Transcript Document

Preparing for Lease
Up: Staff Training
for Successful
MHSA Supportive
Housing Operations
MHSA Operations TA Call
January 5, 2011
Anne Cory, CSH
www.csh.org
Staff Attitudes and Expectations
Ensure that staff members understand your
target population:
– Understanding mental illness
– The impact of the homeless experience
– Understanding substance abuse
– The services needs of special populations
served in supportive housing
 Establishing a professional relationship with
tenants
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Staff Attitudes and Expectations
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Education on Supportive Housing principles:
Housing First, Voluntary Services
– Housing is a choice, not a placement
– Housing is a person’s home, not a residential
treatment program
– People have a right to safe, affordable housing
– All tenants hold property leases and have the full
rights and obligations of tenancy
– Participation in services is voluntary and not a
condition of tenancy
– User friendly services driven by tenant needs and
individual goals
Staff Attitudes and Expectations
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Education on Supportive Housing principles:
Consumer Driven
– Consumers are active community members
– Tenants are involved in planning and program
design, services implementation, evaluation and
policy development
– Tenants are encouraged to make lifestyle choices
even though they may conflict with the provider’s
preferences
– Leadership development and skills training is
offered
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Staff Attitudes and Expectations
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Education on Supportive Housing principles:
Harm Reduction
– People deserve safe, affordable housing
regardless of their special needs
– Services aim to help people reduce the harm
caused by their special needs, such as substance
abuse, mental illness or health-related
complications
– Services focus on helping tenants stay housed by
assisting with the management of problems that
interfere with their ability to meet the obligations of
tenancy, such as paying rent
Staff Attitudes and Expectations
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Assessing staff and organizational readiness:
– Alignment of Supportive Housing principles with
agency mission, goals, values
– Organizational policies and management
practices – are changes needed?
– Staff skill sets
– Involvement of Board, staff and other
stakeholders in planning for PSH
– Communication structures
Key Training Topics for ALL
Staff in Supportive Housing
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Fair Housing Law
Reasonable Accommodation
Confidentiality and the security of tenant
information
Safety policies and procedures
Tenants Rights and Responsibilities
Organization Training: Policies and
Procedures, Grievance Process
Record Keeping and Documentation
Key Training Topics
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Applicable local, state, federal laws, regulations
and standards
MHSA Housing Program guidelines
Compliance with funder requirements
If project has a Capitalized Operating Subsidy
Reserve, guidelines for the COSR
Key Training Topics in
Property Management
– Application and Screening process
– Reasonable Accommodation
– Lease Enforcement and Rent Collection
– Tenant File Maintenance and Record Keeping
– Eviction Prevention/Problem Solving
– Eviction Procedures
– Building and Tenant Security
– Physical Plant: Maintenance, Janitorial
Services, Pest Control
– Move-Out and Unit Turnaround Procedures
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Components of Property
Management
Maintenance
Tenant Selection
Fiscal
Management
Operations
Fair Housing
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Key Training Topics in
Supportive Services
– Outreach and Engagement strategies
– Harm Reduction
– Motivational Interviewing
– Crisis intervention/de-escalation
– Making effective referrals to meet tenant
needs
– Effective service coordination
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Training to Support Coordination
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Staff should be oriented about the mission,
philosophy and goals of the supportive housing
program and the MOU among the
organizations.
Orientation of services staff to property
management/property management staff to
supportive services.
Joint training on policies and procedures.
Communication structures between PM and SS
Record keeping and documentation
Roles and Coordination
 Areas of Overlap Between Property
Management and Supportive Services
 Intake: Tenant Selection and Interviewing
 Orientation of Incoming Tenants
 Rent Payment and Arrears
 Dealing with Disruptive Behaviors
 Procedures in Crisis
 Tenant Grievance Procedures
 Tenant Council Support
 Community Building
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Keep Lines of
Communication Open
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Understand
each
other’s
roles
and
responsibilities
Understand the program and funding source
missions and goals (why are you all here?)
Schedule regular meetings to discuss
policies, procedures, and resolve conflict
Establish clear decision making process and
clear lines of authority within and between
property management and social services
Provide joint training and retreats for team
building
Activities to Supplement Training
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Job Descriptions
Employee Orientation
Supervision
Peer-to-Peer Mentoring and Support
Performance Reviews
Assessments
Incentives
Resources for staff training:
(all available on CSH website)
 Seven Dimensions of Quality
for Permanent Supportive
Housing
 Supportive Housing Training
Series (HUD Publications)
 Coordination of Property
Management and Supportive
Services in Permanent
Supportive Housing: Self
Assessment Tool
www.csh.org