Transcript Keeping Families Together Bidder’s Conference May 4, 2015 Department of Children and Families (DCF) • Created in July 2006 • First Cabinet-level Department devoted exclusively to.

Keeping Families
Together
Bidder’s Conference
May 4, 2015
Department of Children and Families (DCF)
• Created in July 2006
• First Cabinet-level Department devoted
exclusively to serving and safeguarding
children and families
• Ensure the safety, well-being and
success of children, youth, families and
communities
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Department of Children and Families (DCF)
Four Major Operating Divisions:
Child Protection and Permanency
Children's System of Care
Family and Community Partnerships
Women
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Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P)
• Formerly the Division of Youth and Family
Services (DYFS)
• Investigates allegations of child abuse and
neglect and addresses child welfare
concerns
• Child Abuse Hotline (State Central
Registry) operates 24-hours a day, 7-days
a week.
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Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P)
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Local
Offices
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Area
Offices
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Most Families Do Not Return to CP&P
within One Year
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Some Families Return to CP&P
Over and Over
• Frequently Encountered Families (FEF)
are the small number of families that
return to CP&P three or more times within
a 12-month period
• These families have multiple, complex
needs and require a large amount of
resources.
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NJ’s FEFs Have Higher Rates of BOTH
Caregiver Substance Abuse / Inadequate Housing
New Cases Referred to Child Protection & Permanency (n=25,345)
between 11/1/12 – 10/31/13 and followed for 12 months
Caregiver Substance Abuse
Inadequate Housing
60.0%
25.0%
50.0%
52.2%
20.0%
19.1%
40.0%
One Referral
30.0%
35.4%
15.0%
Two Referrals
3+ Referrals
Two Referrals
10.0%
9.6%
20.0%
10.0%
16.1%
One Referral
3+ Referrals
5.0%
3.7%
0.0%
0.0%
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Background
• Keeping Families Together (KFT) pilot in
NYC was identified as a promising practice.
With supportive housing and dedicated case
management in place, the KFT evaluation
found:
– 90% of the families remained housed
– 61% of the child welfare cases closed in an
average of 10 months after move-in
– 100% of children returned to their families from
foster care and stayed with their families
– Roughly 63% had no further involvement with the
child welfare system
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Background
• In 2012, the Administration for Children,
Youth, and Families awarded five-year grants
to five demonstration sites across the country
to test supportive housing as a child welfare
intervention on a wider scale.
• DCF applied but was not awarded a grant.
• Committed to bring the KFT model to NJ and
have been able to do so through a number of
partnerships including the Department of
Community Affairs.
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Program Overview
• Funding (DCF) and housing vouchers (DCA)
will be used to support a permanent
supportive housing program for CP&P
involved families confronting homelessness
or housing instability.
• One award will be granted to serve families in up
to two adjacent counties in southern NJ
including: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape
May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and/or Salem.
• Trauma-informed, evidence-supported services
must be integral components of the model
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Family Identification
• CP&P Local Office, in partnership with
service provider
• Indicators of need:
– CP&P Involvement: child(ren) at risk of placement
OR in out-of-home placement and deemed ready
for reunification with housing as the only barrier
– Long-term or repeat pattern of homelessness
and/or housing instability
– Persistent co-occurring challenges/high service
needs
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Housing First Principles
• Consumer-driven and client-centered
• Flexible in response to individual service
preferences
• Team-based
• Cultural competence
• Recovery-oriented
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Housing
• Must have concrete plan to access 25 affordable
housing units for a 15 year period in your
proposed county(ies)
• Must be able to demonstrate that the housing
units can be secured and ready for
lease/sublease within 90 days following an
award.
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Housing
• Should be safe and affordable
• Families hold the lease/sublease
• Tenure in housing is not contingent upon
participation in service
• Consumers must contribute 30% of their
adjusted gross income towards rent
• Housing vouchers will be administered by DCA
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Case Management and Supportive
Services
• Assist with housing identification, application,
move-in, and furnishing
• Ensure families maintain stability and maximize
tenure in housing through ongoing housing
support services such as:
–
–
–
–
•
Life skills training
Financial literacy training
Preventing lease violations
Active communication and mediation of conflicts with
landlord
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Case Management and Supportive
Services
• Work with families to development and implement
a family-based service plan
• Navigate, facilitate access to, and advocate for
needed services and supports
• Coordinate services and systems at a local level
for families with multiple challenges
• Develop and/or enhance partnerships with CP&P,
community agencies, and local services systems
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Team
• Interdisciplinary approach – including
clinical supervision and case managers
• Role of Team:
– Build trusting relationships to engage families
and be seen as a source of support
– Build a network of supports within program,
tenants, and community
– Advocate on behalf of families and adopt a
“whatever it takes” attitude
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Evaluation
• Expected to monitor and report on housing
stability, child wellbeing, caregiver
wellbeing, family functioning, and
achievement of identified service plan goals
• Long term outcomes to be measured
include:
– Decreased involvement with the child welfare
system
– Increased housing stability
– Improvement in caregiver outcomes
– Improvement in child wellbeing
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Funding Information
• Up to $500,000 in annualized funding for
case management
• Up to 25 Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers
• $140,000 in funding for specific client
assistance as defined in the RFP
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Clarifications to RFP
The following slides describe AMENDMENTS to
the RFP. Please note that your application
must comply with any changes in program
requirements.
These changes will also be posted in the Q & A
document released following this bidders
conference.
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Housing Vouchers
Vouchers available in this RFP through the New
Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA)
will be twenty-five (25) 15-year Section 8 ProjectBased Vouchers.
The awardee for this program is expected to have
a concrete plan to access 25 affordable housing
units in their proposed county (ies) for a 15 year
period.
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language on pages 4, 22, and 29 is
revised to say:
“Applicants who do not currently own the proposed
housing units must attach an agreement or
documentation signed by the current owner that
includes the number of units that will be made
available through a 10 15 year memorandum of
understanding or master lease, the rental rates for
those units, and statement indicating that the
agreement is contingent upon award of funding.”
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language on page 7 is revised to
say:
“The housing units must meet HUD Housing
Quality Standards as set forth in 24 CFR 982.401
and the Housing Quality Standards set forth in
N.J.A.C. 5:42-3.1 (2014), and must comply with
the cap on the number of project-based assisted
units per building as outlined in N.J.A.C. 5:42-5.1
(2014) must comply with Section 8 rules as set
forth in 24 CFR and the DCA Administrative Plan.”
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language on page 7 is revised to
say:
“Rent Gross tenant housing cost must be no
greater than the Fair Market Rent (FMR) Payment
Standard indicated by the New Jersey Department
of Community Affairs Housing Choice Voucher
Program.”
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language on page 7 is revised to
say:
“The awarded provider will demonstrate that they
have identified a landlord(s) that will enter into a 10
15 year memorandum of understanding or master
lease agreement for a combined total of 25 units.”
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language has been added to page 7:
“The design, construction, appearance, physical
integrity, and maintenance of the housing units
provide an environment that is attractive, safe,
sustainable, functional, appropriate for the
surrounding community, and conducive to tenants’
stability and community integration. Housing units
must pass an initial, and annual, HUD housing
quality standards inspection conducted by DCA
staff.”
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language on page 8 is revised to
say:
“The SRAP vouchers Section 8 Project-Based
Vouchers dedicated to this program are projectbased. As such, they are tied to specific housing
units and cannot travel with clients will contain a
mobility component which allow households to
relocate with assistance, and allow a reissue of a
housing subsidy for another household selected to
move into the vacated housing unit.”
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language on page 8 is revised to
say:
“Consumers will be required to contribute
approximately 30% of their adjusted gross income
towards the rent.”
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Clarifications to RFP
The following language on page 8 has been
removed:
• “Consumers will also be required to register with
the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development, and adhere to their resulting
Employability Development Plan.”
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RFP Inquiries
Deadline for questions and inquiries:
TODAY, May 4, 2015
by midnight
Email:
[email protected]
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RFP Submission
Deadline for receipt of proposals:
June 29, 2015
by 12:00 PM
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Questions
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Additional Information
More information on Keeping Families
Together can be found on the
Corporation for Supportive Housing’s
website at: http://www.csh.org/
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