Shelter Diversion Ed Boyte, Assistant Director and Trainer

Cleveland Mediation Center

2012 w. 25th Street

Suite 412

Cleveland OH 44113

•What is diversion?

•When?

•Where?

•What types of assistance?

Where on this continuum would you put:

Traditional Prevention? Diversion? Rapid Rehousing?

Own place

Doubled up / Couch Surfing

Emergency Shelter

Pre

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Div

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Rap

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National Alliance to End Homelessness: Principles

for good homeless prevention.

Principle 1: Crisis resolution Homelessness is a crisis.

Responses must include:

•triage,

• focus on personal safety as the first priority;

•de-escalation of emotions;

•Clear, achievable action steps;

• returning the person to control over their own

problem-solving.

Principle 2: Client choice, respect and empowerment

•Staff must help people in crisis regain a sense of control.

•Focus on the client’s goals, choices, and preferences,

•An unwavering respect for their strengths, and reinforcement of progress are essential for empowerment.

•This does not mean clients are protected from the natural consequences of their actions.

Principle 3: Provide the minimum assistance

necessary for the shortest time possible

• Progressive engagement as in RRH, but

clients must re-qualify under prevention.

• Other than paying back rent, what are

some examples of lesser amounts of

assistance that help people housed?

Principle 4: Maximize community

resources. Lightest touch.

Reserve Shelter beds for those in

need.

Connect people to benefits.

Principle 5: The right resources to the

right people at the right time.

Coordinated assessment & diversion

• Should work closely together • Have different roles – e.g. C.A. may

be managing beds of returning, as well as new residents.

• Diversion team should be able to have a more relaxed conversation – not intake or interview – a luxury not often afforded C.A.

• Only those seeking a shelter bed are referred to diversion

1. EMT brings patient in.

2. Patient is triaged (Central Intake at shelter).

3. All members of the team – EMT, ER docs, nurses, surgeons, work together.

4. Despite different positions, unions, titles, etc.

all work together to quickly treat and release –

patients recover better at home, it’s less

expensive, less chance of hospital born

infections and allows longer stays for those

who need it. What older paradigm does this

replace?

Pop: Under 400,000 Median income: $24,687 Median rent: $605

It is a soft housing market, but Heating bills and units passing inspection can be challenging.

Cleveland Mediation Center

CMC promotes just and peaceful community in Northeast Ohio by honoring all people, building their capacity to act,

and facilitating opportunities for them to engage in conflict constructively.

Programs include:

Neighborhood & schools

Family

Mediation training

13

Current Diversion Work in the Shelters

1. Help persons determine if it’s possible for them to stay anywhere else that’s safe, other than a shelter. This could be temporary or permanent.

2. We have funds for local and Greyhound bus tickets, food, grocery & gas station gift cards, or utility assistance that can be used to help persons stay with friends or family.

•Use ESG funds for back rent or 1st month’s rent & deposit.

•Most persons we see have been doubled up – staying temporarily with friends or family.

Conflict Resolution Approach

•Based on Transformative Mediation Theory

•Homelessness is a crisis –like in conflict, persons in crisis are less able to clearly think through problems &and advocate for themselves than they are when not in crisis.

•So as in conflict, we first listen and validate their experience – as our mission says, honoring all people, building their capacity to act.

•Client-centered. We don’t assume what people need, we help them articulate their needs.

•We use a strength-based approach – helping clients identify and mine strengths, successes and resources they’ve used in the past to help them with this bout of homelessness.

•Consistent with CMC mission of honoring, validating and building persons’ capacity to act, we are non-judgmental.

•We support and trust that persons want to succeed, have done so previously and help them tap into their own strengths and past successes to help them with their current situation.

Types of diversions (always safe & appropriate)

1. Helping persons go back where they have recently stayed – mediation + food or utility assistance. Sometimes back rent.

2. Back to a stable home out of town – phone facilitation + greyhound fare.

3. Own (new) housing – temp place to stay during housing search. We order inspection and pay first month’s rent and deposit.

Diversion 2014 Year End Totals

Men’s Shelter / WOmens

Clients seen by CMC: 1,279 546

Clients Diverted: 245 106

Delayed Diversion (stayed in shelter >than 1 night):

3 6

19% 20%

Families

seen by CMC: 721

Diverted*: 198

Delayed stayed in shelter >than 1 night): 13

29%

* Does not include people on wait list.

Successes

Our staff. After an early hire -- who had shelter and mediation background didn’t work out -- we broadened our search. We emphasized candidates’ beliefs and attitudes, and had them demonstrate their skills in the shelters during the interview process with our staff providing crucial feedback. Evidence-based tracking via HMIS Service Point has been helpful in showing what has worked. Our goal is to divert 20% - 25% of clients entering shelter.

Case -You + 2 kids rented a house for 2 years -You worked at fast food. -Other (non-married) parent was with you most of the time. -You moved out before eviction -Stayed with your Mom for almost a year. -Your partner lived sometimes at your Mom’s but also with his/her mother and a friend. -Mom has given you 3 days to move out – another child and her kids live there.

Group Exercise

Goal – to uncover Strengths, Success and Networks. Each group will have a different aspect of this story: Groups 1 and 5: Think of all the aspects (strengths, skills, successes, networks) that went into finding and maintaining your own housing. Groups 2 and 6: Think of all the aspects (strengths, skills, successes, skills that went into finding and maintaining your job at McDonalds. Groups 3 and 4: While being doubled up with Mom, how did you contribute to the household? How were you helped, but in what ways to help others?

Purpose

This is just one part of diversion. It would follow active listening, where the party is heard and understood – and their experience is validated.

We want to return decision-making power over to the party (client).

Especially in crisis, the best way to do this is not fix, correct or try to teach new skills

Rather we can helping them recognize people in their support network, skills they have and steps they have successfully used before in similar circumstances.

We begin to help them discover housing, job, child care and transportation options

Our assistance then follows the path the client chooses, so we support their plan back into housing.

Use flip chart or wipe off boards to help them see strengths, successes and connections.

DOG

Walk it

Play

Vet

Feed it

Let’s say we’re helping a someone recognize all the things that have gone into then raising a dog.

Instituting a Diversion Program at your Agency

CMC is happy to talk to you about coming to your community to train staff in conflict resolution and diversion.

Ed Boyte, Cleveland Mediation Center Eboyte@clevelandmediation.org 216-621-1919, ext. 103 or 216-513-3604.