Transcript SHARPP - Washington State Coalition for the Homeless

SHARPP
Spokane Homeless Assistance Response & Prevention
Partnership
A Correctional Institution Community Re-Entry Program
Funded from the Homeless Grant Assistance Program (HGAP)
of Washington State Department of Commerce and Spokane
County Community Services, Housing & Community
Development Department
Project Goals & Highlights
• Ultimate goal of project is to reduce
homelessness and recidivism
• Multifaceted approach
• Collaborative partnerships
− Partners include Spokane County,
Volunteers of America, Transitions for
Women, Goodwill Industries
− Using Spokane’s HMIS system
• Emphasis on “systems change”
Description
• All people (estimated at 600 over three years)
without a home exiting institutions will have
access to vocational training, responsible renter
program, expedited access to medical, food, and
other needed services. They may also access
housing referrals, landlord guarantees and
incentives.
• Approximately 200 people over three years will
have access to transitional beds. These staffed
homes will include intensive case management,
treatment aftercare, vocational assessment,
training, and mentoring. After completing this
phase, they will then receive rental assistance and
landlord incentives to offset rents as they
transition into their own homes.
Why Spend Scarce Resources on
Criminals?
•
Nationally, more than 650,000 people are released from state
prisons and an estimated nine million are released from jails
each year.
•
In the United States, the number of people being released
from prison has increased 350% over the last 20 years. During
this same time, the number of people who are homeless has
swelled dramatically, to the current level of up to 850,000 on
any given day.
•
More than 10% of those going in and out of prisons and jails are
homeless before their incarceration and 49% of homeless
adults have reportedly spent five or more days in a jail over
their lifetime.
•
Locally in 2007, Spokane County Jail released 20,782 people,
while another 5,000 were released from Geiger Corrections
Center. The Department of Corrections released 843 prisoners
into Spokane County.
•
Shelter use, both before incarceration and after release, is
associated with an increased risk of return to prison or jail.
Studies show that this risk of going back to jail increases by 1723% if homeless.
What is the CREST Team
SHARPP is a collaborative program. It consists of a
project team, called the Community Re-entry
Service Team or CREST. Its mission is to provide
wrap-around and coordinated supportive
mainstream services. This new team includes a
Housing Resource Specialist from Volunteers of
America; Program Manager and Employment
Specialists from Goodwill Industries; Community
Development Specialist from Spokane County; and
additional support for transitional housing through
Transitions and Volunteers of America. The
Responsible Renter Program from Transitions will
be used and actually is taught within several
institutions.
Role of Volunteers of America
•
Housing Resource Specialist
− CREST team member
− Housing referrals to all clients
− Administers Tenant Based Rental Assistance and Landlord
Incentives
•
Maud’s House North and South
− Transitional Homes with six beds for men in each
− Staffed with on-site residential advisors and House Manager
− Myriad of services provided at home in order for clients to
successfully transition into community
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Treatment aftercare management
AA/NA meetings
Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT)
Responsible Renter Certification classes
Living Skills
Vocational training and mentoring while in transitional phase
Roles of Transitions for Women
• Administer and provide certificates for
Responsible Renter Certification
curriculum
• Provide Transitional Housing Units for
single women and women with children
• CREST team member
• Provide instructor to teach Responsible
Renter curriculum within Geiger, Eleanor
Chase, Women’s Hearth and other
institutions
Roles of Goodwill Industries
• CREST team member
• Evaluate vocational assessments from
incarcerated applicants
• Provide vocational assessments, training, and
mentoring to clients exiting incarceration
• Provide MRT & Vocational classes
• Pays for bus passes, food handlers cards, birth
certificates, ID, driver’s license
Roles of Spokane County
• Project Coordinator
• CREST team member
• Assessment of potential clients
• Case Management for Transitional Housing
Clients
• Measurement and Evaluation of Project
• HMIS input for homeless people exiting
institutions
Other important partners and
colleagues of SHARPP
•
Spokane County Jail and Geiger Corrections
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City of Spokane Human Services Department – Homeless
Management Information System (HMIS)
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Department of Corrections – Community Justice Center
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Eleanor Chase and Brownstone Work Release Center
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Spokane County Prosecutors, County & City Public Defenders,
Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Spokane Courts
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Washington State Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA)
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DSHS
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Pioneer Services/Spokane Residential Re-Entry Center
Current Status
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Five staffed transitional homes
− Two -Single men – two 6 bed –
− Single women – 2 beds
− Woman with children – 1 apartment
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Teaching Responsible Renter Program Curriculum in transitional
homes, Geiger Correctional Facility, Eleanor Chase House,
Brownstone W/R, Spokane County Jail and Goodwill
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Vocational assessments, training, and mentoring at Goodwill
for all homeless people exiting incarceration
•
Housing referrals and assistance, along with applicable
landlord incentives to all applicants
•
Tenant-based rental assistance to people successfully exiting
transitional houses
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TBRA Lite – for those programming but not going through
transitional houses
How does it work?
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A person commits a crime, is sentenced, and finds themselves
incarcerated without a house to go home to.
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This person becomes aware of the SHARPP program and asks for an
initial application
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A meeting within the institution is scheduled with the applicant and
members of the CREST team, whereupon in-depth application and
assessment material is provided
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Person starts the Responsible Renter Program (RRP) and Moral
Reconation Therapy (MRT)
•
Assessments are scored and applicant is placed on appropriate housing
lists
•
Person is staffed by CREST - placed on housing lists, Goodwill lists
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Person exits incarceration, either to transitional home or elsewhere.
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Re-entry process starts, vocational training at Goodwill, housing
resources provided upon completion of RRP.
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Upon completion of RRP, MRT progress, job, savings, and time at
transitional houses is eligible for Tenant Based Rental Assistance.
FUTURE DIRECTION
For more information
Spokane County Community Services, Housing
and Community Development Department
Julie Driscoll
SHARPP Program Coordinator
312 West Eighth Avenue, Fourth Floor
Spokane, WA 99204
(509) 477-4516
Fax: (509) 477-2561
[email protected]