HOUSE WAKE! Utilizing Diversion to Reduce InflowRaleigh/Wake Partnership to End Homelessness6-Week Mini Training Series – Week 32:00pm, August 3, 2020

YOUR PRESENTER

Robyn AndrewsSenior Program ManagerSoutheast Region, CSH

Robyn

Today’s Agenda

Defining Diversion

Diversion Basics

Skill-Building Overview Wrap-Up

HOUSE WAKE!What is Diversion?THE BASICS

Diversion Defined

A strategy that prevents homelessnessby helping people experiencing ahousing crisis and seeking access to thehomeless response system to preservetheir current housing situation or makeimmediate alternative arrangementswithout having to enter the system(shelter or street)

Diversion Basics

Creative approach that’s been happening organically at

shelters for years, when beds aren’t available.

Relies on point of contact staff trained in diversion

techniques to facilitate a conversation about safe

alternatives to shelter, outside the homeless system.

Often includes facilitating connection between a person

in crisis and their support system through

medication/conflict resolution.

Diversion BasicsTarget: Individuals seeking

assistance that have experienced a loss of permanent housing

Diversion is an approach, not a program.

Focuses on a person’s strengths and supporting their

process of identifying the resources available to them to

help resolve their housing crisis

Diversion BasicsDiversion should

consistently occur at all CES access points/front doors,

as well as within all shelters. Diversion should be

attempted:

Before a person completes the VI-SPDAT

While a person is waiting for a housing resource

While a person is in emergency shelter (assists

in self-resolution)

How is Diversion different from Prevention?

Prevention occurs when a household is imminently at

risk (within 14 days) of losing housing. Diversion occurs

when a household has nowhere to stay tonight.

Target population: Households who come to the front door of your homeless system and request shelter

tonight.

4 A’s of Coordinated AccessWhere does Diversion fit?

ACCESS ASSESS ASSIGN ACCOUNTABILITY

• CoordinatedOutreach

• Access Points/Front Doors

• Triage

• Diversion

• Common Assessment Tool

• By-Name List (BNL)

• Inventory of Open Units

• Prioritization Policy

• Referral Process

• Case Conferencing

• Outcome Tracking

• Lead Entity

• Reporting/ Monitoring

Intervention Timeline

Own Place

At the Front Door

In the Homeless Response

System

Prevention

Diversion

Rapid Re-Housing

Diversion Is…◦ Helping persons determine if it’s possible for them to stay

anywhere else that’s safe, other than a shelter or on thestreet. This could be temporary or permanent.

◦ A part of the entire homeless response system.◦ Problem-Solving◦ Solution-Focused◦ Strengths-Based◦ Housing search, connection to mainstream services, conflict

mediation, short-term case management & occasionallyprovision of financial assistance.

Diversion Is Not…

A separate “program” Denying shelter or RRH to those who need it

Sending people away from access to services

Traditional prevention, because the people seeking

assistance are coming seeking shelter/services

from the homeless response system

Rapid re-housing, though it may be a part of the RRH

process

The Data• Success rates within effective diversion approaches are high:

o Families diversion rate: 30-70%

o Single adult diversion rate: 30%

o In Waterloo, Canada: Less than 5% of households have returned to the homeless system after 4 years

• Why are families diverted more frequently?

o People have a particular empathy for kids

o The responsibility of keeping kids safe results in more openness to trying something else as opposed to staying on the streets or in shelter

The Data• Most people that experience homelessness will do so only once in their life,

for a short period of time, and will not experience it ever again.

• Looking at family shelter, about 50% of families resolve their ownhomelessness and don’t need further assistance from the homeless system.

• We have a small number of housing resources, and limited staff capacity. Wemust be intentional about connecting people to the right intervention at theright time in their life. Diversion supports efforts to prioritize the mostvulnerable households for intensive homeless system resources.

Why try to Divert?•Helps people avoid trauma of a shelter stay or night(s) on the street byconnecting them with safe alternatives

•Improves system outcomes by reducing entries into homelessness

•Improves quality of life by helping people avoid the stress of entering thehomeless response system

•Conserves and targets resources to those who need it

•Cuts down on shelter wait lists

Cost EffectivenessExample: Let’s say your system exited 100 people from ES to PH in 2016. You implement diversion and experience a 50% success rate.

• Cost of Emergency Shelter (National Average per HUD study): $1,614/mo.• Cost of Diversion: $200/per household (liberal cost estimate)

o 50 households * $200/each = $10,000 diversion costo 50 households * $1,614/mo. = $80,700 shelter cost (monthly)

• Diverting 50 households from shelter costs $70,700 less than having them enter shelter for one month.

The 5 C’s of DiversionCommitment –Mainstream and homeless service providers must believe households are better served outside of the homeless response systemConversation –Diversion is a problem-solving, strengths-based conversation, not an assessment tool with a list of questions

Creativity –Identify creative solutions and explore every option

Connections –Creating partnerships for connecting to alternative resources; connecting to natural supports

Continuous –People may return and the conversation and assistance can happen again

Skill-Building OverviewTHE BASICS

Diversion Steps

1. Introductions2. Active and Empathetic Listening3. Strength Exploration

4. Moving forward

- Ed Boyte, Cleveland Mediation Center

Exploring Diversion Supports

Where have you been staying?

What led you here today?

Why are you no longer able to

stay?

Was it a safe place?

Who were you staying with?

Do you have a friend or family member in the

area?

If there was a conflict is there a way to resolve it?

Do you still have keys to the home?

Things to Consider

Always find out about:

1. Housing History

2. Income

- Current

- Past

Are options:

1. Safe?

2. Appropriate for client?

Key Skills for Diversion

Conflict Resolution Approach to

Diversion

Client-centered services

Strengths-based services

How Can We Help Change The Dynamic?

Reminders for Diversion•Remember to listen first, understand, validate. Be empathetic.

•Leave no stone unturned in helping people think of safe places they can live or stay other than the street or shelter.

•Help people think through options – help them clarify their choices and the steps needed to carry out their plan.

If a client is challenging:

•Remember that homelessness is a crisis and people are usually not at their best when under this stress.

•Help them realize strengths and resources they have forgotten.

•Visualize sitting next to them, supporting them in how they choose to address the problem.

Questions and Wrap-Up