Slide 1:

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

PLANNING GUIDE

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

Slide 2:

What is the Planning Guide?

• Guidance tool
• Purpose is to help your team:
  • Prepare for the Academy
  • Develop your Action Plan

Slide 3:

Academy Stages

• State preparation
  • Site visits
  • Pre-Academy assignment
• Formal Policy Academy
• Post-Academy Implementation (and technical assistance)

Slide 4:

State Preparation(Site Visits)

• Familiarize teams with the Action Planning process
• Discuss Academy format
• Identify key components of an integrated service system
• Begin work on vision statement and reality assessment

Slide 5:

State Preparation(What Needs to be Done Before the Academy)

• Formalize decision- making process/choose a leader
• Develop a common vision
• Develop an understanding of systems integration
• Begin to assess current reality
• Identify key points for team presentation
• Begin reading resource materials

Slide 6:

Working as a Team

• Choose a leader
• Establish tasks, time table, and timekeeper
• Select a scribe
• Develop team ground rules
• Determine decision making process
• Check-in and check-out

Slide 7:

Team Tips

• Try to stay focused
• Encourage ideas
• Challenge your assumptions
• Highlight and explore your differences
• Differentiate between what you are totally committed to and what you can live with

Slide 8:

During the Academy

• Faculty presentations on systems integration, evidence-based practices, and resources
• Teams “complete” Action Plans
• Feedback from faculty and peers

Slide 9:

Brief State Team Presentations

• Share your initial vision statement
• Identify key issues, circumstances, efforts in your state

Slide 10:

State Delegation Meetings

• Continue developing Action Plan
  • Reaffirm team vision, priorities/goals
  • Formulate policy and program strategies
  • Assign specific action steps based on strategies
• Confer “one-on-one” with faculty, peers

Slide 11:

State Report-Outs

• Briefly outline Action Plan
• Discuss how priorities may have changed (or been reinforced)
• Elaborate on immediate next steps
• Identify potential technical assistance needs
• Solicit feedback from faculty and peers

Slide 12:

Following the Academy

• Finalize strategies (short- and long-range)
• Finalize specific action steps
• Implement the Action Plan
  • Agree on a timeline
  • Develop benchmarks/outcome measures
• Report on progress
• Seek technical assistance as needed

Slide 13:

Team Challenges

• Staying focused on issue of providing access to mainstream services
• Building team consensus around Action Plan
• Encouraging ideas
• Challenging assumptions
• Highlighting/exploring differences
• Differentiating between what team members are totally committed to and what they can live with

Slide 14:

Team Challenges (continued)

• Identifying politically feasible strategies
• Presenting a clear message to influential policymakers
• Generating public and political will to support Action Plan
• Implementing the Action Plan through executive, legislative, administrative, and private sector (non-government) processes

Slide 15:

What Should Be Accomplished Before Arriving At The Academy?

• Circulate draft vision statement to all members of team for polishing
• Provide HSR with revised draft statement to be included in Academy packet
• Select a team leader(s)
• Review resource material