Improving Access to Mainstream Services for Chronically Homeless Persons, Including Individuals with

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Improving Access to Mainstream Services for
Chronically Homeless Persons, Including
Individuals with Serious Mental Health and/or
Substance Abuse ProblemsOVERVIEW

• Jointly Sponsored by
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• and
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

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What is the Focus of the Policy Academy?

• Enhancing integration among systems providing
  mainstream services for homeless persons
• Identifying and sharing evidence-based practices
• Identifying and coordinating resources

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What is a Policy Academy?

• Process, not an event
• Technical assistance to help decision makers
• Think through policy options
• Make existing systems and programs more effective
  and coordinated and/or
• Design and implement new systems and programs

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Whats Involved in a Policy Academy?

• Academy Stages
• Pre-Academy work(including application and
  in-State meeting)
• Formal Policy Academy meeting
• Post-Academy implementation of Action Plan
  including provision of technical assistance and
  periodic progress reports
• National conference to share progress, best
  practices, and lessons learned

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Why a Policy Academy?

• Promote strategic planning
• Provide opportunities to learn from other State
  experiences
• Establish/reinforce dialogue
• Build consensus and plan for change

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Purpose of this Academy

• For your team to develop a State-wide policy
  initiative (Action Plan) that can be
  realistically implemented in your State to
  increase access to mainstream services for
  chronically homeless persons and to enhance the
  coordination of services with housing.

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Participant States
Academy II Colorado Michigan Georgia New
Hampshire Hawaii New York Maine Puerto
Rico
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General Team Composition

• Senior-level policymakers from State agencies
• State legislators
• Local, county, or city-level government
  representatives
• Regional health and human service officials
• State/local advocates

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Key Leaders from MainstreamPrograms and Services

• Governors Office
• Medicaid
• Mental Health Treatment Systems
• Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Systems
• Health Promotion and Treatment Systems
• State-level Homeless Services Administrators or
  Continuum-of-Care Contacts
• Head Start/Project Directors

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Potential Outcome(s)

• Executive Order(s)
• Legislation
• Budget proposals/funding mechanisms
• Interagency agreements (Memoranda of
  Understanding Agreement)

• Informal partnerships
• Rules or regulations
• Program standards/ guidelines (licensure
  requirements)
• Task forces/Committees
• Other

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Pre-Academy Meeting Objectives

• Discuss the Policy Academy format
• Familiarize teams with the action planning
  process
• Identify key components of a comprehensive
  integrated service system
• Begin work on vision statement and reality
  assessment