[00:00:01]
TO GO.[CALL TO ORDER]
MEETING OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.THE TIME IS 10:01 AM ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5TH, 2024.
WE ARE HERE IN THE CITY HALL BOARD AND COMMISSIONS ROOM.
UM, WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR JUNE MEETING AND A SPECIAL WELCOME TO OUR INTERNS FOR OUR DISTRICT TWO OFFICE.
NADIA AND BELLA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE AGENDA.
WE HAVE A PACKED COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, JOINING US TODAY, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CORY VIRTUALLY.
UM, HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER SOON.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ COULD NOT BE HERE WITH US TODAY.
SO, AS FAR AS THE AGENDA REVIEW, WE'RE GONNA START OUT WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
THEN WE'RE GONNA APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING.
FROM THERE, WE WILL RECEIVE A QUICK BRIEFING FROM THE HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON HEAT SAFETY PREPAREDNESS.
WE JUST HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THIS, UH, THIS WEEK.
AND SO THIS, IT IS VERY TIMELY FOR US IN THIS SUMMER HEAT WAVE THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
AND, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES FOR THAT BRIEFING.
THEN WE WILL HAVE A BRIEFING ON THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS HUB.
WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES FOR THAT BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
AFTER THAT, WE'LL HAVE DAVID GRAY JOIN US FOR A BRIEFING ON ISSUES RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS.
UH, FOR THAT BRIEFING, WE HAVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES ALLOTTED.
THEN WE WILL RECEIVE A FOURTH BRIEFING, A FOURTH, THIRD, OUR THIRD BRIEFING, UH, FOR ON THE BLACK MEN'S HEALTH CLINIC.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES DEDICATED FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
AND FINALLY, OUR FIFTH BRIEFING, UH, WILL BE ON THE BEST SINGLE SOURCE PLUS COLLABORATIVE WORK TO, UH, RELATED TO THE PROVISION OF HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RAPID REHOUSING EFFORTS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, A PACKED AGENDA FOR US TODAY.
ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? ALL RIGHT.
SO WE WILL START WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, JUANITA, DO WE HAVE ANYONE REGISTERED? WE HAVE ONE SIGN UP, ANDY BROWER IF YOU ARE HERE.
IF NOT, THAT'S THE ONLY SPEAKER.
[Approval of Minutes]
FROM THERE, WE'LL NOW MOVE TO THE APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM APRIL 3RD.CAN I GET A MOTION? COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MARZO CADRE.
UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS, WE WILL CONSIDER THOSE MEETING MINUTES FROM APRIL 3RD ADOPTED.
[6. Briefing on heat safety preparedness and cooling centers.]
ALL RIGHT.WE WILL NOW WELCOME DIRECTOR OF HE SSIM KEN SNIPES, FOR A VERY BRIEF UPDATE ON THE CITY'S HEAT SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS, AS WELL AS OUR COOLING CENTERS.
MR. SNIPES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY, AND TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PREPARING FOR THIS VERY HOT SUMMER.
UH, IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY.
MY NAME IS KEN SNI, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN'S HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
UM, AND HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT, UH, AND ONGOING, UH, HEAT PREPARATIONS AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT.
UH, AS YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN, IT HAS BEEN PRETTY HOT ALREADY, UH, THIS YEAR.
THE FIRST, UH, DAY OF SUMMER IS, UH, JUNE 20TH, BUT WE'VE BEEN WELL INTO OUR SUMMER, UH, WEATHER FOR, UH, OVER A MONTH NOW.
UH, GOING BACK TO, UH, MAY WE KNOW THAT, UH, ALREADY THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD 123, UH, HEAT RELATED VISITS TO AUSTIN AREA HOSPITALS IN COMPARISON TO, UH, 2023.
WE ONLY HAD 48 OF THOSE VISITS DURING THE SAME TIMEFRAME.
SO, UH, MORE THAN DOUBLE, ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MANY VISITS THIS YEAR.
UH, AND THAT IS A RESULT OF PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OR BEING, UH, OUT IN THE HEAT, UM, AND NOT, UH, NECESSARILY FOLLOWING SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY.
UH, IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PREPARED, UH, WE WANNA ASK PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO HYDRATE, UH, MAKE SURE IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE, UH, IN THE WEATHER, THAT YOU TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS.
UM, MORE, UH, INFORMATION ON THAT CAN BE FOUND.
UH, ON OUR, ON OUR, UM, REGARDING THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY, UM, JUNE 4TH ON AT TXN.
UM, WE ALSO ARE TRACKING TRENDS NOW THAT WE HAVEN'T TRACKED BEFORE.
ONE OF THOSE TRENDS THAT HAS COME OUT, UH, AND AND SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN POINT TO PRETTY REGULARLY, IS THAT WHEN TEMPERATURES OR THE HEAT INDEX ARE ABOVE 100 DEGREES FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS IN A ROW, THERE TENDS TO BE AN INCREASE OR AN UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES THAT IS AS A RESULT OF THE BODY NOT HAVING, UH, ENOUGH TIME TO REACCLIMATE AND COOL OFF BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH THE REST OF OUR ACTIVITIES.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE IF YOU ARE WORKING OR EVEN IF YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, WHEN, UH, THESE TYPES OF TEMPERATURES ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE HAPPENING.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND BE CAUTIOUS WITH RESPECT TO RELIEF.
UH, CITY FACILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR COOLING CENTERS.
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OUR LIBRARIES.INDOOR PARK FACILITIES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE DURING OUR NORMAL HOURS.
COOLING CENTERS ARE MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY, UH, A A TEMPORARY REPEAT REPRIEVE FOR HEAT FOR ANYONE WHO MAY NEED THEM.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WHEN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING, WE WILL ALSO EXTEND THE HOURS OF THOSE FACILITIES, UH, AS WELL.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEFING.
AND SO I'M GLAD YOU, YOU TOUCHED ON WHEN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING, THAT'LL BE THE TRIGGER IN OUR CITY'S PROTOCOL.
AND EXTENDING THE HOURS AT THE LIBRARIES AND REC CENTERS, UM, WHICH ARE SERVING AS COOLING CENTERS FOR OUR, OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, ANY, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US THE EXTENSION OF HOURS, WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE? IT VARIES BY FACILITY.
UH, AND THEN, UH, GENERALLY, UH, OR SOMETIMES IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS, DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE HEAT, UH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE, UH, FACILITIES AND THEN THE LOCATION.
UH, SOME OF THEM ARE, UH, DRIVEN BY, UM, HOW MANY STAFF WE CAN GET AND WHAT THE PIVOT LOOKS LIKE, UH, WHEN WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO COME IN.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW AND WHAT THE TEAMS HAVE BEEN DOING IS, UH, PAYING MUCH CLOSER ATTENTION TO THE FORECAST SO THAT WE WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE THOSE FACILITIES AVAILABLE AND GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC EARLIER.
UH, AND I THINK LAST YEAR THAT WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL, UH, ON THE DAYS THAT WE DID EXTEND THE HOURS.
AND AS FAR AS GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT EARLIER, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE COOLING CENTERS? I KNOW NOW WE HAVE THE OASIS, WHICH IS A, A NEWER COOLING CENTER THAT'S BEEN STOOD UP.
HOW, HOW ARE WE DOING THE OUTREACH? TYPICALLY, THE OUTREACH IS HAPPENING THROUGH MANY OF OUR REGULAR CHANNELS.
I, I KNOW AT HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, WE HELP SUPPORT SOME OF THAT, UH, INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE.
WE ALSO POINT, UH, PEOPLE TO, UH, EITHER THEIR, THEIR NORMAL, UH, NEWS OUTLETS OR AGENCIES AS WELL, UH, OR ANY OF THE CITY AGENCIES THAT ARE SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS.
UH, THEY GENERALLY, UH, HOST THAT INFORMATION.
UM, ARE WE USING THE TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE? I KNOW THAT WE DID THAT, UH, DURING THE SEVERE, UH, WINTER WEATHER, WE SENT A TEXT MESSAGE.
I BELIEVE THAT IS A SERVICE THAT THE HOMELESS SERVICES OFFICE USES TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THEY HAVE USED THAT, UH, AS A REGULAR TOOL.
AND MY ASSUMPTION, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR, UH, DIRECTOR GRAY MM-HMM.
COLLEAGUES, ANY QUESTIONS? APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
AND, AND REAL QUICK, ONE LAST QUESTION, SORRY, ON MY END.
UM, FOR CITY WORKERS, WHAT IS OUR PROTOCOL? I KNOW LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE HAD FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION STAFF WHO ARE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, FIXING OUR ROADS AND, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE IN THE HEAT.
UM, WHAT TYPE OF PRECAUTIONS OR PROTOCOLS DO WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR EMPLOYEES? GREAT QUESTION.
UM, MANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS ARE, UM, PUTTING PLANS TOGETHER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BREAKS.
THEY'RE REMINDING PEOPLE TO HYDRATE.
UH, I KNOW THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS LAST YEAR THAT SHIFTED SOME OF THE WORK, UH, THAT WOULD TYPICALLY OCCUR DURING THE HOTTER, UM, TIMEFRAMES OF THE DAY TO EARLIER IN THE MORNING.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT WERE ALSO SOME SHIFT CHANGES, UH, FOR SOME DEPARTMENTS AS WELL THAT MOVE SOME OF THEIR WORK TO OVERNIGHT.
SO, UH, DEPARTMENTS ARE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS AS WELL AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT OUR, OUR STAFF AS WELL.
YOU, THANK YOU DIRECTOR SNIPES FOR JOINING US.
[2. Briefing on the Community Health Workers Hub.]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS CLUB HUB, EXCUSE ME, CLUB.IT IS KIND OF LIKE A CLUB
UM, AND OUR LOVELY A PH PROGRAM SUPERVISOR WILL BE JOINING US IS STEFANI OLIVARES.
AND, UH, WE, WE APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.
UH, MY NAME IS ESTE VARS AND I AM ONE OF THE PROGRAM SUPERVISORS WITH THE HEALTH EQUITY UNIT AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND I WEAR MANY HATS AND UNDER ALL HATS I GET TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, WHICH IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE.
SO, HERE TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN GENERAL AND THE GREAT WORK WE'RE DOING WITH THE HUB.
SO CAN I ASK, WHO KNOWS WHAT A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER IS? OR MAYBE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, IF YOU KNEW WHAT A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER IS ONE.
AND THEN PANDEMIC HIT, AND THEN WE KNOW, WE KNOW.
SO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS HAVE BEEN HERE.
I WON'T GO TOO MUCH INTO IT 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M TALKING TO THE RIGHT FOLKS HERE.
BUT, UM, THEY DID START, OR RATHER THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE AS RECOGNIZED AS VOLUNTEERS.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN NOW IS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE IT OFFICIALLY AS A OFFICIAL TITLE.
AS OF RECENTLY, WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, UM, AS A TITLE IN A CAREER PROGRESSION LADDER.
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I WILL SAY THAT THEY ARE, AS ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS PUT IT, UH, MS. CYNTHIA WASHINGTON, IS THAT THEY ARE THE SECRET SAUCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH.SO THEY ARE THE TRUSTED MESSENGERS, THE GATEKEEPERS, THE INFLUENCERS, UH, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO GOT US THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, RIGHT? SO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, CHWS IN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT UTILIZES THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER MODEL.
AND, UH, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ACTUALLY, UM, ACKNOWLEDGES 190 TITLES THAT FALL UNDER COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
SO WHILE THESE PROGRAMS HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN TITLE, UM, STAFF EMPLOYED, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT ROLES THAT ALSO OPERATE UNDER THE SPIRIT OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
FOR EXAMPLE, PA, PATIENT NAVIGATOR, UM, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO HERE I'M JUST HIGHLIGHTING THAT, BUT PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SPIRIT OF CH HW IS SEEN IN, IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, SO STARTING WITH QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, WE HAVE A TEAM OF THREE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THERE.
THEY'RE PAIRED WITH PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES.
THEY'RE THE ONES CONDUCT, UM, HELPING THOSE NURSE CONDUCT THE SCREENINGS WHILE THE NURSES OVER HERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SHOW UP, THEY'RE OUT THERE SAYING, HEY, DO YOU KNOW YOUR NUMBERS? NO.
SO THAT'S, UH, AND JUST, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, THEY, THEY DO A LOT MORE THAN THAT, OF COURSE.
UH, THE MATERNAL INFANT OUTREACH PROGRAM, THAT'S, UH, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I SUPERVISE PROUDLY.
AND THAT IS A TEAM OF FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT PROVIDE, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT PRE TO PEER SUPPORT TO BLACK MOMS WHO ARE PREGNANT OR HAVE A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF ONE.
AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS TO ADDRESS THE, UH, HIGH INFANT MATERNAL AND, UH, MORTALITY RATE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE REACH AND REACH OUT.
SO COVID TO 19 HIT, OF COURSE, WE HAVE ARPA MONEY.
UM, AND ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, STAFF UP AND BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR OUTREACH.
SO REACH AND REACH OUT IS A RESULT OF THAT.
SO A TEAM OF FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, AND THEY CONDUCT STREET OUTREACH, UM, EVERY DAY.
SO THAT PROGRAM IS BY DESIGN ABLE TO HAVE THAT A PH PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, VERY INSTRUMENTAL AT THE VERY BEGINNING STILL IS, UM, JUST A SHIFT IN FOCUS.
WHEREAS BEFORE THEY HAD REALLY INTENSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COVID TO 19 VACCINE.
NOW IT'S TURNED INTO, SO HOW ARE WE ADAPTING TO LIFE AFTER COVID TO 19? COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HUB, UM, IS A, UM, THAT'S A DESIGNATION THAT WE HAVE, UH, CREATED AND, AND RECEIVED FROM THE STATE.
WE ARE A CERTIFIED TRAINING SITE BY FORMING, BY BEING A SITE.
WE HAVE FORMED THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HUB.
AND WITH THAT WE HAVE THE TRAINING COMPONENT TO IT AND THE UNIFYING CENTRAL, UM, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS OF CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, THROUGH A COALITION.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE TRAINING CAPACITY WITHIN INTERNAL AND ALSO, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY TO EITHER FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW OR WANTING TO BECOME COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
AND THEN FOR THOSE WHO ARE HOPING TO SUSTAIN THEIR CERTIFICATION AND PROVIDING CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE AS WELL.
UH, THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER, UM, NOW TRANSITION TO, UH, GRANT FUNDING.
BUT THE, THAT TEAM AND THE HEART WAS STILL THERE BEFORE.
UH, THEY DO A LOT OF GREAT CHANGES THERE.
A LOT OF GREAT WORK THERE FROM SYSTEM CHANGES TO DIRECT, UM, DIRECT CARE, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY, OR DIRECT, UM, OUTREACH.
AND, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE DIABETES CLASSES AND CHWS, THE MAGIC AND CHWS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CARB COUNTY, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, UM, BREAD OR PASTAS, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT TORTILLAS, RIGHT? SO THEY MAKE IT RELEVANT.
THEY ALSO SHOW LIKE, UH, TOSTADA AND AN ENCHILADA.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S VARIETY, EH, IS IT REALLY? SO THAT'S THE MAGIC IN THERE.
AND THEY HAVE OTHER INITIATIVES THERE WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO HELP, UM, COMMUNICATE WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO, TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH DISPARITY REDUCTION PROGRAM.
SO THAT IS THE COVID TO 19 EDUCATION BRANCH, I LIKE TO CALL IT.
SO WHILE RERO RICH CAN REACH OUT, ARE OUT THERE TALKING TO FOLKS EVERY DAY ABOUT COVID TO 19.
AND, UH, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND CONNECTING TO RESOURCES.
IF THERE'S EVER A NEED FOR MORE IN DEPTH INFORMATION OR EDUCATION ON THAT, LIKE AN EMPLOYER MAYBE WANTS TO JUST LEARN ABOUT MORE.
ESPECIALLY WE WERE SEEING THAT A LOT AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
WE CALL ON THIS TEAM, THEY COME AND THEY PRESENT ON COVID-19.
SO THAT'S WHEN, UH, AND IN EFFORTS, AGAIN TO, UH, REDUCE THE DISPARITIES THAT WAS THERE PRIOR.
AND THEN EXACERBATED DURING THE PANDEMIC MOBILE VACCINE PROGRAM.
ALSO, UH, KIND OF THE SAME, UH, STYLE AS QUALITY OF LIFE AS FAR AS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS PAIRED WITH NURSES, WITH PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES.
THEY GO TO WHERE THE COMMUNITY'S AT.
SO THAT'S THEIR, THEIR JAM THERE HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND STILL IS LIVING TO THAT SPIRIT TODAY AT NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
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THEY ALSO HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN THEIR, UM, CENTERS.WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THEM.
THEY, A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO THE SERVICES LIKE, UM, MAYBE DONATIONS OR JUST OTHER NONPROFITS.
AND I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KNOW REAL QUICK AND ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH US SO THAT WE CAN, UM, SHARE THE, THE, THE LOVE OR ANY, ANY OF THE RESOURCES THAT COME THROUGH.
AGAIN, ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, FOOD PANTRY, WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO THEY DO HAVE A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, UM, THERE AND HAS DIFFERENT CHALLENGES FOR SURE, BUT STILL IN THE SPIRIT OF CONNECTING, UM, PEOPLE TO RESOURCES.
AND THEY DO A LOT OF, UH, PATIENT FOLLOW UP.
SO THEY'RE SEEN THERE AND TO ADHERE TO COME BACK FOR VACCINES.
AND ALSO DEPENDING ON THEIR, THEIR STATUS, TRYING TO CONNECT THEM TO THEIR APPROPRIATE RESOURCES.
ALRIGHT, SO CURRENT NUMBERS WE HAVE, WE HAVE NINE FTES.
TWO ARE GENERAL FUNDED AND SEVEN GRANT.
WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TWOS.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
THAT'S THE CAREER PROGRESSION LADDER.
AND WE HAVE ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER THREE, ALSO GRANT FUNDED, UH, TEMPORARIES.
WE HAVE 11, 11 CHWS, 11 CHW ONES.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S FOR A TOTAL OF 24.
AGAIN, THIS IS A TITLE TOTAL OF 24 IN TITLE AT A PHI INCLUDED THE, THE PAY GRADES IN THE, IN THE PAY RATE, BECAUSE I WAS ASKED IN A FORMAL PRESENTATION THERE.
SO JUST SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE, THE SKILLSET SET AND HOW IT'S COMPENSATED AS YOU'RE, UM, AS YOU MOVE UP AS A CHW THREE, THE BIGGEST, UH, DIFFERENCE IS THAT YOU ARE A INSTRUCTOR.
SO YOU HAVE THAT INSTRUCTOR CAPACITY THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION, UH, TO BEING A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HUB.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WE, UH, RECEIVED ONE TIME FUNDING.
IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY CATAPULT INTO THAT WORLD OF, OF TRAINING AND BE IN A TRAINING SITE.
AND, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GRADUATE.
OUR GOAL WAS TO GRADUATE 30 AND WE GRADUATED AT 32.
UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS OUR FIRST COHORT.
A LOT OF CHALLENGES TO IT AND A LOT OF GREAT SUCCESSES TO IT.
WE WERE ABLE TO PULL THROUGH AS ALWAYS.
UM, AND 30, I'M GONNA SAY 30 OF THEM WERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SO ONLY TWO WAS INTERNAL, WHICH IS REALLY NEAT TO SEE.
THAT'S TALK ABOUT BUILDING CAPACITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
RIGHT? UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL COHORT AND THAT WAS INTERNAL.
SO WE DID SOME CHANGES TO THE CURRICULUM AND DID IT A PILOT INTERNAL.
AND WE HAVE SEVEN WHO BECAME CERTIFIED.
SO GOING INTO OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTHENING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, WE CAN ONLY DO THAT OR WE DO THAT MORE EASILY, RATHER BECAUSE WE ARE DESIGNATED AS A CERTIFIED TRAINING SITE WITH THE STATE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE TRAINING ARM OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HUB, WE ALSO HAVE NOW THE COALITION, OR RATHER THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ALLIANCE OF CENTRAL TEXAS OR CHW ACT.
UM, AND THAT IS WHERE WE CONVENE ALL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS OF CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, MS. STEPHANIE THEOS IS, LEADS THAT WITH US.
AND, UM, WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A, A SETUP WHERE WE HAVE A PRESENTER TO COME OUT AND SPEAK EITHER ON THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE OR, UM, OR GETTING, COLLECTING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY NEAT TO SEE THAT GROW.
IT IS HYBRID, MEANING WE DO BRING IN PERSON AT BTC AND DOWN SOUTH OR ONLINE THROUGH ZOOM AND, UH, CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, GREAT THING THAT WE CAN DO UNDER THE DESIGNATION OF BEING A CERTIFIER CERTIFIED TRAINING SITE.
SO ONCE YOU'RE A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, YOU DO HAVE TO MAINTAIN CEUS, UH, 20 CEUS FOR EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT CEUS AND A LOT THAT ARE LACKING.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE MIGHT BE CEUS IN MATERNAL HEALTH, BUT NOT SPECIFIC TO BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH, WHICH IS, WOULD BE MORE RELEVANT TO MY TEAM.
UH, SO AS A TRAINING SITE, WE CAN ACTUALLY DEVELOP THOSE CEUS, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT, UH, FOR, TO MEET OUR TRAINING NEEDS AND ALSO TO HELP WITH, UH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR INSTRUCTORS.
THAT ACTUALLY TIES INTO THE THIRD ONE, WHICH IS A PH STRATEGIC SUPPORT.
A REALLY NEAT THING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS, UM, ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, IF THERE IS A NEED FOR TRAINING, AND WE ARE NOW, WE DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT CHWS ARE THE WAY OR THE VESSEL TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE THAT TRAINING.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THERE WE PARTNER WITH FEP, THE PREPAREDNESS TEAM AND, UM, OUR SAFETY PERSON, ALBERT ORTIZ, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A TRAINING FOR BASIC SAFETY AND DOING, CONDUCTING,
[00:20:01]
UM, OUTREACH DOOR TO DOOR.SO THERE ARE SOME PRECAUTIONARY THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD THINK OF.
UH, SO WE CREATED A TRAINING FOR THAT.
THAT'S HOW WE FORMED OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER STRIKE TEAM, WHICH IS REALLY, UH, A REALLY GREAT MODEL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING THIS YEAR.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF PLANNING AND DEPLOYING THIS WEEKEND.
UH, SO TO DO SOME MOSQUITO ABATEMENT.
SO THIS IS REALLY NEAT IN THAT WE CAN HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, UH, ON STANDBY OR RATHER HAVE THAT SKILL SET AND READY TO DEPLOY IN ANY, ANY EMERGENCY RESPONSE OR PRESSING RESPONSE.
SO THAT'S A WONDERFUL, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
YEAH, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY NEAT.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE, UM, FAST TRACK STUDIES, HIV, AND THEY APPROACHED US AND WOULD LIKE TO CREATE A CO-CREATE A COMMUNITY, UH, A CEU FOR CHWS ON HIV, BASIC AWARENESS 1 0 1.
AND THAT'S SOME TALENT THAT WE HAVE AND KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE IN HOUSE.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME WORK IN CHIV AWARENESS.
AND SO WE ARE CREATING THAT RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK AND HOPE TO HAVE THAT READY TO GO AND, UM, AND INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO ALSO BE PART OF THAT TRAINING.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS, THERE'S SOME OTHER PARTNERS THAT HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO US TO COLLABORATE, UM, ON THIS EFFORT.
UH, CENTRAL HEALTH FROM CENTRAL HEALTH TO NASHVILLE KIDNEY FOUNDATION TO, UM, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY REACHED OUT TO US ASKING, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSULTING ABOUT OUTREACH, WHICH I'M SO HAPPY TO THAT, TO, TO BE THAT POINT OF PERSON.
UM, AND TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT OUTREACH IS NOT ONLY CRITICAL, BUT THERE'S ALSO A WAY TO CONDUCT OUTREACH AND, UM, DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE IN, IN REACHING OUT TO FOLKS WHO BEEN IN THE GAME IS ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.
SO OIF FIRE ARE ACTUALLY COMING TO OUR NEXT COALITION MEETING TO PRESENT ON THEIR PROGRAM, AND ALSO COLLECTING FEEDBACK, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING TO HAVE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FOR ANY COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
AND CERTIFICATION COURSES IS WHAT I SPOKE ON AT, AT THE VERY BEGINNING, WHICH IS THE 160 HOUR.
THOSE ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND HOPE TO BE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
SO THROUGH THE TRAINING PROGRAM, THEY CAN CERTIFY.
WE ALSO HAVE HELPED, UM, CHWS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A CLASS, BUT WE'VE BEEN HELPING A LOT OF FOLKS WITH CERTIFYING BASED ON EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS GREAT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE.
SO TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN, IN BECOMING CERTIFIED IN THAT WAY HAS ALSO BEEN ANOTHER GREAT BENEFIT FROM BEING A A A C.
AND HOW MANY TRAINING, SORRY, MANY.
HOW MANY CERTIFICATIONS HAVE Y'ALL DONE BASED ON EXPERIENCE? SEVEN.
AND HOW AND HOW DO WE MARKET THAT OR PROMOTE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY? RIGHT NOW, IT'S, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE COALITION IS REALLY HAS TAKEN ON THE, THAT PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I GET CALLS OR EMAILS ALMOST DAILY ON CERTIFICATION, ON HAVING THE COURSE.
AND, UH, SO THROUGH THAT I'M ALSO ABLE TO SAY, WELL, WE HAVE THIS.
AND, UM, IF WE KNOW OF A PARTNER THAT'S PROVIDING TRAINING, WE DEFINITELY REFER TO THEM.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE
SO IT'S THROUGH THE ORGANIC OUTREACH ALREADY AND FOR TRAINING AND THEN ALSO THROUGH THE COALITION.
AS YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAYING IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS HAVE A PHD IN COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHY I'M SUCH A STRONG CHAMPION OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND I'M PLEASED TO SEE, UM, A ROBUST SUPPORT SYSTEM HERE AT THE CITY.
OF COURSE, UM, ONLY TWO OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE FUNDED BY THE CITY.
THE REST ARE EITHER TEMPORARY OR GRANT FUNDED.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER, UH, INCREASE.
AND CERTAINLY EVEN LOOKING AT THE, AND I'M SO GLAD YOU PROVIDED THE PAY SCALE.
I MEAN, JUST KNOWING THE LEVEL OF WORK THAT OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE DOING, I DON'T THINK THE PAY SCALE THAT IS PROVIDED IS, UM, IS ON PAR TO THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE AND DEDICATION.
UM, HOW OFTEN IS THE CITY PROVIDING THE, UM, THE CERTIFICATION COURSES? UH, WE HAD A CADENCE OF ONCE A YEAR.
UH, SO THE FIRST GRADUATING AND THEN THE NEXT PROVIDED, UH, THE SECOND YEAR.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING FOR A FALL ONE.
IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE, WE DO BETTER IN, WELL HAVE ANY EVALUATING PERIOD FOR ANY KIND OF PROGRAM.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THAT, WE'RE ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF HIRING A PROGRAM COORDINATOR.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S A TEAM OF ONE ME.
UM, AND I'M NOT AN INSTRUCTOR, NOR AM I-A-C-H-W.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DO HAVE INSTRUCTORS WITHIN OUR, IN OUR, UM, DEPARTMENT, AND THEY WERE REALLY THE ONES WHO GOT THIS RUNNING AND WE COULD CALL ON THEM AS WELL, BUT TO STRETCH THEM THIN AGAIN,
[00:25:01]
THEY'RE DOING.SO WE ARE HIRING FOR A PROGRAM COORDINATOR, AND RIGHT NOW IT'S SET UP AS A ONE MAN SHOW, MEANING THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME INNOVATION THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THERE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER CURRICULUMS TO SEE SOMETHING AND REALLY ERRING ON THE SIDE OF CREATING OUR OWN SOMETHING FOR AUSTIN.
SOMETHING WITH AN EQUITY LENS, UH, TO HAVE THAT.
SO THERE'S SOME, SOME BANDWIDTH THAT'S NEEDED IN THERE.
WELL, I'M GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE CREATING SOMETHING CUSTOMIZED TO AUSTIN.
'CAUSE MY NEXT QUESTION IS MM-HMM.
HOW, WHAT'S THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND HOMELESSNESS AND OUTREACH SERVICES, PARTICULARLY TO OUR OWN HOUSED POPULATION? YEAH.
SO, UM, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WORK IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS, RIGHT? UM, I CAN JUST SAY FOR AN EXAMPLE, UM, MY DREAM WOULD BE THAT EVERY EFFORT, EVERY PROJECT, EVERY DIVISION UNIT PROGRAM HAD CHW ASSOCIATED TO THEM.
FROM WITHIN A PH TO A PD AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, BUT, UH, WE, THEY DEFINITELY, CERTAINLY HAVE THE LENS JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE AN EQUITY LENS.
AND ONE WAY THAT WE'VE HAVE ADAPTED, LIKE THE REACH IN, REACH OUT RERO MM-HMM.
SO THEY PLANNED THEIR OUTREACH IN THAT COMMUNITY AND ORDERED RAINCOATS AND SOCKS AND PADS AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT ELSE, BUT THEY DID ADAPT.
THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT I DO REMEMBER.
SO INSTEAD OF CHAPSTICK THEY THOUGHT ACO MIGHT BE MORE HELPFUL.
SO THAT LENS IS WHAT IS NEEDED TO BE APPLIED TO ANY PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON IN THE CH HW TRAINING.
AND WE'RE JUST NOT FINDING THAT IN THE CUR IN THE CURRENT EXISTING CURRICULUM.
AND, AND IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE IN-HOUSE TRAINING CREATED BY, IN-HOUSE FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.
SO TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, TRAIN CHWS TO CRITICALLY THINK ABOUT WITHIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT CAN WE DO? YEAH.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD PARTICULARLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE LIKE HOW CAN WE BUILD SOMETHING OUT REGARDING OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION AND SERVICES AND OUTREACH PARTICULARLY FOR OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION.
I THINK THAT'S AN AREA OF NEED.
THE OTHER AREA OF NEED IS AROUND MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, WHAT ARE OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS DOING AROUND MENTAL HEALTH? YEAH, RIGHT NOW IT'S CONTINUING EDUCATION.
SO WE DO HAVE CONTINUING EDUCATION, UM, COURSES.
UH, WE HAVE ACCESS TO UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH HOUSTON, AND THEY'VE GRANTED ACCESS TO THEIR MENU OF COMMUNITY OF, UH, CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S IN THOSE SPURTS OF EITHER IT'S A CEU, SO AN HOUR OR TWO HOUR COURSE THAT WE DELIVER DURING THE YEAR, OR, UH, THERE IS A COMPONENT TO IT IN OUR EXISTING CURRICULUM.
UH, BUT SPEAKING TO HAVING THAT COMPONENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND IN, IN THE HOUSES, UM, COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, MY IDEA IS TO, ONCE WE HAVE BANDWIDTH TO BE ABLE TO, AND EXPERTISE SOMEONE WITH INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND SOMEONE WHO'S, UH, UNDERSTANDS POPULAR EDUCATION MODEL, FOR EXAMPLE.
ONCE WE HAVE THAT, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO BRING IN THESE CONSULTANTS, UM, SO THESE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM EACH DIVISION AND CONSULT WITH THEM AS FAR AS WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT RESOURCES, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT IS TRULY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
AND, UH, THIS CURRICULUM IS NOT JUST AN A PH EFFORT, WHICH SHOULD NEVER BE.
WE, WE, UM, IF ANYTHING, THE PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US HOW STRONGER WE ARE TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE IDEA.
YES, MA, COLLEAGUES, QUESTIONS,
[Public Communication: General]
I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT OUR, UM, OUR SPEAKER HAS ARRIVED.SO IF WE CAN HAVE ANDY BROWER JOIN US TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, WELCOME.
I'M, THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I'M THE NEIGHBORS PROGRAM MANAGER AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DOWNTOWN, EXCUSE ME.
AND I'VE WORKED IN HOMELESS SERVICES SINCE ABOUT 2018.
SO I'M, I RUN THE DAY-TO-DAY OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.
AND I ALSO CO-LEAD THE HOMELESS ADVOCACY PROJECT MEETINGS, WHICH USED TO BE THE DOWNTOWN CLUSTER MEETINGS.
SO, UM, WE BRING PARTNERS TOGETHER AND, UM, TRY TO IDENTIFY GAPS AND NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, OBVIOUSLY, AND TO ALSO, UM, ASK FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UM, DURING THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS, UM, TO KEEP A FEW THINGS IN MIND.
AND, UM, ONE OF THEM IS I, I GUESS THREE THINGS.
ONE, UM, FINDING A PLACE TO REPLACE THE MARSHALING YARD AND MAINTAIN A 300 BED SHELTER SPACE, EXPAND OR OPEN A NEW FAMILY, EXPAND CURRENT FAMILY SHELTER, OPEN
[00:30:01]
A NEW FAMILY SHELTER, AND TO CREATE A SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES PROGRAM.AND I'VE, UM, GIVEN THESE POLICY PROPOSALS TO YOUR OFFICES BEFORE, UM, THE REASON WHY I COME UP WITH THESE, UM, PROPOSALS IS, UM, REALLY THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
AND IF PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO AND FOOD TO EAT, THEY CANNOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR HEALTH AND HEALING.
UM, I WENT OVER TODAY, I LOOKED AT THE PYRAMID, UH, MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS AND THE PYRAMID AND THE BOTTOM IS PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS, HEALTH, BREATHING, FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, CLOTHING, SLEEP.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY, UH, LOVES THE IDEA OF SHELTER OR CONGREGATE SHELTER, BUT I THINK IT MEETS A GREAT NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL CON CONTINUE FUNDING IT.
UM, IT'S AN IMMEDIATE WAY TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
AND ALSO JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE MINIMUM THAT WE THINK THE CITY SHOULD DO FOR OUR HOMELESS CITIZENS? UM, I KNOW WE ALWAYS STRIVE TO DO MORE THAN THE MINIMUM, BUT MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT.
WHAT IS OUR ROLE? WHAT IS THE MINIMUM? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN ACCESS, MANY PEOPLE CANNOT ACCESS A SHELTER OR DO NOT GET CRISIS INTERVENTION.
I DON'T WORK WITH FAMILIES, BUT I'M A MOM OF THREE.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHEN I READ THESE STORIES EVERY WEEK ABOUT FAMILIES NOT HAVING SHELTER, IT BREAKS MY HEART.
JUST A FEW MAY 13TH, WE ARE WORKING WITH A FAMILY WHO HAS FOUR CHILDREN ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN THEIR CAR.
THEY'RE ALREADY ON A WAIT LIST FOR SALVATION ARMY.
MAY 15TH, AFTER THE FAMILY BECAME DISPLACED, THE MOTHER MISSED DAYS OF WORK IN HER EMPLOYER TO TERMINATED HER.
THE SON IS NOW LIVING WITH HER IN THE CAR.
MAY 17TH, 61-YEAR-OLD CLIENT WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING OUTSIDE IN HER CAR, ALL SHELTERS ARE FULL, MAY 21ST.
SHE CANNOT WALK ON HER OWN AND USE AS A KNEE SCOOTER TO GET AROUND LOOKING FOR SHELTER.
I THINK THIS SHOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE TO US FOR FAMILIES, FOR EVERYONE, BUT FOR FAMILIES.
LET'S MAKE THAT OUR TOP PRIORITY.
LET'S NOT, LET'S NOT TURN THEM AWAY.
SO THE, THE PROPOSALS I I GAVE YOU, I CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE ANOTHER ONE.
UM, AND IT GOES BACK, IT CITES REPORTS FROM 2000 BACK DATING BACK TO 2018 WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE OUR SHELTER SYSTEM, EXPAND IT TO MEET THE NEEDS, AND TO COORDINATE BETTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT, AT A MINIMUM, LET'S MAKE SURE OUR HIGHEST RISK INDIVIDUALS GET SHELTER.
UM, THE, THE, THESE ARE ONES THAT THE NAEH WEIGHED IN ON.
UM, AGAIN, WE CAN'T GET PE EXPECT PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR A JOB UNTIL THEY HAVE SOME SLEEP AND SOME STABILITY.
UM, THE OTHER PROPOSAL THAT I SENT IN WAS ON CREATING A SAFE, SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES PROGRAM LIKE DENVER HAS.
THEY HAVE EIGHT CAMPSITES AROUND THE CITY, UM, TO MEET PEOPLE'S NEEDS.
IT'S NOT IDEAL AGAIN, BUT IT'S REALITY.
PEOPLE ARE CAMPING THROUGHOUT THEIR CITY.
THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE CAMPING DESPITE THE CAMPING BAND.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT OR FAIR TO TELL PEOPLE TO MOVE, THROW AWAY THEIR BELONGINGS SOMETIMES, AND THEN LITERALLY HAVE NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.
ANYWAY, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OR AFTER I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THE MATERIALS.
I JUST ASKED MY TEAM AND THEY EMAILED IT TO, OR THEY SENT IT TO ME AS WELL.
SO I, I WILL REVIEW THE PROPOSALS.
[3. Briefing on Issues Related to Homelessness.]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT BRIEFING ON ISSUES RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS.WILL DAVID GRAY WILL BE LEADING THIS BRIEFING AND UPDATE, AND THIS IS FOCUSED ON A, THE MARSHALLING YARD EMERGENCY SHELTER UPDATE.
WELCOME MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ALSO, JOINING ME TODAY IS GARY P*****K.
HE LEADS OUR POLICY AND PLANNING UNIT.
UM, AND ON DAYS THAT I'M OUT, GARY TYPICALLY SERVES AS ACTING HSO, SO I ASKED HIM TO BE HERE WITH ME TODAY, UH, TO HELP ME THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
SO TODAY WE WANT TO GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON THE MARSHALING YARD.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, MARSHALING YARD IS A TEMPORARY SHELTER THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR.
UM, AS OF, UH, MAY 1ST, WE SERVED 755 CLIENTS AT THE MARSHAL YARD.
AND, UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, OUR CLIENTS WHO ARE HERE GET ACCESS TO A SUITE OF SERVICES, UH, INCLUDING THREE MEALS A DAY, DAILY TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM, UH, APPOINTMENTS OR, UH, FREQUENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE HAVE AN ONSITE ANIMAL SHELTER, ONSITE SHOWERING FACILITIES, UH, ET CETERA.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE THAT OUR WEEKLY CENSUS REMAINS PRETTY HIGH, UH, ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT THE SHELTER IS FULL OR NEARLY FULL.
UH, ANY BEDS THAT ARE ARE VACANT ARE TYPICALLY BEDS THAT WE'RE EITHER HOLDING FOR PEOPLE THAT OUR STREET OUTREACH TEAM IS GONNA BRING IN THE NEXT DAY.
UH, MAY BE A RESPITE BED THAT WE'RE HOLDING FOR CLIENTS WHO NEED THAT SERVICE OR AN A DA BED.
UH, BUT BY AND LARGE, THE SHELTER REMAINS FULL ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT.
UH, THIS IS JUST A RECAP OF OUR OUTCOMES.
[00:35:01]
TO GET UPDATED DATA SINCE WE LAST MET, BUT WHEN WE LAST MET A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND TALKED ABOUT MARSHING YARD, UH, WE HAD ABOUT A 20% POSITIVE EXIT RATE.UH, I BELIEVE THIS HAS GONE UP A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT NEXT TIME WE MEET TO TALK ABOUT MARSHING YARD, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE UPDATED DATA AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR YOU.
THE BIG UPDATE THAT WE WANTED TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY FOCUSES ON OUR PLANS FOR WINDING DOWN THE OPERATIONS AT THE MARSH YARD.
UH, SO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MADAM CHAIR, AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, COUNCIL AUTHORIZED AN EXTENSION OF THE MARSHAL YARD THROUGH THE END OF MARCH, 2025.
UM, COUNCIL ALSO DIRECTED US TO RETURN AND PROVIDE A ROADMAP, UH, FOR HOW WE ARE PLANNING TO WIND DOWN THE SHELTER, INCLUDING WAYS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OUR SHELTER CLIENTS WITH HOUSING RESOURCES.
UH, WE, SO THE PLAN THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE, AND THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK THROUGH IN A MOMENT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHEN WE WILL CEASE INTAKES, UH, HOW WE ARE TRYING TO SET UP OUR CLIENTS FOR SUCCESS.
THE ULTIMATE GOAL HERE IS TO ENSURE NOBODY GETS RETURNED TO THE STREETS.
UH, WHEN POSSIBLE, WE'RE GONNA MOVE PEOPLE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING OR HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.
WE MIGHT MOVE PEOPLE INTO SHELTER, UH, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO RETURN ANYBODY TO THE STREETS, UH, UNLESS THAT CLIENT DECIDES TO REJECT EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE GIVE THEM.
AND THEN THEY, THEY SELF-SELECT TO RETURN TO UNSHELTERED, UM, HOMELESSNESS.
SO, IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST TOUCH ON THIS QUICKLY.
SO CURRENTLY WE'RE STILL IN NORMAL INTAKE OPERATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE NOT SHIFTED OUR INTAKE PROCEDURES, HOWEVER, WE ARE MODIFYING HOW WE DO OUR CASE MANAGEMENT DELIVERY.
UH, PART OF THE COUNCIL DIRECTION WAS FOR US TO WORK WITH ENDEAVORS AND A LOCAL PROVIDER TO INCREASE LOCAL CASE MANAGEMENT AT THE SHELTER.
UH, AND SO WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SUNRISE NAVIGATION CENTER AND THE ENDEAVOR STAFF TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SUNRISE CASE MANAGERS.
UH, WE'VE EVEN CONTEMPLATED HAVING SUNRISE DO ALL THE CASE MANAGEMENT AT THE MARSHAL YARD, AND JUST HAVING ENDEAVORS FOCUS ON ACTUALLY MAINTAINING THE, THE PHYSICAL BUILDING.
UH, AND SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE PROGRESSING.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING SOME REAL TANGIBLE RESULTS FROM THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN THE DAYS AHEAD.
BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER IS WHEN WE'RE GONNA SHIFT OUR OPERATING POSTURE AT THE MARSHALLING YARD.
UH, ONCE WE GET TO SEPTEMBER 1ST, WE WILL LIMIT NEW INTAKES.
UH, THE REFERRALS WILL FOCUS ON CLIENTS WHO HAVE A, UH, VERIFIED HOUSING RESOURCE.
HOUSING RESOURCE, IN MOST CASES, MEANS THAT THE CLIENT HAS A HOUSING VOUCHER.
UH, THERE'S A UNIT THAT'S MORE OR LESS BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THAT CLIENT, AND WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THAT UNIT TO BECOME AVAILABLE.
UH, OFTENTIMES OUR OUTREACH TEAMS WILL COME ACROSS CLIENTS WHO ARE UNSHELTERED, WHO ARE ABLE TO RETURN TO FAMILY HERE IN AUSTIN OR IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
UH, THEY JUST NEED HELP GETTING BACK TO THEIR FAMILY.
UH, SO IN THOSE CASES, WHEN WE VERIFY THAT PEOPLE HAVE A STABLE LIVING PLACE TO RETURN TO, UH, WE WANNA BRING THEM INTO THE SHELTER AS WELL.
PROVIDE THEM WITH THE DIVERSION SUPPORT OR RAPID EXIT SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED, AND THEN MOVE THOSE FOLKS INTO HOUSING.
UH, TO, WHAT WE ARE NOT GONNA DO AFTER SEPTEMBER IS PROVIDE GENERAL ACCESS TO THE SHELTER, TO ANYBODY.
UH, WE'RE DOING THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE OURSELVES THE BENEFIT OF GETTING THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS, UH, WITHOUT SHIFTING OUR OPERATIONS AND SHUTTING DOWN REFERRALS, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME ON THE BACK END TO GET PEOPLE PLACED AND, AND GET PEOPLE HOUSED.
BEGINNING DECEMBER 1ST, UH, IS WHEN WE PLAN TO STOP ALL INTAKES INTO THE MARSHAL YARD AND REALLY FOCUS ON THE CLIENTS WHO ARE IN SHELTER AT THAT TIME.
UH, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT IN SEPTEMBER, WE ARE CONSIDERING, UH, BEGINNING TO RAMP DOWN OVERALL CAPACITY AT THE MARSHAL YARD.
WE HAVEN'T MADE THAT DETERMINATION JUST YET.
WE KIND OF WANNA SEE WHAT OUR CLIENTELE LOOKS LIKE ONCE WE GET TO THAT POINT.
UH, BUT IN DECEMBER, WE COULD STILL HAVE 300 BEDS ONLINE.
WE COULD ALSO HAVE 200 BEDS ONLINE.
WE, WE JUST NEED THE BENEFIT OF SOME MORE TIME JUST TO SEE WHAT THE NEEDS OF OUR CLIENTS ARE ONCE WE GET THERE.
BUT ANYWAY, ONCE WE GET TO DECEMBER, UH, THAT'S WHEN WE SEE SALT INTAKES.
AND THEN WE WORK IN EXCLUSIVELY ON IDENTIFYING HOUSING OR ALTERNATIVE SHELTER OPERATIONS FOR OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.
THOSE ALTERNATIVE SHELTER OPERATIONS COULD MEAN THAT WE'RE PLACING CLIENTS IN BRIDGE SHELTERS, UH, OR THE ARCH OR H STREET, WHICH ARE CITY, UH, OWNED FACILITIES.
IT COULD ALSO MEAN THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT TWO OR AT SALVATION RV OR SOMEWHERE ELSE TO SEE IF THEY HAVE AVAILABILITIES AND IF OUR CLIENTS WOULD BE A GOOD SUIT FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE OURSELVES THE BENEFIT OF ABOUT THREE, FOUR MONTHS TO DO THAT WORK.
AND THEN AT THE END OF MARCH IS WHEN WE WILL OFFICIALLY CLOSE THE MARSH CLEAN YARD PER COUNCIL DIRECTION, AND THEN RETURN THE FACILITY BACK TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, AGAIN, I JUST FULLY WANNA UNDERSCORE THE POINT HERE THAT OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS THAT NO ONE IS RETURNED TO UNSHELTERED, UH, AND UNHOUSED HOMELESSNESS.
UH, THAT, THAT IS NOT WHY WE ARE
[00:40:01]
HERE.OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO PULL PEOPLE OUT OF AN UNSHELTERED ENVIRONMENT.
ONCE YOU'RE IN OUR CARE, OUR SOLE PURPOSE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET HOUSED.
UH, SO THERE WILL NOT BE A MASS EXIT OF PEOPLE BACK INTO ENCAMPMENTS ON THE STREETS OR IN OUR PARKS, OR IN CREEKS OR IN WATERWAYS,
AND SO WE WOULD, WE DO WELCOME FEEDBACK FROM THIS COMMITTEE ON TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, WE WILL INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK INTO OUR RAMP DOWN PLANS.
UH, THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, GARY CAN ATTEST THAT WE SPENT MANY HOURS AND IN MANY, MANY MEETINGS THINKING THROUGH THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IN SERVICE OF OUR CLIENTS.
UH, WE THINK THAT THIS TIMELINE OPTIMIZES, UH, OUR UTILIZATION OF THE MARSHING YARD FOR THE PERIOD THAT WE HAVE.
BUT OF COURSE, UH, WE WELCOME FEEDBACK.
AND WITH THAT MADAM CHAIR YES, I'M HAPPY TO YIELD BACK TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
YES, I'LL, I'LL KICK US OFF WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL YIELD TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT THE MARSHING YARD IS SLATED TO CLOSE IN MARCH.
UM, WHAT, HOW MUCH HEADWAY HAVE WE MADE IDENTIFYING AN ALTERNATIVE SITE? IT'S BEEN VERY CHALLENGING FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY'S REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT LOOKING AT EVERY, UH, PIECE OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A, A VIABLE LOCATION THAT WE THINK WORKS REALLY WELL.
UH, ANY CITY FACILITY THAT WE BELIEVE COULD BE CONVERTED INTO SHELTER CURRENTLY HAS ANOTHER USE, UH, VACANT LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE IS EITHER IN A FLOOD AREA OR IT'S ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE CITY AND NOT REALLY CLOSE TO CITY SERVICES.
WE ARE CONTINUING OUR QUEST TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS.
WE'RE NOW KIND OF SHIFTING OUR FOCUS AND LOOKING INTO THE PRIVATE REAL ESTATE MARKET, BUT TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A, A, A, AN AL A SOLID ALTERNATIVE FOR THE MARSHAL YARD.
SO HOW CONFIDENT ARE IS HSO THAT WE WILL FIND A REPLACEMENT FOR THE MARSHALING YARD BY THE END OF MARCH? WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING OUR BEST TO TRY TO FIND A REPLACEMENT.
WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO LEAVING THOSE STONE UNTURNED.
UH, AT THIS POINT THOUGH, WE HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN THAT PURSUIT.
COLLEAGUES, I WANNA PICK UP A LITTLE BIT WHERE THE CHAIR LEFT OFF.
AND I'M CURIOUS, AS WE THINK ABOUT A REPLACEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, JUST FINDING ADDITIONAL SHELTER CAPACITY, THERE AREN'T MANY 70,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITIES, UH, SET UP LIKE THE MARSHALING YARD, BUT ONE COULD ARGUE MAYBE THE MARSHALING YARD IS NOT THE IDEAL SETUP TO BEGIN WITH, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE TO, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS RIGHT.
I'M CURIOUS, AS WE THINK ABOUT, UM, OFFICE SPACE, WHICH TYPICALLY WOULDN'T BE THOUGHT OF AS ANY KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL SPACE, BUT YOU KNOW, THE MARSHALING YARD ITSELF IS JUST ONE BIG OPEN SPACE, RIGHT? AND AN UNINHABITED OFFICE MAYBE IS THAT SAME JUST STACKED, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF ONE HUGE PLATE, YOU HAVE MULTIPLE PLATES, BUT THAT COULD ACTUALLY HELP SERVE TO, TO SEPARATE POPULATIONS.
SO I'M CURIOUS, AS WE LOOK AT NOW IN THE PRIVATE MARKET, IS THAT ONE OPTION OF, OF JUST BASICALLY COMPLETE OPEN OFFICE SPACE THAT OPERATES KIND OF LIKE SEGMENTS OF THE MARSHALING YARD? IT, IT COULD BE, RIGHT? UM, IT, OF COURSE IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO THE DETAILS OF THE ACTUAL SPACE.
BUT AS PART OF OUR PRIVATE MARKET ANALYSIS, YES, WE HAVE LOOKED AT VACANT OFFICE SPACE, VACANT MEDICAL OFFICES, VACANT WAREHOUSES, VACANT GYMS. I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPACES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE RETROFITTED INTO EMERGENCY SHELTER.
WELL, I, YOU KNOW, IN THE SEARCH FOR FEEDBACK HERE, THE ONE THING I WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO TRY TO DO IS IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE A, AN INVESTMENT, MAKE IT IN SOMETHING THAT WE ACQUIRE RATHER THAN LEASE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF WE LEASE, WE END UP SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY, NOT HAVING AN ASSET WE CAN REUSE.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE, THE NUMBER ONE THING I WOULD HOPE THAT WE ACHIEVE OUT OF THIS IN OUR NEW SPACE, WHATEVER THAT NEW SPACE IS.
UM, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHETHER IT IS, YOU KNOW, CONGREGATE, SPRING SHELTER OR NON CONGREGATE, KIND OF LIKE WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT ESPERANZA COMMUNITY WITH THESE MICRO SHELTERS, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO STAND UP A SITE LIKE THIS IF WE DID HAVE LAND AVAILABLE? IT, AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE STYLE OF SHELTER.
UM, SOME OF THE SPRING SHELTERS HAVE GONE UP VERY QUICKLY.
THOSE TEND TO BE CONGREGATE OR, UH, SEMI CONGREGATE SHELTERS.
UH, BUT ALSO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS EVEN IN THE NON CONGREGATE SHELTER SETTING, IF, IF THE LAND IS RIGHT AND THINGS ARE IN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, THOSE CAN COME UP IN SEVEN TO 10 MONTHS.
UH, YOU MIGHT RECALL JUST LAST WEEK, COUNCIL GAVE US THE GREEN
[00:45:01]
LIGHT TO, UH, ADD A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION'S CONTRACT TO BRING ON A HUNDRED MORE SHELTER BEDS AT CAMP ESPERANZA.UH, AND IN THAT CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN GET THOSE A HUNDRED BEDS ONLINE WITHIN THE NEXT EIGHT MONTHS.
AND SO PART OF IT DEPENDS ON THE ZONING FOR THE LAND AND, AND JUST KIND OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'D HAVE TO DO, BUT THEN TO ACTUALLY POP UP THE SHELTER IS GONNA DEPEND ON IF THERE'S UTILITIES ON SITE OR ARE WE BRINGING IN SHOWERS AND RESTROOMS, UH, LIKE WE DID TO AUGMENT SOME OF THE OPERATIONS OVER AT THE MARSHALLING YARD.
UH, BUT THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, AS WE TRY TO IDENTIFY A, A GOOD LOCATION THAT CAN EITHER LEND ITSELF FOR US TO POP SOMETHING UP OR RETROFIT SOMETHING.
AND GARY, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO, TO THAT? UM, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES AS WELL TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IN THESE SCENARIOS, WHETHER IT'S LIKE PARKING LOTS AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO UTILIZE CHURCH PARKING LOTS, PUBLIC PARKING LOTS, ET CETERA.
UM, AND, AND THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS, BUT I THINK THERE'S A COST TO WEIGH BOTH WITH TEMPORARY INFRASTRUCTURE VERSUS LIKE, AS YOU SAID, PERMANENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK NOTHING'S OFF THE TABLE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL KIND OF LOOKING AND, AND THINKING AND, AND KIND OF TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT ALL THE OTHER FOLKS ARE DOING SO THAT WE CAN USE THOSE BEST PRACTICES.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD PUBLIC TESTIMONY HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DENVER'S SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES PROGRAM, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY A FORM OF SANCTIONED CAMPING.
I'M CURIOUS, HAS THAT ENTERED THE CONVERSATION IN THIS ANALYSIS? AND IF YOU COULD HELP KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, IT, I THOUGHT INTUITIVELY SEEMED LIKE THAT'S SO CHEAP.
YOU BUY A PIECE OF LAND, YOU SAY GO CAMP HERE, AND WHAT'S THE COST? UH, I'VE COME TO LEARN DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO I WAS HOPING YOU MIGHT JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT STYLE OF PROVIDING SPACE FOR INDIVIDUALS, WHAT COSTS WE HAVE AND NOT, AND, AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S EVEN IN CONSIDERATION.
GARY, YOU WANNA TAKE THAT ONE ALSO? SURE.
UM, I MEAN, WE'VE NOT LOOKED THOROUGHLY AT IT TO, TO REVIEW COSTS.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THE MODEL IN DENVER, UM, AND THEN IN IN SEATTLE AS WELL, THERE'VE BEEN MORE SAFE SPACES THAT HAVE POPPED UP.
UM, AND THEY'RE KIND OF SHORT TERM.
THEY MOVE FROM DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT PARKING LOTS AROUND THE CITY OVER TIME.
UM, I THINK THAT THE CAPITAL TO, TO BUILD THE STRUCTURES IS SIMILAR TO PROBABLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT ESPERANZA.
UM, BUT UM, THERE IS DEFINITELY FLEXIBILITY IN BRINGING PROVIDERS ON SITE AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S KIND OF 24 7 SECURITY WITH PORTABLES AND, AND, AND OTHER ASSETS.
SO I THINK, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NOT GONE DOWN THE ROAD FOR JUST YET.
BUT REALLY JUST LOOKING AT LIKE, WHAT ARE OTHER FOLKS DOING? YOU KNOW, AND LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE SAFE PARKING, RIGHT? UH, PARKING LOTS IN, IN, ESPECIALLY IN CALIFORNIA, THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS AROUND SAFE PARKING.
IF FOLKS HAVE OPERABLE CARS, THEY CAN SPEND THE NIGHT, HAVE ACCESS TO SHOWERS, UM, THAT'S FAIRLY CHEAP.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO HAVE OPERABLE CARS AND, AND AND WHATNOT.
BUT, AND THEN I'LL JUST QUICKLY PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT TO SAY THAT HERE IN TEXAS, IF WE DID WANT TO DESIGNATE AN AREA AS A SAFE AND CAMPING AREA, UH, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A DECISION THAT WE WOULD COME TO YOU AS COUNCIL TO VOTE AND GIVE US SOME APPROVAL ON.
AND WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO GO TO THE STATE OF TEXAS TO GET APPROVAL AS WELL.
AND SO, SO FAR OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON LOOKING AT WHAT'S COMPLETELY IN OUR REALM OF CONTROL.
UH, THAT'S AN OPTION THAT'S NOT FULLY WITHIN OUR REALM OF CONTROL.
JUST SO I'M CLEAR, GETTING STATE APPROVAL, IF WE DID WANNA HAVE A SANCTION CAMPSITE, WE HAVE TO GET STATE APPROVAL.
THEY MEET ONLY EVERY OTHER YEAR.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT APPROVAL DURING THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF IT'S THE LEGISLATURE THAT GRANTS THE APPROVAL, I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT.
IT MIGHT BE THE AGENCY YEAH, THE STATE AGENCY.
BUT, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IS IDENTIFY THE LOCATION IN THE CITY THAT WE WOULD WANT TO USE.
UH, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY DO EXTENSIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AROUND THAT TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW ABOUT OUR INTENTIONS, COME TO COUNCIL AND GET YOUR APPROVAL.
AND THEN WHATEVER THE PROCESS IS THAT THE STATE HAS DESIGNATED, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO THEN SHIFT AND FOLLOW THAT PROCEDURE BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO DESIGNATE A, A LOCATION AS SAFE AND CAMPING.
I WILL SAY WE ARE ANTICIPATING THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION SOON ON, UH, ENCAMPMENTS.
IT, IT COULD HAVE COME OUT TODAY, IT COULD COME OUT ANYTIME, UH, IN THE COMING WEEKS.
UM, AND AS WE, AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT AND KIND OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHATEVER THAT, UH, COULD HAVE FOR AUSTIN, UH, THAT'S REALLY KIND OF RECHARGED US AND LOOKING AT THE SAFE AND CAMPING OPTION, KNOWING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SHELTER BEDS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S SEEKING SHELTER.
A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS ON MY END.
UM, HOW SOON WILL WE HAVE THE DATA ON THE SUCCESS OF THE SUNRISE CASE MANAGEMENT? UM, ONCE WE GET SUNRISE MORE UNDER CONTRACT, UH,
[00:50:01]
THROUGH OUR CONTRACT WITH ENDEAVORS, UH, THEY UTILIZE THE SAME HMIS, UH, SYSTEM AS EVERYBODY ELSE IN OUR SYSTEM USES.AND SO, UH, AS SOON AS THEY'RE ABLE TO START ENTERING THAT DATA, UH, I THEN GO TO GARY AND AND HIS TEAM TO PULL IT.
UH, SO IT, IT'S NOT THAT LONG OF A DELAY, UH, BUT I DO WANNA BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE STILL HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH SUNRISE AND ENDEAVORS TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST CASE MANAGEMENT RESOURCE MIX.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THERE JUST YET.
AND WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES FOR CLIENTS OF THE MARSHALING YARD WHEN IT CLOSES? IF THERE IS NOT A REPLACEMENT THAT IS FOUND? UH, AGAIN, EVERY CLIENT WILL BE OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EITHER HOUSING OR SHELTER.
UH, AND SO IF CLIENTS HAVE A HOUSING VOUCHER OR A HOUSING DESTINATION THAT WE CAN SAFELY PLACE THEM INTO, UH, THEN WE WILL HELP THEM TRANSITION INTO THAT HOUSING.
SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE, UH, A PSH UNIT.
UH, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE CLIENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO ARE ON TRACK TO, TO LEASE A UNIT AT PECAN GARDENS.
WHEN THAT OPENS, UH, WE HAVE CLIENTS WHO RETURN WITH LOVED ONES AND WE VERIFY THAT THOSE LOVED ONES EXIST AND THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE THE CLIENT IN BEFORE WE DIVERT THERE.
ANY CLIENT THAT WE CANNOT PLACE INTO HOUSING WILL BE OFFERED AN OPPORTUNITY IN ANOTHER CITY SHELTER.
NOW, THAT COULD HAVE EFFECTS ON SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
UH, BUT WE ARE NOT GONNA KNOW THAT UNTIL WE GET A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THE YEAR AND WE CAN KIND OF TAKE A KIND OF RECHECK AROUND WHICH OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE HOUSING RESOURCES AND WHICH ONES ARE MORE LIKELY GONNA HAVE TO TRANSITION TO ANOTHER SHELTER.
'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED IN SEPTEMBER IS WHEN YOU'LL START CHANGING THE INTAKE PROCEDURES ONLY, EXCEPT THOSE WHO HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, VERIFIED HOUSING RESOURCE.
UM, THIS WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE HEEL INITIATIVE AND THE ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS TO SOME EXTENT, BUT WE WON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THAT IMPACT WILL BE FOR A WHILE.
WE'RE NOT REALLY GONNA KNOW UNTIL ONCE WE GET OUT OF SUMMER WHAT THAT CAPACITY WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF OUR NORMAL MARSHING YARD OPERATIONS, WE ARE HELPING PEOPLE GET HOUSED.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE WORK, WE'RE JUST GONNA FOCUS MORE EXCLUSIVELY ON THAT WORK AND ON THAT CLIENTELE ONCE WE GET TO SEPTEMBER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
[4. Briefing on the Black Men's Health Clinic.]
GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON THE BLACK MEN'S HEALTH CLINIC.THIS WOULD, THIS BRIEFING, UH, WHAT WE WILL BE JOINED BY LARRY WALLACE AND DR. LARRY WALLACE JR.
TO SHARE AN ORGANIZATIONAL UPDATE.
AND WE WELCOME YOU ALL TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
UH, WE WERE HERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND YOU ACKNOWLEDGED OUR WORK AND, UH, WE STILL VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND ALSO THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, A HUGE PARTNER IN OUR EFFORTS.
AND, UH, WE JUST WANNA SAY THANKS.
UH, WE CELEBRATED, UH, OUR TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
AND SO AS WE LOOK BACK OVER OUR TWO YEARS OF WORK, UH, WE'VE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS.
AND SO PEOPLE ASK WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
UH, PEOPLE ASK WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
UH, WE KNOW THAT, UH, BLACK AND BROWN MEN HAVE THE HIGHEST RATES OF DISPARITIES AND AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN, UH, THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH ARE STROKE, CANCER, HYPERTENSION, ALL OF THOSE THAT REALLY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MEN OF COLOR.
AND SO THE REASON WE DO WHAT WE DO IS BECAUSE, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT, UH, OUR FOCUSED EFFORT ALLOWS US TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
AND OUR MISSION IS, IS IS PRETTY, UH, STRAIGHTFORWARD.
AND, UH, OUR VISION IS, IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UH, WE WANT TO REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS THAT EXIST, THAT KEEP MEN FROM ACCESSING CARE.
THERE ARE MANY CLINICS, UH, IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF MEN OF COLOR THAT ACCESS THOSE SERVICES, IT'S REALLY, UH, NOT, UH, AT THE SAME LEVEL OF OTHER FOLKS.
AND SO, UM, WE TOOK THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHY.
AND, UH, OVER 46% OF BLACK MEN HAVE HAD NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, UH, WHEN THEY GO TO THE DOCTOR OR, UH, ENGAGE THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO REALLY CREATE PATHWAYS THAT ARE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE THAT WILL MEET MEN WHERE THEY ARE.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, ARE THE, THE REASON WE DO THIS WORK IS TO SAVE LIVES.
[00:55:01]
AND AS WE, AS WE LIFT UP MEN, WE LIFT UP THEIR FAMILIES.AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WE DO IT.
OUR VALUE STATEMENT IS A LIFE SAVED IS A ANOTHER LIFE THAT REALLY CAN CONTINUE AND CONTRIBUTE A POSITIVE, POSITIVELY, UH, TO SOCIETY.
UH, OUR THREE MAIN FOCUSES OF WORK ARE IN THE SPACE OF MENTAL HEALTH.
AND, AND WE'VE LEARNED THERE'S NO GREATER NEED THAN MENTAL HEALTH.
AND I'M HAPPY, UH, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH INTEGRAL CARE AND COMMUNITY CARE.
UH, WE HAVE RESOURCES AT OUR CLINIC, UH, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 66 33 HIGHWAY TWO 90, AND, UH, THE BLACK MEN'S HEALTH CLINIC, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY CARE, COMMUNITY CARE IS OUR CLINICAL PROVIDER.
AND SO, AS A RESULT OF THAT RELATIONSHIP, WE'RE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THOSE SERVICES.
SO THEY BRING THE CLINICAL STAFF, THE DOCTORS, AND THE NURSES.
UH, OUR ROLE IS REALLY, UH, AHEAD OF ALL OF THAT.
WE DO THE OUTREACH, WE DO THE ENGAGEMENT.
WE ESTABLISH THOSE TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS, UH, IN ORDER FOR MEN TO COME INTO CARE.
UH, SO OUR THREE PILLARS ARE MENTAL HEALTH, AND SECONDLY, IT'S PHYSICAL HEALTH.
HEALTH SCREENINGS ARE IMPORTANT, AND WE'RE REALLY PUSHING HARD IN THAT SPACE BECAUSE EARLY DETECTION MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
AND WITH MEN OF COLOR, UM, GENERALLY THERE ARE CONDITIONS THAT, UH, PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF AND, UH, REALLY HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, LET'S SAY, UH, CONDITIONED TO REALLY, UH, TAKE OPPORTUNITY IN, IN ADVANCE TO ADDRESS WHAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR HEALTH.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS.
UH, SO IN OUR WORK, WE PARTNER WITH PEOPLE TO HELP US ADDRESS THINGS LIKE HOUSING, FOOD INSECURITY, TRANSPORTATION, UH, ECONOMICS, UH, JOBS.
THAT'S A WHOLE BODY OF WORK THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED AS WE, UH, EMPLOY OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF MEN.
UH, I WANT TO REALLY, UH, EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT WE DON'T TRY TO DO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING.
IT'S NOT OUR GOAL TO DUPLICATE, UH, BUT IT'S REALLY TO, UH, FILL THAT GAP THAT EXISTS.
UH, A CORE PRINCIPLE THAT WE OPERATE FROM IS LEVERAGE AND COLLABORATION.
UM, WE DON'T NEED TO BE TRYING TO MOVE INTO SPACES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.
WE WANNA MAKE THOSE SPACES MORE EFFECTIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLICLY FUNDED AGENCIES.
AND WE BELIEVE WE'VE DONE THAT.
UH, WE CONNECT WITH ALL THE MAJOR, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WITH CENTRAL HEALTH, UH, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, AND ALSO INTEGRAL CARE.
UH, COMMUNITY CARE IS A HUGE PARTNER.
AND, UH, WE EVEN GO OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY IN SOME CASES.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY, UH, IN THE PROCESS OF EXPANDING OUR REACH INTO PFLUGERVILLE, UH, INTO MANOR.
UH, WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR IN ELGIN.
AND SO, UH, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO FURTHER WITH OUR WORK ARE, ARE PRESENT.
I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE CAN DO IS ESTABLISH A, UH, VALUE PROPOSITION FOR OUR WORK, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO AND WHAT IT BRINGS TO THE TABLE, AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL TO CONTINUE THIS WORK.
SO I'M GONNA, UH, TURN THIS OVER TO DR.
UH WALLACE WILL TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME OF OUR OUTCOMES AND RESULTS AND OUR STRUCTURE AND, AND HOW WE DO OUR WORK.
REAL QUICK, BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I, HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE YOUR HANDOUTS.
UH, OUR PARTNERS AND COLLABORATIONS LIST IS ABOUT 16 PAGES LONG, AND YOU CAN SEE WE'RE HERE ON THESE THREE SPHERES THAT, UH, LARRY WALLACE SENIOR SPOKE ABOUT HOW WE'RE LEVERAGING AND WE'RE PARTNERING AND ENGAGING WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME UTILIZING THE FUNDING, UH, AND OUR INVOLVEMENT ON THAT ADVOCACY LIST THAT YOU HAVE AS WELL, TO REALLY GET BOOTS ON GROUND INFORMATION, UH, AS OUR FOCUS WITHIN THE COLLABORATION, AS YOU SEE ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, IS REALLY FOCUSED ON, UH, ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE, THE JOURNEY, THE PATHWAY.
UH, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THROUGH THE UNIQUE MOUS THAT WE HAVE WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IS MORE THAN JUST A TRADITIONAL REFERRAL.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST, UM, UH, CONNECTING SOMEONE.
AND THEN YOU UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL TO COME BACK TO YOU AND TELL YOU HOW THAT WENT, OR, UH, LETS, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T NEED ANY FURTHER SERVICES.
BECAUSE WE'RE A CLINIC AND WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENTS AND OTHER COLLABORATIONS WITH THE FQHCS, WITH, UH, THE MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY, WITH, UH, LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND SO FORTH, WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY BRIDGE IN A WAY, UH, THAT THERE HAS BEEN THIS ONGOING GAP, EVEN BETWEEN PROVIDERS AND THEIR COLLABORATIONS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
[01:00:02]
REFERRING TO PROVIDERS.AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE HERE, UM, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS IT TOOK TWO YEARS IN DIALOGUE DISCUSSION, UH, GOING THROUGH LEGAL TO REALLY ESTABLISH THESE JOINT POSITIONS THROUGH COMMUNITY CARE, AS WELL AS THIS NEW JOINT POSITION, THE FIRST ONE EVER FOR INTERVAL CARE, UH, NOW LOCATED WITH US AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE ALSO, WHAT YOU DON'T SEE HERE IS, UM, ALSO IN DISCUSSIONS WITH SETON.
WE JUST BROUGHT ON A HEALTH NAVIGATOR TO WORK DIRECTLY WITHIN SETON TO HELP WITH REFERRALS FROM THEIR EMERGENCY, UH, ERS AND SO FORTH.
AND SO, HOPEFULLY OVER TIME, BE ABLE TO FLESH OUT, UH, A MORE STRUCTURED MOU AS A BUSINESS AS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT TO BE ABLE TO DO THE SAME THING HERE.
JOINT HIRING, WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO, THROUGH THE BMHC LENS, REALLY FOCUS ON THAT CARE COORDINATION NAVIGATION, UH, GROWING THE TRUST BACK INTO THE SYSTEM COLLABORATIVELY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING THROUGH DISCUSSIONS OF, UH, CREATING A MORE FORMALIZED MOU WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL, WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THE TEAM HAS REALLY BEEN LEVERAGING, UH, AND UTILIZING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN OUR TEAM AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY EVENT SCREENINGS, AND KNOW YOUR NUMBERS CAMPAIGN, UH, AS WELL.
THIS NEXT SLIDE THAT I THINK IS VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE.
I, I DON'T REALLY LIKE TO READ SLIDES, BUT I DEFINITELY WANNA READ THIS, THIS STATEMENT ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THAT OUT OF OVER 1400 FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE CLINICS AND COMMUNITY CARE HAS 29, UH, CLINICS IS THE LARGEST IN THE NATION.
UH, BMHC IS THE ONLY BLACK MEN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION WITH ACTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FQHCS.
WE HAVE A FORMAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT WITH LONE STAR CIRCLE CARE AND COMMUNITY CARE.
UH, OUR PHYSICAL LOCATION OFF OF 66 33 HIGHWAY TWO 90 IS IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE 29 CLINICS UNDER COMMUNITY CARE.
UH, SO WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO FOR JOINT CERTIFICATION AND SO FORTH.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THERE, IT SAYS, MANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT EVENTS BLACK MEN'S HEALTH ARE NOT CLINICS NOR ASSOCIATED WITH CLINICS.
INSTEAD, UM, THE BLACK MEN'S HEALTH CLINIC, UH, UNLIKE MOST OF THEM, JUST PROVIDE THERAPY IN HEALTH EDUCATION.
UH, SO AGAIN, THE WAY WE'RE PARTNERING THIS DIFFERENT DESIGN OF CARE COORDINATION NAVIGATION IS REALLY PROVIDING PHYSICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL DETERMINANT SERVICE SERVICES, UH, ONSITE AND ALSO INTO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TARGET POPULATION AS WELL AS THE SECONDARY POPULATION, EVERYTHING FOCUSES AROUND THE CARE YOU CAN TRUST.
THAT IS THE FOCUS HERE, THE TRUST AS FAR AS, UM, YOU'RE GONNA BE NAVIGATED, YOU'RE GONNA BE INFORMED OF WHAT THAT JOURNEY'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
YOU'RE GONNA BE INFORMED OF WHAT PAPERWORK AND HELP FI FILLING OUT THE PAPERWORK, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, LISTENING TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND GETTING THEM COORDINATED TO THE RIGHT SERVICE, UH, FOR THEM.
AND SO YOU SEE IN THIS FIRST CIRCLE, WE'RE INTENTIONALLY WITH OUR PRIMARY CLIENT, CLIENT, THOSE THAT ARE UNDERSERVED, UNDERREPRESENTED, UM, LOW TO NO INSURANCE IS A TARGET POPULATION.
AND TOO OFTEN, MOST OF THE SYSTEMS INDIVIDUALS FEEL AS IF, IF I'M POOR, I'M GETTING POOR SERVICES.
AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENT FOCUS HERE.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT FEEL AS IF YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE A VIP.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE A SENIOR LEADER, SENIOR LEADER TO FEEL AS IF YOU, YOU'RE A PERSON.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, ESPECIALLY WHERE OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING INTO, WE, THERE, THERE'S A LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT IN THIS SENSE, INSTEAD OF POINTING FINGERS, IT'S SAYING, HOW CAN WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY? UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE'RE MESSAGING, THE WAY WE'RE BRANDING, THAT THIS ISN'T JUST FOR UNDERSERVED UNDER REPRESENTATIVE, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A TARGET POPULATION, IT'S OPEN TO EVERYBODY.
SO THEN WE'RE BRINGING IN THE SECONDARY CLIENTS, THE ONES THAT WANT TO BE A PART OF A FOCUSED ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR, UH, ONE THAT'S GOING TO PROVIDE THIS MORE HANDS-ON SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, WHERE OTHERS THAT HAVE FINANCIAL CAPABILITY USUALLY PAY FOR THAT ADDITIONAL HANDS-ON CONCIERGE LIAISON ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, WHERE IN THIS SENSE, WE'RE ACTUALLY BEING FUNDED TO DO THAT FOR EVERYBODY.
AND SO WE, YOU SEE HERE THE TWO TIERS, BUT WE'RE PRIMARILY LOOKING AND FOCUSING ON THE FUNDING THAT IS CURRENTLY GOING TO UNDERSERVED UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS, AND HOW ARE WE HELPING THE SYSTEM BETTER ENGAGE, BETTER, PROVIDE A SERVICE FROM EX EXPERIENTIAL POINT THAT THEY START USING THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE FUNDING THEM FOR.
UM, AND THEN YOU SEE, THE BEHAVIORAL OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ALSO CONNECTS INTO, WHAT I FIND INTERESTING ON THESE NUMBERS THAT I WANTED TO SHOW TO YOU IS WE'RE IN TWO YEARS OF PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICES.
LAST YEAR, YOU SEE UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS.
[01:05:01]
SO THIS DOES NOT COUNT ENGAGEMENTS, RECURRING VISITS OF CLIENTS, BUT THIS IS UNDUPLICATED OF LAST YEAR.UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SO FAR FOR THIS YEAR, THIS IS ONLY SIX MONTHS IN, WE'VE ALREADY HIT A ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT WE DID UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS LAST YEAR.
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE AND BIGGEST CHANGE WAS ONE YEAR, ONE NOT KNOWN, YEAR TWO, UH, MORE KNOWN, BUT WE ALSO RECEIVED MORE FUNDING AND MORE SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE CURRENT CONTRACT THAT EXPIRES, UH, THIS SEPTEMBER THROUGH, UH, THAT COUNCIL APPROVED THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, AND, AND SO WHAT YOU CAN ALSO SEE HERE, WHICH IS OF INTEREST, IS EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TAILORED FOR THE MOST DISPARAGED POPULATION, BLACK MEN IS BEING UTILIZED BY BOTH BLACK AND BROWN.
IT'S BEING UTILIZED, UTILIZED BY OTHER POPULATIONS BECAUSE IT'S MORE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE AND JUST THE NAME.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER SLIDE NEXT TO THAT, WHAT I FIND OF INTEREST OF HIGHLIGHTING HERE IS THE AGE GROUP.
WHEN YOU DO A NORMAL COMPARISON OF WHO INTEGRAL CARE IS SEEING, PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY CLINIC IS SEEING AND, AND OTHERS, THEY'RE USUALLY FOCUSED FOR THIS POPULATION THAT OUR TARGET POPULATION IS, IS USUALLY 18 TO 24, OR IT'S MORE HIGHER ON THE SIDE OF 55.
AND UP UNIQUELY, WE ARE ACTUALLY HITTING INTO THE POPULATION THAT IS THE POPULATION THAT MOST FREQUENTLY DOES NOT WANT TO GO TO.
THE CLINIC, DOES NOT WANT TO SEE A DOCTOR, AND THEN IT BECOMES THE ISSUE WHEN THEY BECOME OLDER.
UH, ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ELIGIBILITY, UH, A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM SELF PAY AND PRIVATE PAY TO THIS YEAR, UH, FROM ALMOST 63% TO THIS YEAR, UM, ROUGHLY 24% ARE SELF PAY AND PRIVATE PAY.
SO A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT INTO REACHING OUR ACTUAL TARGET POPULATION.
AND WHAT I WOULD REALLY HOPE YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LABELED BLACK MEN'S HEALTHCARE AND IT'S FOR MEN OF COLOR, THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILIES, AND THOSE WITH EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE GOING ABOUT IS REALLY SYSTEMATIC CHANGE THAT IMPROVES ENGAGEMENT FOR EVERYBODY.
IF WE CAN IMPROVE THE ENGAGEMENT FOR THE MOST DISPARAGE, IT AUTOMATICALLY IMPROVES THE ENGAGEMENT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, WE'RE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH VARIOUS ACADEMIC ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, WE INTENTIONALLY FOR YEAR ONE AND, AND PART OF YEAR TWO WAS ALL ABOUT THE CLIENT ENGAGING WITH THE CLIENT.
UH, SO A LOT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF, UH, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED AND FORTUNATE TO GET A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE ACADEMIC ORGANIZATIONS, UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW, DO WE EITHER SPEND A YEAR TRYING TO GET ADMINISTRATIVELY SOUND AND HAVE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS IN PLACE, UH, AND THEN WE LOSE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY? OR DO WE FOCUS MORE SO ON THE SERVICES, PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS AND MAKING SURE, UH, WE SHOW IMMEDIATE IMPACT, UM, AND IMMEDIATE CHANGE TO PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND THEN WORK THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR TO REALLY, UH, MORE OR LESS STRUCTURIZE THE BEST PRACTICES, THE BEST SCENARIO CASES.
SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS AS LARRY SENIOR STATED TO OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE CITY, OTHER, OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UM, BECAUSE FOR US, IT'S MORE ABOUT JUST GIVE US SPACE.
WE NEED FUNDING FOR A NAVIGATOR, AN OUTREACH PERSON, BUT WE'RE TYING IN AND CONNECTING TO SERVICES THAT ARE ALREADY BEING FUNDED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS OUR BOARD.
UH, WE INTENTIONALLY, UH, BROUGHT ON A BOARD THAT'S HEALTH, UH, BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE, UM, IN OUR TA STAFF AND TEAM IS PRIMARILY NON-HEALTH.
THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES.
THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
UH, A LOT OF THEM, 55% COME FROM, UH, SOME ASPECT OF UNHOUSED AND, AND HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY, UH, LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR PARTNERS, OUR COLLABORATORS.
THE MESSAGING THAT'S HAPPENING AND SAYING, THIS WOULD NEVER, UH, CAPTURE ME, OR THE WAY THIS IS MESSAGED, OR THE, THE PATHWAY THROUGH THIS, UM, IS, IS A DETRACTOR.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE COLLABORATION IS HAPPENING.
THAT'S, THAT'S MOVING THE NEEDLE THAT YOU'RE SEEING.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I, I TURN, UH, THE MIC OVER FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? I GUESS I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION.
I'M TRYING TO LOOK FORWARD FOR Y'ALL.
WHAT, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? IS IT, UH, SIGNIFICANT GROWTH, WHICH WOULD SUGGEST THEN THERE'S SIGNIFICANT NEED, OR IS IT, UM, NOT THAT TYPE OF GROWTH? AND, AND HOPEFULLY THEN WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS THROUGH KIND OF THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOU SEE THE FUTURE SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? SO FOR ME, UH, SUCCESS NUMBER ONE LOOKS,
[01:10:01]
UH, LIKE WE CAN MEASURE OUR RESULT.UH, WHAT'S THE OUTCOMES, WHAT CHANGE ARE WE MAKING? AND ONCE WE CAN IDENTIFY, QUANTIFY, AND BE ABLE TO STATE, UH, THOSE CHANGES, UH, IT'S A JOURNEY.
AND SO, UH, AT WHAT POINT IN THE JOURNEY CAN WE LOOK AND SAY WE MADE PROGRESS.
UH, WE, UH, AVOIDED ER ADMISSIONS, WE, UH, AVOIDED PEOPLE GOING INTO THE HOSPITAL.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE, UH, THE PATHWAY OF CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT AND HAD AN INFLUENCE ON THE HEALTH STATUS.
BUT, UH, BEYOND THAT, UH, YES, WE'VE BEEN REALLY APPROACHED BY MANY COMMUNITIES ABOUT OUR WORK AND WOULD LIKE FOR US TO EXPAND.
AND WE'RE A SMALL TEAM, UH, AND WE CAN ONLY GO AS FAR AS OUR FUNDING ALLOWS, BUT SUCCESS IS WHEN, UH, FOLKS CAN LOOK AT OUR ORGANIZATION AND SAY, IF YOU WANT TO REACH AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN AND LATINO MEN, BECAUSE OVER HALF OF OUR CLIENTS ARE LATINO.
AND SO IF YOU WANT TO REACH THAT POPULATION, SUCCESS TO ME IS COME TO US.
WE, WE HAVE THE KNOW-HOW, UM, WE'VE DONE ALL THE RESEARCH.
RELY ON US AS THE AGENCY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, I, I, FOR ME, IT'S ALMOST DUALISTICALLY, RIGHT? UH, ONE DEFINITELY TYING INTO WHAT LARRY WALLACE SENIOR STATED, WHICH IS, UH, AND WE'RE HAVING THIS ONGOING CONVERSATION EVEN WITH COMMUNITY CARE AND CENTRAL HEALTH, THAT WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON AS THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF IMPROVING THE SYSTEM AND HOW IT ENGAGES, HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE ENGAGEMENT PIECE? HOW MANY TOUCHES AND SO FORTH TO BUILD THIS TRUST TO WHERE NOW WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OF CARE COORDINATION AND NAVIGATION.
THERE ARE CERTAIN PATIENTS THAT WILL NOT SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT UNLESS SHE'S ON THE PHONE WITH THEM, JUST TO GIVE THAT SENSE OF, IT'S GOOD, RIGHT? UM, HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT? BECAUSE OFTENTIMES IT'S BEING MEASURED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY SHOW UP FOR AN APPOINTMENT IN THE NO SHOW RATE.
BUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY GETTING THEM TO EVEN COME UP TO EXPERIENCE THE FIRST NOHOW RATE TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
MOST OF OUR INDIVIDUALS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE, AND BEING ENROLLED IN MAP FOR THE FIRST TIME, SOME ARE COMING THROUGH THROUGH DIFFERENT AVENUES.
OUR DIVERSION PROGRAM THAT WE STARTED WITH AUSTIN ECHO THAT YEAR TWO, Y'ALL DID AN AMENDMENT FOR US WHEN THOSE FUNDS WENT OUT TO CARVE SOME FUNDING OUT FOR UNHOUSED IN CLIENT ASSISTANCE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE IN THROUGH THAT DOOR THAT OTHERS ARE NOT ABLE TO AND SAY, HEY, YOU ALSO HAVE TO SIGN UP TO BE A CLIENT AND SET UP A, A, A BASIC ASSESSMENT OF, OF YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STATE.
UM, WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, THROUGH OUR BARBERSHOP PROGRAM WHERE THEY GET $25 OFF, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE COPAY THEY'RE PAYING TO COME SEE A DOCTOR.
UM, AND SO HOW DO WE CAPTURE THOSE THINGS OF DEMONSTRATING THIS IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY, PARTNERING WITH YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS, NON-SCHOOL AIDS, WHERE THEY DON'T DO PHYSICALS, THEY DON'T DO NUMBERS FOR THE KIDS.
AND WE'RE BRINGING THAT THROUGH A LOT WITH THE COLLABORATION WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND, UH, MEN'S SPORTS AREAS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A DISCUSSION WITH THE Y-M-C-Y-M-C-A NOW TO BRING SCREENINGS FOR THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND STUFF AT THE NORTH AUSTIN AND THE EAST COMMUNITIES AND SO FORTH.
SO IT'S, IT'S ONE IS BETTER BEING ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT, THAT USUALLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY FUNDING GIVES TO FQHCS AND THE MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES AND SO FORTH, ARE MORE BEHIND THE SEATS AND NO SHOW RATES THAN THE ENGAGEMENT, THE TRUST BUILDING THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON BEHALF OF OUR PARTNERS.
UH, AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE IS NOW THE GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING, BEING ASKED TO COME INTO COMMUNITY FIRST, BEING ASKED TO, UH, UH, LAUNCH OUR SATELLITE LOCATION IN LUGA VILLE ON THE 29TH WITH ABUNDANT LIFE CHURCH, UH, BEING ASKED TO COME AND TEACHERS OTHER PLACES, BUT MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF ENGAGEMENT AND HANDS ON TIME.
I DON'T WANNA SAY TIME CONSUMING IN A NEGATIVE WAY, BUT THE TIME THAT'S NEEDED THAT WE'VE LOST SOMETIMES BY GOING TO TECHNICAL, UM, AND, AND, AND, AND MORE, UH, EXPECTING PEOPLE TO DO THE RESEARCH, GO TO THE WEBSITE THAN ACTUALLY TAKING THE TIME OUT TO GO THROUGH THESE PROCESSES WITH THEM.
AND I THINK TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE NATURAL GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING, MORE FUNDING IS GONNA BE NEEDED FOR BODIES TO BRING ON THE BODIES.
APPRECIATE THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING.
AND JUST TO BUILD OFF OF YOUR COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT IS, UH, THE
[01:15:01]
BHCS WORK RELATED TO OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION.YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS SOME WORK THAT Y'ALL DID WITH ECHO.
UM, HOW ARE Y'ALL PLUGGED IN, OR TO WHAT EXTENT, UM, IS OUTREACH DONE WITH OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION? UM, DO YOU FORESEE ANY OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE COULD FURTHER INTEGRATE BMHC WITH OUR UNHOUSED SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES? HONESTLY, WE JUST HAD A MEETING WITH, UH, DR. PATRICK LEE, UH, OVER AT CENTRAL HEALTH CEO LAST, LAST WEEK.
UH, HE ALSO MENTIONED THE SAME THING AS WELL.
WE'LL BE DOING A FOLLOW UP WITH HIS TEAM, UH, IN THEIR EFFORTS REGARDING, UH, THAT SPACE AS WELL.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE GOING ON AND SOME DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.
UM, CURRENTLY, UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, INDIVIDUAL THAT BASICALLY OVERSEES ON UNHOUSED AND DIVERSION EFFORTS.
SHE'S GOING OUT INTO THE ENCAMPMENTS AND SO FORTH.
I WOULD SAY 41 PLUS INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, UH, WITH ROUGHLY $32,000 BECAUSE SHE'S WORKING WITH OTHER PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS TO BRING THE COST DOWN EXEMPTION OF FEES.
INDIVIDUALS ARE GETTING PLUGGED INTO PARTNERSHIPS LIKE GOODWILL AND OTHERS.
UH, WE'VE DONE FUNDING OF BODIES, BUT WE HAD TO PULL THAT BACK BECAUSE OF FUNDING RESTRICTIONS.
UH, WE DID FUND BODIES TO BE EMBEDDED WITH QUEER TOPIA, UH, TO BE EMBEDDED WITH, UH, HUNGRY HILL FOUNDATION.
UH, WE'VE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE SUPPORT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE WALKING BY FAITH MINISTRIES AND, AND JAIL TO JOBS.
SO MORE FUNDING IN THOSE ASPECTS TO BRING BODIES ON.
WE CAN INTENTIONALLY RAMP UP THAT, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO, FOR HOWEVER MANY BODIES WE BRING ON, STILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A RESTRICTED FUNDING ACCOUNT FOR DIVERSION, FOR CLIENT ASSISTANCE.
UM, BECAUSE EVEN IF SOMEONE MAY BE MAPPED ONE 50 OR SO FORTH, AND THEY HAVE TO PLAY A SMALL, UM, COPAY, SOMETIMES THEY STILL CAN'T EVEN PAY THAT WE'VE SUPPORTED IN PURCHASING THE GLASSES, THE PRESCRIPTIONS AND SO FORTH.
AND, UH, AGAIN, COMING OUT INTO COMMUNITY FIRST.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A NEW AREA.
SO HOW DO WE, UH, BE ABLE TO GROW INTO A DEDICATED PERSON INTO THOSE SPACES, RIGHT? UM, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH AUSTIN ECHO AND THE, THE PSH COLLABORATION THAT'S GOING ON, UM, AND, AND POTENTIALLY BEING INVOLVED IN THAT EFFORT AS THAT CONDUIT OF WHO'S ENGAGING WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS ON THE MORE DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
SO THAT WAY, IF THERE'S CHANGES OR NEEDS WITHIN THE PHYSICAL AND THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, WE'RE THERE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS AND SAY, HEY, INSTEAD OF COMING OUT NEXT WEEK, THIS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO SEE YOU TOMORROW.
THIS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO SEE YOU TODAY OR, AND WHATNOT.
SO THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS GOING ON, BUT LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, A LOT OF IT IS KIND OF RESTRICTED ON FUNDING AVAILABILITY.
A LOT OF IT ON OUR END IS RESTRICTED ON BEING ABLE TO, UH, BRING SOMEONE ELSE ON AND NOT HAVE THEM, UH, BE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, UH, JOB SECURITY.
I MEAN, I JUST THINK IT'S THE, YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN GENERAL IS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE FOR, UH, FOR FOLKS AT RISK OF FALLING INTO HOMELESSNESS.
I HAD ONE CONVERSATION WITH AN UNHOUSED NEIGHBOR WHO TALKED TO ME ABOUT HE NEEDED CATARACT SURGERY, WAS UNABLE TO NAVIGATE THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, DIDN'T GET HIS MUCH NEEDED EYE SURGERY, LOST HIS JOB AS A RESULT OF IT, LOST HIS HOUSE AS A RESULT OF IT, AND HAS BEEN LIVING NOW, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS AND ONE OF OUR PARKS.
AND SO I THINK THAT, AND I, AND YOU CAN COUNT ON MY CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THIS LEVEL OF SERVICE, THE PROGRAMS THAT Y'ALL OFFER AT BMHC, I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THANK YOU ALL AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING FOR OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY, UM, AND, AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE FURTHER INVESTMENTS IN, IN THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
[5. Briefing on the Best Single Source Plus (BSS+) Collaborative’s work related to provision of homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services.]
UH, TO OUR FINAL BRIEFING FOR TODAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING.THIS IS A BRIEFING ON THE BEST SINGLE SOURCE PLUS COLLABORATIVES WORK RELATED TO THE PROVISION OF HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES.
BELIEVE WE'LL BE JOINED BY JOE CATHERINE QUINN FROM CARITAS, AND JULIA SPAN FROM SAFE ALLIANCE FOR THIS UPDATE.
UM, WE'RE SO PLEASED TO BE HERE.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TIME ON YOUR AGENDA.
WE FELT LIKE IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE BROUGHT AN UPDATE AND A LOT HAS CHANGED WITH THE COLLABORATION AND JUST WITH, UH, OUR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, AND THOUGHT IT WAS TIME FOR AN UPDATE.
I'M JULIA SPAN, AND I'M THE CEO OF THE SAFE ALLIANCE, AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BEST SINGLE SOURCE PLUS, UM, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
SO I'LL GO BACK AND GIVE A LITTLE HISTORY.
I WAS JUST DOING THE MATH, AND WE ACTUALLY STARTED THIS, UH, COLLABORATION 22 YEARS AGO, 23
[01:20:01]
YEARS AGO, EXACTLY.AND, UM, OUR FIRST FUNDER WAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT TOOK A RISK ON FOUR AGENCIES THAT HAVE JOINED TOGETHER TO EXPAND GREATLY.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, THE BEST SINGLE SOURCE IS A COLLABORATION OF 13 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE CURRENT PARTNERS THAT ARE FUNDED AND SOME UNFUNDED PARTNERS, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AS WE GO THROUGH.
BUT YOU'LL SEE THIS, UM, RICH GROUP OF, UH, FUNDED PARTNERS WHO WORK TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS GET HOUSED AND THAT THEY STAY HOUSED.
AND SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS, THE ENTIRE PURPOSE WAS TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.
IT WAS A FRONT END PREVENTION PROGRAM, WHICH WORKED WITH FOLKS WHO WERE FINDING THAT THEY COULDN'T MAKE THEIR PAYMENTS FOR RENT OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.
WE, UM, PROVIDED THEM WITH CASE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND WE DID SO AT A RATE THAT PREVENTED THEM FROM HAVING TO GO FROM PLACE TO PLACE TO PLACE TO PLACE TO GET, UM, THEIR NEEDS MET IN ORDER TO STAY HOUSED.
UH, A AND THE THING THAT WAS REALLY DIFFERENT ABOUT THAT, THAT HAS BEEN OUR HALLMARK THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, IS THAT WE'RE COORDINATING BETWEEN US.
WE'RE USING ONE, UH, DATA SYSTEM, WE'RE USING THE SAME FORMS. WE'RE ABLE TO REPORT CONSISTENTLY ON THE NUMBERS THAT ALL OF US ARE ACHIEVING, AND WE'RE BEING, WE'RE ABLE TO SHOW THAT FOLKS AREN'T MOVING FROM PLACE TO PLACE TO BE ABLE TO GET HELP AND GET THEIR NEEDS MET.
AS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE THAT, AND THE CITY HAS BEEN OUR PARTNER THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THAT.
UM, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MAJOR CHANGES AND PROGRAM SHIFTS AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN ABLE TO KEEP PEOPLE, UM, HOUSED.
AND WHEN THEY FINISH WITH, UH, BEST SINGLE SOURCE PLUS AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT PIECE, WHICH IS VERY INTENSE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY NEED, AND WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO ENSURE, UM, THEIR SECURITY AND, UM, SYSTEMS THAT WE KNOW THAT WORK, IT REALLY DOES KEEP PEOPLE FROM REENTERING, HOMELESSNESS AND, UM, BEING EFFECTIVE AND HAVING THE LIVES THAT THEY DREAM OF AND WISH FOR.
SO, JOE, CATHERINE, DO I CONTROL THE SLIDES OR DO YOU, UH, UH, I CAN DO IT EITHER OR.
YOU ARE, IS IT THIS, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, SO I, I WANNA TALK NOW JUST ABOUT THE, THE PATH THAT THE COLLABORATION HAS TAKEN THROUGH THE YEARS AND WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES NOW.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS BEEN ATTUNED TO THE CHANGES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND ONE OF OUR VALUES AS A COLLABORATIVE IS TO BE INNOVATIVE, TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO EVOLVE WITH THE CHANGES OF THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE ARE ALWAYS ADDRESSING, UH, THE NEEDS IN EFFECTIVE WAYS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR PURPOSE, OUR VISION, OUR MISSION.
I'M NOT GONNA, UM, READ ALL OF THAT TO YOU, BUT, UM, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WE ENGAGED, UH, YOU HEARD JULIA TALK ABOUT THE VERY FIRST SORT OF MODEL OF THE WORK THAT WE HAD IN THE BEGINNING.
AND IN ABOUT 2008, 2009, SOMEWHERE IN THERE, WE STARTED TESTING THE RAPID REHOUSING MODEL, WHICH WAS A NEW INTERVENTION IN THE HOMELESSNESS, UH, INDUSTRY, IF YOU WILL.
AND PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY WERE GETTING GOOD RESULTS FROM RAPID REHOUSING.
AND SO WE SAID, WHY NOT AUSTIN? AND WE JUMPED IN AND WE STARTED LEARNING IT.
WE TRAINED ALL OF OUR STAFF AND TOOK IT FROM THERE.
AND OF COURSE, THE BEST TRAINING IS IN THE ACTUAL DOING OF IT.
AND BECAUSE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE VERY GOOD AT WATCHING OUR DATA, USING OUR DATA TO, UH, CORRECT AND IMPROVE WHAT WE DO, WE HAVE, UH, DEVELOPED A, A REALLY EFFECTIVE RAPID REHOUSING MODEL ACROSS THE COLLABORATION.
THE REAL BEAUTY OF THE COLLABORATION, I WOULD SAY, I WANNA POINT THIS OUT, IS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, ALL OUR PARTNERS, EACH OF THE PARTNERS SERVE DIFFERENT NICHE POPULATIONS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, ALL OF THOSE NICHE POPULATIONS ARE POPULATIONS THAT ARE V MORE VULNERABLE TO HOMELESSNESS THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.
AND SO THE BEAUTY OF HAVING THE BEST SINGLE SOURCE PLUS TOOL IN YOUR TOOL CHEST AS AN ORGANIZATION
[01:25:02]
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL HERE.YOU'VE ALREADY GOT SOMETHING AND YOU HAVE A COLLABORATIVE OF, UH, OF FELLOW PROFESSIONALS SUPPORTING YOU IN YOUR EFFORTS, PEOPLE TO BOUNCE THINGS OFF OF.
AND, UH, JUST A COMMUNITY THAT, THAT, UM, EMPHASIZES EXCELLENCE AND, UH, AND PERSEVERANCE IN THIS WORK.
AND SO YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO SEND YOUR CLIENT WITH A REFERRAL TO ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, YOU'RE ABLE TO SERVE THAT CLIENT WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION.
AND WHEN BSS PLUS FIRST STARTED, NOT, THERE WAS ONLY ONE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS REALLY DOING HOUSING, AND THAT WAS CARITAS AND THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DID NOT HAVE THAT EXPERTISE.
AND SO THIS WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMBED THAT EXPERTISE WITHIN EACH OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY POISED WELL TO, UM, BY THE TIME RAPID REHOUSING, UH, BECAME AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO EMBRACE IT AND HAVE REALLY TAKEN IT FORWARD, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, SERVICES OR THE COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL ACROSS, THROUGH THE YEARS TO HAVE HAD A ROBUST CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO WHERE WE'RE NOT HAVING TO PAY 50% OF THE RENT, WE CAN PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE RENT.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACTUALLY KEEP UP WITH THE COST OF RENT.
AND I WILL SAY, UM, WE CAN'T SERVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE USED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE BECAUSE OF THE COST OF RENT.
BUT WE ARE STILL POISED TO ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF A HUNDRED PERCENT OF EVERYBODY'S NEED, UH, WHEN THEY COME TO US, UH, IN THEIR HOUSING CRISIS, AND WHEN WE ARE ENGAGING WITH THEM TO, UM, END THEIR HOMELESSNESS THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING.
ONE OF THE RECENT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CHALLENGE ALL IN THE SAME SPACE.
AND AUSTIN IS NO EXCEPTION TO THAT.
UH, AT THE SAME TIME, THE APA FUNDING THAT CAME IN FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND PEOPLE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS WAS REALLY ONLY TARGETED AT PEOPLE ALREADY EXPERIENCING LITERAL HOMELESSNESS.
AND THAT WAS, UH, WHEN A SHIFT HAPPENED IN OUR CONTRACT WHERE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BROUGHT, TO PROVIDE PREVENTION SERVICES.
UH, WHEN IN, IN THAT VERY FIRST SLIDE WHEN YOU SAW UNFUNDED PARTNERS, THOSE ARE PARTNERS THAT ARE STILL ENGAGED IN OUR WORK OR IN THEIR WORK AND IN OUR COLLABORATION, BUT THEY ARE NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE COLLABORATION'S WORK ANYMORE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ANY MORE FUNDING FOR PREVENTION.
UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO CHANGE THAT IN THE FUTURE AND, UM, MAKE, MAKE THE COLLABORATIVE WHOLE AGAIN, UH, WITH THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF SERVICES ACROSS FROM PREVENTION ALL THE WAY TO RAPID REHOUSING AND HAVE BOTH OF THOSE COMPONENTS SO THAT WE CAN, UH, DO OUR WORK THE WAY WE USED TO DO IT, WHICH IS ALONG A COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUUM.
ONE OF THE, UH, SENSITIVITIES I THINK ABOUT PREVENTION WORK IS THAT NOT EVERYBODY WHO NEEDS, WHO'S BEING EVICTED OR NEEDS HELP WITH RENT UTILITIES ASSISTANCE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO ENTER THE HOMELESSNESS SYSTEM.
BUT, AND WITH BSS PLUS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A A ME A MECHANISM.
UH, WE'VE DEVELOPED AN ASSESSMENT TOOL THAT ACTUALLY IDENTIFIES THE FOLKS WHO, UH, CAN'T PAY THEIR RENT.
THEY'RE AT RISK OF EVICTION, WHATEVER THEIR SITUATION IS, THEIR HOUSING INSTABILITY.
WE ARE ABLE TO ASSESS THAT FAMILY OR THAT INDIVIDUAL AND UNDERSTAND IF IN FACT, THEY ARE GOING TO END UP HOMELESS.
AND IF THAT IS THE CASE BASED ON OUR ASSESSMENT, THEN WE ENROLL THEM IN OUR HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM.
BUT WE'RE NOT JUST WILLY-NILLY, UH, SERVING EVERYBODY THAT SHOWS UP THAT SAYS, OH, I CAN'T PAY MY RENT.
UM, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S ABOUT 80% OF PEOPLE WHO CAN'T PAY THEIR RENT, WILL NOT ENTER THE HOMELESSNESS
[01:30:01]
SYSTEM.SO IT'S THE 20% WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO AND, AND BE SURE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT THAT WE HAD IN THE MOST RECENT FISCAL CLO UH, CLOSED FISCAL YEAR IN 23.
UH, WE ARE ON TARGET, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST MEET THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS IF, IF NOT MORE.
WELL, IS THAT IT? IT'S THE LAST SLIDE.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS ONE MORE FOR SOME REASON.
UH, AN EXAMPLE YOU MIGHT NEED TO TURN YOURSELF, I MIGHT JUST ADD AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT PREVENTION PIECE WORKS.
SO, SAFE ALLIANCE WHERE I WORK HAD BOTH PREVENTION DOLLARS AND THE RAPID REHOUSING DOLLARS.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO PREVENT IT CURRENTLY FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S ON THE BACK END THAT'S BEEN COMING THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING.
UM, AS YOU ALL CONSIDER BUDGET BUDGET OPPORTUNITIES, I I ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS PREVENTION SIDE ON THE FRONT END.
THE SAVINGS TO A FAMILY, TO INDIVIDUALS, AND TO OUR COMMUNITY OF NOT HAVING PEOPLE ENTER THE HOMELESS SYSTEM IS ENORMOUS.
IF YOU CAN PAY FOR THAT ON THE VERY, AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
SO LET'S SAY SOMEBODY, WE CAN IDENTIFY SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO LOSE THEIR HOUSING BECAUSE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE YEARS OF TRAUMA AND THE YEARS OF ALL THE BARRIERS THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED BECAUSE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND TRAFFICKING IS, UM, WILL BE A LONG RECOVERY.
BUT IF WE CAN ACTUALLY HELP THEM BECAUSE AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME THEY HAVE HOUSING, IF WE CAN HELP THEM KEEP THAT AND STAY THERE, WE AVOID A LONGER TIME AND, AND SUCH NEGATIVE HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF LIVING ON THE STREETS OR BEING HOMELESS.
SO TO ME, IT JUST MAKES GOOD SENSE TO GET AHEAD OF IT.
UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE BOTH THOSE POTS OF MONEY FOR, TO, TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY UNHOUSED AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE ON THE BRINK OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND AS JOE CATHERINE SAYS, WE'VE DEVELOPED A GREAT TOOL FOR IDENTIFYING WHO IS GONNA BE THE MOST, MOST VULNERABLE FOR THAT MAKES GOOD SENSE FOR OUR CITY.
I THINK AS A CITY AND A COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO HAVE ALL THE TOOLS TO IDENTIFY AND ASSIST THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, ARE IN THIS POSITION.
I WOULD JUST ADD, UM, ONE LITTLE FINE POINT TO THAT IS WHEN FOLKS ARE ASSESSED, THE, ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT POINTS TO SOMEONE'S VULNERABILITY TO FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS IS HAVING EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS AS A CHILD.
UH, MANY OF OUR UNFUNDED PARTNERS ARE PARTNERS WHO SERVE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, AND YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO, UM, DO THAT HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION.
AND IT IS IN ALL OF OUR INTEREST TO PREVENT SO THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO DO SO MUCH INTERVENTION IN, IN THE YEARS TO COME.
AND I, AND THAT REMINDED ME THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, A, A DEDICATED FUND.
IT'S A VOLUNTARY FUND THROUGH OUR UTILITY BILL THAT HELPS WITH YOUTH HOMELESSNESS THROUGH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UH, SO THAT MIGHT BE A PARTNER Y'ALL MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, TO, TO THE POINT THAT YOU JUST MADE COLLEAGUES.
ANY QUESTIONS? I'M A LITTLE CURIOUS, UH, ON SOME OF THE DATA YOU TALKED ABOUT, HOW, HOW DO YOU ASSESS YOUR ASSESSMENT? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS ITS ACCURACY RATE? DO THOSE INDIVIDUALS ASSESS, GO INTO HMIS SO YOU SEE IF THEY POP UP OR NOT? LIKE HOW, HOW ARE WE ASSESSING THE ASSESSING? YES.
THAT, THAT IS HOW WE DEVELOPED OUR TOOL WAS BY TRACKING THROUGH HMIS.
UH, THE FOLKS THAT WE DIDN'T HELP, WE CONTINUED TO TRACK THEM AND, AND, UH, DETERMINED, YOU KNOW, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE FOLKS THAT WE DIDN'T HELP WERE HITTING THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.
SO OF THOSE, AND YOU SAID IT'S ABOUT AN 80 20 SPLIT, BUT WHAT IS OF, OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR MODEL SAYS, YES, WE THINK YOU WILL BECOME HOMELESS, OR NO, WE DO NOT.
ARE WE, DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, I GUESS EXPERIENTIALLY, ARE WE UNDER CAPTURING, LIKE, ARE YOU BEING EXTRA CAUTIOUS AND SO WE SEE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE FALL IN HMS OR THE OTHER, ARE YOU BEING A, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT, BUT WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE CAPTURED THAT ARE MAYBE,
[01:35:01]
YOU KNOW, NOT IF I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION PROPERLY.I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW, I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
UH, WHEN, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED THE TOOL AND WE WERE TESTING IT, UH, OUR TEST RESULTS WERE THAT WE WERE VERY ACCURATE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE TESTED IT ALONG THE WAY AND MADE TWEAKS IN, IN THE ASSESSMENT TOOL BEFORE WE GOT TO THE FINAL PRODUCT.
AND, AND ALONG THE WAY WE WERE TESTING TO SEE, UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ENGAGING WITH THE HOMELESSNESS SYSTEM AND, AND WHAT THEIR RISK FACTORS WERE.
AND ARE Y'ALL TALKING TO, OR IS THERE ANY COLLABORATION WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, RENT SUPPORT PROGRAM THROUGH LBL? ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT NEED ASSESSING, WE SHOULD CONSIDER ASSESSING IF THEY'RE COMING TO AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THAT SAYING, HEY, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY OUR RENT.
WELL, ELBOW N IS NOT A COLLABORATIVE PARTNER WITH BSS PLUS, NOT THAT WE WOULDN'T BE OPEN TO THEM BECOMING ONE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND OF COURSE WE WOULD BE OPEN TO HAVING A REFERRAL RELATIONSHIP.
YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA HELP ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND HOW IS OUR DIVERSION OR NOT OUR DIVERSION, OUR OUR PREVENTION DOLLARS FOR DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH DOLLARS FOR EVERYONE? YOU, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PREVENTION DOLLARS.
SO FOR IF YOU IDENTIFY, 'CAUSE WHAT HAP WHAT HAPPENED IS THE ARPA DOLLARS CAME IN, OKAY.
AND BEFORE THE ARPA DOLLARS CAME IN, WE WERE USING REGULAR CITY DOLLARS FOR THOSE PREVENTION FUNDS.
THE ARPA DOLLARS DIDN'T ALLOW FOR PREVENTION.
AND I THINK, UM, AND I'M, I'M GOING TO SPEAK LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, NOT, AND I DON'T
I WON'T SPEAK MORE BROADLY THAN OUR COLLABORATION, UM, BUT FOR OUR COLLABORATION, THE, THE REGULAR CITY DOLLARS WENT AWAY.
SO FOR, HOW DO Y'ALL PAY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL? YOU, YOU KNOW, THE STORY YOU TOLD US SOMEONE WHO YOU ASSESS AND YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE IS SOME, AND IT MAY BE YOUR PRIVATE FUNDING, BUT THERE IS FUNDING FOR KEEPING THEM IN THEIR HOME.
THERE, WE, WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY DOING THAT WORK WITHIN THE COLLABORATION.
WE'RE ONLY DOING RAPID REHOUSING.
WHAT IS, DO YOU HAVE A COST LIKE PER CLIENT OF WHAT THAT WOULD COST TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PAY A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME RENT? LIKE, NOT TODAY, BUT I CAN, I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
UH, MY LAST QUESTION, BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE RAPID PROGRAM, AND, AND I KNOW CARITAS HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE OUTCOMES AS IT RELATES TO THAT PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE TIME LENGTH OF RAPID REHOUSING, HOW LONG IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE, WHETHER OR NOT THE, THE LENGTH NOW, YOU KNOW, UP TO 24 MONTHS.
IS THAT BECAUSE POTENTIALLY WE'RE PUTTING THE WRONG CLIENTS INTO RAPID REHOUSING? SO I'M CURIOUS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND, AND Y'ALL'S WORK, WHAT IS THE KIND OF THE RIGHT LEVEL OF IF, IF WE GOT THE RIGHT CLIENTS INTO RAPID MM-HMM,
IT WORKS REALLY WELL FOR 24 MONTHS.
UM, AND, AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN TRANSITION OUT BEFORE 24 MONTHS.
UM, BUT 24 MONTHS IS ADEQUATE IF THE, UM, IF THE RIGHT CLIENTS ARE REFERRED TO RAPID REHOUSING, YOU KNOW, OR PAIRED WITH RAPID REHOUSING, UH, IF SOMEONE WHO IS EXTREMELY VULNERABLE AND REALLY IS MORE SUITED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, THERE'S REALLY, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT FOR THAT PERSON TO BECOME COMPLETELY STABLE WITH A SOURCE OF INCOME, A WAY TO PAY FOR THEIR HOUSING IN 24 MONTHS.
UM, DOES THE BSS PLUS SHARE CASE MANAGERS WITHIN THE COLLECTIVE, OR DOES EACH ORGANIZATION HAVE A CASE MANAGER? EACH ORGANIZATION HAS THEIR OWN TEAM OF CASE MANAGERS THAT WORKS.
UM, YOU WANNA EXPLAIN MORE KIND OF THOSE STRUCTURE OF THE COLLECT? YEAH, BECAUSE MY ULTIMATE QUESTION IS, UH, AND THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW IF, IF EACH ORGANIZATION HAS THEIR OWN CASE MANAGER, ABOUT HOW MANY CLIENTS DOES EACH CASE MANAGER SERVE? BECAUSE IT'S SO SCATTERED SITE FOR MOST OF US, UH, A A GOOD CASELOAD IS ABOUT 15
[01:40:01]
PEOPLE, UM, POINT IN TIME.AND EACH ONE OF US HAS OUR OWN CASELOAD THAT COMES BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE CAUSATIVE AND PREVENTATIVE ISSUE THAT, THAT REALLY WAS AT THE CORE OF SOMEBODY'S HOMELESSNESS TO BEGIN WITH.
AND SO FOR SAFE, IT'S BEEN FREQUENTLY RELATED TO TRAUMA AND HOMELESSNESS FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
IT, UM, COULD BE OTHER REASONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, LIFE WORKS AS A PARTNER.
THEIRS IS AROUND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO ALL OF US HAVE OUR OWN NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO HELP SOMEBODY WHO HAS BECOME HOMELESS AS A RESULT.
BUT WE HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT THAT ALSO ADDRESSES THOSE VERY SPECIAL ISSUES.
AND THEN WE ALL SHARE, SO CARITAS IS THE SOLE FISCAL AGENT.
CARITAS IS PAYING THE BILLS, CARITAS IS PAYING THE, SENDING THE RENT, BUT THE CASE MANAGEMENT HAPPENS THROUGH EACH AGENCY AND EACH AGENCY IS SENDING THE RENT, THE RENT REQUESTS TO CARITAS TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO IT COMES TO A REALLY EASY WAY OF BOTH TRACKING OUTCOMES AND TRACKING FINANCES.
IT WAS A GOOD SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT.
LIKE, WE WERE SO PROUD WHEN WE CAME UP WITH IT.
'CAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME THAT, UM, THAT OUR COMMUNITY TOOK THIS REALLY SYSTEMIC LOOK AT, UM, WHAT WAS GETTING BARRIERS THAT WERE GETTING IN FOLKS WAY AND THEN BEING ABLE TO INNOVATE AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
AND RESPONDING WHEN OUR COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDED US TO ADDRESS LITERAL HOMELESSNESS AND KNOWING THAT WE COULD DO SO.
AND REMIND ME, AND WHEN DID THE COLLABORATIVE COMMENCE? 23 YEARS.
AND UM, FINAL QUESTION, HOW DO, HOW DO PEOPLE GET REFERRED TO BSS PLUS WE UTILIZE THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM.
I WAS WONDERING AND, AND ALL OF OUR DATA IS ENTERED INTO HMIS EXCEPT FOR SAFE ALLIANCE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR, FOR JOINING US TODAY.
AND I ALSO WOULD BE INTERESTED IF Y'ALL COULD PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL REGARDING PREVENTION SERVICES.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK AT THAT.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.
OKAY, COLLEAGUES, THAT IS OUR FINAL BRIEFING FOR TODAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING.
[Future Items]
ON OUR AGENDA IS JUST ANY DISCUSSION ON FUTURE ITEMS PROPOSALS.WE WILL, UM, UH, NOT HAVE A MEETING IN JULY AS WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON BUDGET, UM, BUT WE WILL RECONVENE IN AUGUST.
I THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO TODAY'S IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS OR OBJECTIONS, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 11:43 AM THANK YOU.
SO I WISH I, AND YOU WERE FRIENDS.