discharge Planning

    Presenters:

    Mary Ellen Hombs, Executive Director
       Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance
     

    Cheri Nolan, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs
       U.S. Department of Justice
 
  • Housing Options

    Presenters:

    Emily Cooper, Senior Program Manager
       Technical Assistance Collaborative
     

    Carol Wilkins, Director, Intergovernmental Policy
       Corporation for Supportive Housing

 
  • Department of Labor Programs

    Presenters:

    Charles S. Ciccolella, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Veterans Employment and Training
       U.S. Department of Labor

     

    Daniel Nichols, Special Assistant for Strategic Communications, Veterans Employment      and Training
       U.S. Department of Labor

     

    Doris Rippey, Program Analyst, Division of One-Stop Operations, Employment and      Training Administration
       U.S. Department of Labor

3:45 p.m.

Break

4:00 p.m.

State Team Session Three: Complete Strategies and Begin Identifying Action Steps
 
  • Complete Strategies/Tactical Plans
    • Broad-ranging tactics requiring statewide or cross-agency efforts
    • Usually involves the combination of several courses of action
    • Should be directly related to Team’s goals and priorities
    • Includes identifying technical assistance needs
 
  • Identify Action Steps
    • Specific activities to be undertaken based on strategies
    • Required action from specific individual or entities
    • Considerations:
      • Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
      • Who is responsible for completing each action?
      • What resources are required?
      • What is the timeline?
      • Who will be affected?

5:30 p.m.

Adjourn

 

Homework Assignment: Each State Team should prepare to share with the other Teams their action planning-to-date – including their written vision statement, reality assessment, and goals/priorities at tomorrow morning’s plenary session. Each Team should also identify what they anticipate their technical assistance needs to be. Results should be recorded on newsprint and posted in main conference area. Meeting rooms will be available to the Teams in the evening, if needed.

Friday, January 31, 2003

7:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m.

Overview of the Day

8:10 a.m.

State Team Status Reports and Exchange of Ideas Among State Team Members and Faculty

9:30 a.m.

State Team Session Four: Complete Action Steps
 
  • Complete Action Steps
    • Specific activities to be undertaken based on strategies
    • Required action from specific individual or entities
    • Considerations:
      • Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
      • Who is responsible for completing each action?
      • What resources are required?
      • What is the timeline?
      • Who will be affected?
      • How will success be measured (benchmarks)?

12:00 p.m.

Working Lunch
 

Roundtable Discussions with Resource Persons from Federal Agencies

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
  • Social Security Administration (SSA)
  • U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

1:00 p.m.

State Team Session Five: Identify Technical Assistance (TA) Needs and Next Steps
 
  • TA Needs – Identify:
    • The nature of issue(s) or the problem(s) for which TA is needed
    • The type(s) of assistance required
    • Anticipated long- or short-term goals of the TA
 
  • Next Steps – Identify:
    • Follow-up activities for Policy Academy
    • Next Team meeting date
    • Timeline and process for revision and submission of action plan

2:30 p.m.

Break

2:45 p.m.

State Team Report-Outs with Faculty Feedback
 
  • Teams outline:
    • Key priorities and action steps included in their Action Plans
    • Technical Assistance needs
    • Follow-up and next steps

4:15 p.m.

Wrap-up and Review of Next Steps

4:30 p.m.

Adjourn

Improving Access to Mainstream Services for People
Experiencing Chronic Homelessness

sponsored by:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(formerly the Health Care Financing Administration)
Health Resources and Services Administration
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Community Planning and Development
Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Homeless Veterans Programs, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
Health Care for Homeless Veterans, Veterans Health Administration


in partnership with:

U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
American Public Human Services Association
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
National Association of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Directors
National Association of County and City Health Program Directors
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
National Conference of State Legislators
National Governors Association
National Head Start Association
U.S. Conference of Mayors