Survey Guidelines

 You are NEVER directly asking “Are you homeless?”  Every question should be asked as it is phrased on the survey itself. Questions are worded so that data is more accurate and there is less of a chance for false answers.  If you are a shelter/housing provider, you will conduct the survey on TUESDAY, JANUARY 22.  All other providers should conduct the survey on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23. 

ALL surveys are due to the One Roof office by 6:00 PM on Thursday, January 24.

Location & Name

 At the very top of the survey, don’t forget to put the name of the agency where you are surveying. If you are on a street team, please write street coordinates or a brief description of the location where you conduct the survey. Write this in the blank that says “Place of Contact/Agency.”  Please include your name under “Interviewer name” so that we can get in touch with you if we have a question.

Continuum ID Card

 The first question you will ask is: Do you have a Continuum ID Card?

 If the participant does have an ID card, you will record the number located in the bottom right corner of the card.  There are exactly the right number of boxes for that participant’s Continuum ID number. If they do have a continuum ID, you will proceed to question 7.

 DO NOT RECORD SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, DRIVER’S LINCENSE NUMBERS, OR ANY OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ASIDE FROM THE CONTINUUM ID NUMBER.

Continuum ID Card

This is an example of what a Continuum ID Card looks like .

Continuum Identification

Joe S. Moe D.O.B: Iss. Date: 01/01/1901 01/01/2011 Exp. Date: 01/01/2013 Sex Ht. Wt. Eye. Hair Race M 6’1” 200 BRN BLK WHT <> SP ID 12345 Continuum ID Number!

   

Demographics

Questions 2, 3, 4, and 5 on the survey deal with demographics. You should not ask the gender of the participant. Make your best guess or record how you perceive their gender.

DO

ask the participant for their age.

DO

ask the participant to identify their race. 

REMEMBER: If a participant refuses the survey, record their perceived age, race, and gender.

Do NOT fill out the rest of the survey.

Veteran Status

 Questions 6 on the survey is about military involvement.  If a participant is unsure, please list the different branches of the military listed in the question.

 There should be no outside explanations for question 6 and there should be only ONE answer.

Where did you stay last night?

 For question 7, we are trying to collect data on where participants are sleeping at night. This is one way we determine if the participant is homeless.  Please make sure you are familiar with each answer to this question so that you can narrow down the appropriate answer during an interview.

Where did you stay last night?

 If a participant answers that they stayed in a homeless agency, program, or shelter, try your best to record the name of the agency, the program, and what TYPE of shelter it is. This is important because some agencies have many programs (ex: Firehouse)  If a participant answers that they stayed in a hospital, jail, or other institution, make sure you ask the follow-up questions: - Were you there less than 90 days?

- Were you in emergency shelter or on the street before you went there?  A participant has slept “On the street” if they slept in one of the following places: sidewalk, car, park, woods, camp, abandoned building, abandoned house, barn, hospital emergency room, under an interstate/bridge

Where did you stay last night?

 If a participant answers that they slept in their own home or place last night, ask the following: - Are you being evicted in two weeks or less? - Does your home have light, heat, water, and plumbing?  Other homeless situation: If their situation is not described by any other option, provide a brief description

Where did you stay last night?

 If the participant says that they are staying:  … in a boarding home  … in the home of a FRIEND, RELATIVE, or FAMILY MEMBER  … in their own home, and all of the utilities are on

STOP THE SURVEY.

ALWAYS thank the participant for their responses and for their time answering the survey.

Homeless Experience

 Question 8 is meant to capture information about any participants who might be

chronically homeless

.

 8.a. refers to anyone who has stayed in an ES and/or on the streets for AN ENTIRE YEAR (no variation)  8.b. refers to EPISODES of homelessness in the past THREE years. An episode would include the ENTIRE period of time that a participant has been living on the street and in shelter WITHOUT THEIR OWN PLACE TO LIVE.

Sub-Populations

 Questions 9 – 16 are meant to capture specific sub population information.  When asking question 9, ask the question as written and with the different examples listed.  Mark ALL disabilities that apply on this question.

 Question 10: Please make sure you record the name of the place where the participant receives health care. If possible, answer 10.a. by asking the participant.

Sub-Populations

 Questions 11,12, and 13 should receive only ONE answer and do not require explanations.  Question 14: If the participant answers “Yes” to this question, please remember to ask them “How many times?” and mark the appropriate answer.  Participants have spent the night in an emergency room do not count for this question. For this question, we are asking whether or not the participant has been ADMITTED to the hospital overnight.

Sub-Populations: Criminal History

 Questions 15, 15.a., 15.b., and 15.c., each require

ONLY ONE answer

.  When you ask these questions, participants will know which one applies to them.  

DO NOT

write in explanations Pick the answer that

best describes

what your participant says.

Current Companions

 Questions 16 and 16.a. are intended to capture information about families or those who travel together as companions. Note: Companions do not have to be more traditional family units; this could include youth who are traveling together, LGBT couples, groups of individuals who claim to be a household, etc.  Please only complete ONE survey per household.  If the participant answers “yes” to question 16, please go to the back of the survey and fill out the table provided.

Current Companions

 Remember for question 16, companions and family are only recorded if they are also homeless and stay with that participant.  Also ask this question EXACTLY AS IT IS WRITTEN.

Current Companions

 If participant does have family members/companions, politely ask the participant for his/her initials.  After receiving the participant initials, fill in household member information in the table for 16.a.

    Initials For AGE and NUMBER OF ARRESTS: write a NUMBER For GENDER: Please write “M” for Male or “F” for “Female” For ALL OTHER COLUMNS: write “YES” if applicable.

Current Companions

Always remember…

 Once you have completed a survey, remember to thank the participant for their time and answers.

 Try to gather as much information as you can from each participant.  If ANY of this survey seems confusing, please let us know prior to volunteering. You can also ask your team lead (for street team) or a One Roof staff member (for daytime count) for help.

Final Instructions

 Participants should come to the One Roof office before going to their site to volunteer. One Roof shares an office with CAP, located at 1704 5 th Avenue North (across from Kelly Ingram Park at 17 th St. and 5 th Ave. North).  Parking in our parking deck is free for ONE HOUR. If you plan on parking your car near the One Roof office for more than one hour, street parking is best.

 You will pick up surveys at the One Roof office and can ask any questions you might have at that time.  PLEASE return your surveys to One Roof when you have finished your shift.  Street team volunteers MUST sign in when they arrive and when they leave.

Thank You!

 We hope you enjoy your time with us. One Roof is overwhelmingly thankful for your time and help with this project.  Point in Time data CANNOT be adequately recorder without your help.