U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Improving Access to Mainstream Services for "Chronically" Homeless Persons, Including Individuals with Serious Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse Problems, Hyatt Harborside, Boston, Massachusetts, April 9-11, 2002


AGENDA

Objectives:

  • To assist State and local policymakers to develop an Action Plan intended to improve access to mainstream health and human services that are coordinated with housing for persons who are "chronically" homeless;
  • To create and/or reinforce relationships among the Governor's office, State Legislators, key program administrators, and stakeholders from the public and private sectors;
  • To provide an environment conducive to the process of strategic decision-making; and
  • To assist State and local policymakers in identifying issues or areas of concern that may result in a formal request for technical assistance.

Tuesday, April 9, 2002

10:00 a.m.

Registration

12:00 noon

Working Lunch

 

Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • Charles Curie, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
    Administration (SAMHSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
    • Videotaped greeting from HHS Deputy Secretary Claude A. Allen

  • Patricia Carlile, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Assistance, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
    • Videotaped greeting from HUD Secretary Mel Martinez

  • Peter Dougherty, Director, Office of Homeless Veterans Programs, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
    • Videotaped greeting from VA Secretary Anthony Principi

  • Philip Mangano, Executive Director, Interagency Council on the Homeless

  • Lawrence Bartlett, Director, Health Systems Research, Inc. (HSR), Facilitator

Introductions of State Team Members, Faculty, and Resource Persons and
Brief Presentations by Each Team

2:00 p.m.

A Personal Account From a Formerly Homeless Person

 
  Presenter: Moe Armstrong, Director of Consumer Affairs
Vinfen Corporation

2:45 p.m.

The Dynamics of Homelessness, and the Impact of Supportive Housing on Services Use and Costs

 
  Presenter: Dennis Culhane, Associate Professor
University of Pennsylvania

3:30 p.m.

Break

3:45 p.m.

State Team Session One: Vision Statement, Reality Assessment and Priority Setting

 
  • Revise Vision Statement (revise based on draft developed by State Team prior to Policy Academy)
    • Statement of purpose
    • Picture of Team's ideal future (independent of current reality)
    • Reference point for all future decisions

  • Completion of Reality Assessment (continue assessment process begun at Pre-Academy meeting)
    • Inventory/review of: current programs/activities, key challenges, previous policy actions, current political environment
    • SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
    • Provide context
    • Identify resources

  • Priority Setting - Identify:
    • Gaps between the Team's vision statement and the current reality
    • Areas to focus energy and limited resources
    • Basis for planning, policymaking, and setting performance standards

5:30 p.m.

Reception

6:30 p.m.

Dinner (On your own)

 

 

Wednesday, April 10, 2002

7:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m.

Overview of the Day

8:15 a.m.

HUD's McKinney-Vento Programs: Moving Towards Ending Chronic Homelessness

 
  Presenter: John Garrity, Director, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs
    Mark Johnston, Deputy Director, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs
Department of Housing and Urban Development

8:45 a.m.

Plenary Presentations

What Works: Evidence-Based Practices and Best Practices Models

 
  Presenter: Fred Osher, Associate Professor, Director, Center for Behavioral Health,
Justice and Public Policy
University of Maryland School of Medicine

 

What Works: System Change Strategies

 
  Presenter: Carol Wilkins, Director, Intergovernmental Policy
Corporation for Supportive Housing

10:15 a.m.

Break

10:30 a.m.

State Team Session Two: Complete Priority Setting

 

  • Priority Setting - Identify:

    • Gaps between the Team's vision statement and the current reality
    • Areas to focus energy and limited resources
    • Basis for planning, policymaking, and setting performance standards

12:00 noon

Working Lunch

 

Brief panel presentations highlighting several topics that can be explored in detail in the afternoon breakout session:

  • The Use of Block Grant Funding to Serve Chronically Homeless Persons
    Matthew Cornish, Director, Administration and Finance
    Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services

  • Expediting Eligibility Determinations
    Yvonne Perret, Director, SSI Outreach Project
    University of Maryland Medical System

  • VA Programs
    Peter Dougherty, Director, Office of Homeless Veterans Programs
    Department of Veterans Affairs

2:00 p.m.

State Team Session Three: Begin Tactical Planning

 

  • Develop Realistic Strategies/Tactical Plans

    • Broad-ranging tactics requiring statewide or cross-agency efforts
    • Usually involves the combination of several courses of action
    • Should be directly related to Team's goals and priorities
    • Includes identifying technical assistance needs

3:45 p.m.

Break

4:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions:

 

Roundtable Discussions with Resource Persons from Expert Services

  • Housing
  • Services/Best Practices
  • SSI
  • Systems Change
  • Medicaid
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Services

5:15 p.m.

Adjourn

 

Homework Assignment: Each State Team should prepare to share with the other Teams their action planning-to-date - including their written vision statement, reality assessment, and goals/priorities at tomorrow morning's plenary session. Each Team should also identify what they anticipate their technical assistance needs to be. Meeting rooms will be available to the Teams in the evening, if needed.
   

Thursday, April 11, 2002

7:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m.

Overview of the Day

8:10 a.m.

State Team Status Reports and Exchange of Ideas Among State Team Members and Faculty

9:30 a.m.

State Team Session Four: Tactical Planning and Action Steps

 

  • Complete Strategies/Tactical Plans

    • Broad-ranging tactics requiring statewide or cross-agency efforts
    • Usually involves the combination of several courses of action
    • Should be directly related to Team's goals and priorities
    • Includes identifying technical assistance needs

  • Identify Action Steps

    • Specific activities to be undertaken based on strategies
    • Required action from specific individual or entities
    • Considerations:
    • Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
    • Who is responsible for completing each action?
    • What resources are required?
    • What is the timeline?
    • Who will be affected?
    • How will success be measured (benchmarks)?

12:00 p.m.

Working Lunch

 

Roundtable Discussions with Resource Persons from Federal Agencies

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
  • Social Security Administration (SSA)

1:00 p.m.

State Team Session Five: Completion of Action Steps

 
  • Specific activities to be undertaken based on strategies
  • Required action from specific individual or entities
  • Considerations:
    • Who is responsible for coordinating each action?
    • Who is responsible for completing each action?
    • What resources are required?
    • What is the timeline?
    • Who will be affected?
    • How will success be measured (benchmarks)?

2:45 p.m.

Break

3:00 p.m.

State Team Report-Outs with Faculty Feedback

 
  • Teams outline their Action Plans
  • Discuss progress and key barriers/challenges identified during the Policy Academy
  • Discuss how the initial vision, priorities, strategies and/or action steps may have been reinforced or changed
  • Outline next steps and timeframes

4:45 p.m.

Wrap-up and Review of Next Steps

5:00 p.m.

Adjourn


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

sponsored by:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(formerly the Health Care Financing Administration)
Health Resources and Services Administration
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Community Planning and Development
Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

in partnership with:

American Public Human Services Association
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
National Association of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Directors
National Association of County and City Health Program Directors
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
National Conference of State Legislators
National Governors Association
National Head Start Association
U.S. Conference of Mayors