5.1 Retooling Transitional Housing II: Implementing Changes to Your Program Speaker: Kay Moshier McDivitt If you are planning to make significant changes to your transitional housing program, this workshop will help you identify the steps you can consider and provide examples and tools for taking those steps. Providers who have retooled their transitional housing will share their experiences about making the shift, and cover topics such as staffing, contracts, and working with board members.

1. Retooling Transitional Housing II
Implementing Changes to Your Program
February 10, 2012
Kay Moshier McDivitt
Capacity Building Associate
kmoshiermcdivitt@naeh.org

2. Retooling Transitional Housing II:
Implementing Changes to Your Program
Speakers
Kay Moshier McDivitt, Moderator
National Alliance to End Homelessness
David Jordon, Executive Director
Agape Child and Family Services, Memphis TN
Heather Lyons, Senior Program Manager
Corporation for Supportive Housing

3. Implementing Changes to Your Program
Assessment and Planning Stage: Develop a
Planning Committee (30-60 days)
 Assess and Evaluate the Current Program
 Analyze current program data including length of stay, exits to
permanent housing
 Identify the “re-tooling” model
 Model type, target populations, staffing configurations,
partnerships, merging
 Identify issues
 barriers and solutions, staff, board and funding concerns,
population served, new outcome measurements
 Identify questions
 Feasibility including funding, contract revisions, community buy-in,
 Final recommendation and implementation Plan

4. Lancaster County PA Experience
– 2006
• 54 room facility based 24 month Transitional Housing
Program with mandated minimum of 6 months intensive
menu program services
• Average LOS was 13 months with 35% “graduation”
rate
– Today
• Transitioned to a “rapid exit” model
– 105 days from entry to permanent housing exit
• Length of stay not program or participation driven
• Determined by individual housing plan to find
permanent housing, not by program “requirements”
• Developed service partnerships to provide the
supportive services and housing stabilization services
• Less dependence on the program 4

5. Implementing Changes to Your Program
Our Assessment Process
 Planning committee included board, staff,
community members and funders/donors
 Established clear steps and a time line
 Evaluated our data and best practice models
 Set the vision, and plan for implementation

6. Implementing Changes to Your Program
Assessment Process: What we found
 Program “requirements” created barriers
 Many households exited for non participation
with mandatory services
 Trying to be “all” to “all issues”
 Creating a “cycle of dependency”
 Folks asking to come back even after
program completion to access services
 Not aligned with the community Ten Year Plan

7. Implementing Changes to Your Program
1. Set the vision and core values
Successful move to a permanent solution in
the shortest amount of time with
households connected to community
resources and services that can support
them in the outside community

8. Implementing Changes to Your Program
Implementation Phase: 4-6 months
1. Set the vision and identify core values for model
2. Develop the new organizational structure
3. Obtain strong board support
4. Obtain staff buy-in and develop necessary training
5. Identify benchmarks and outcomes
6. Modify funding contracts and identify new funding
sources
7. Identify collaborations and partnerships needed
8. Determine use of building/facilities
9. Set the start date for implementation

9. Implementing Changes to Your Program
1. Set the core values
 Switch from a “housing readiness” approach to
“rapid exit” approach
 Shift from “what you need to do to stay here
successfully” to “what you need to leave here
quickly and successfully”
 Redefining of “who we are” and “how we do
business”-a paradigm shift

10. Implementing Changes to Your Program
2. Develop the new organizational structure
 Incorporate the “Rapid Exit Approach” into our mission
statement
 Develop a program flow chart
 Identify role of staffing and training needs
 Update policies and procedures
 Identify the community partnerships, collaborations and
resources needed
 Proposed budget/funding adjustments
 Develop a clear communication plan (internal and external
communication)

11. Implementing Changes to Your Program
3. Obtain strong Board support
 Who are the proponents on your Board-use
them to engage other Board members
 Part of the assessment process
 Board member took the plan to the Board for
approval
 Lots of education on Ten Year Plan and the
Rapid Exit Approach

12. Implementing Changes to Your Program
4. Staff Role, Buy-In and Training
 Develop a plan to shift organizational culture
 Reframed “change” as “new opportunities”
 Focus on “moving folks to housing more quickly”
 Clear expectations-New job descriptions
 Training, Training, Training
 Began with weekly meetings
 Map out the new program and how it will work (process
mapping)
 Squelch negativity-”this is our program vision”

13. Implementing Changes to Your Program
5. Identify benchmarks and outcomes
 Identify clear targets for implementation
 Set outcome targets with quarterly reviews
 Consumer shift
 Give a sense of urgency from day one
 Focus on moving out instead of moving in
 Offer training/groups that directly correlate to
obtaining and maintaining housing
 Programs Targets:
 Increase exits to Permanent Housing to 70%
 Decrease LOS to 6 months or less

14. Implementing Changes to Your Program
6. Secure Funding (current and new)
• Set up meetings with funders to
communicate plan and modify contracts
– Include funders in the “Planning Phase”
– Be ready to show data for plan
– Donor communication is critical
• Identify potential new sources of funding

15. Implementing Changes to Your Program
7. Partnerships (Less dependence on the program)
 Identify needed housing stabilization services
 Connect with mainstream organizations
 Meet with identified service providers
 MOU’s identify role and responsibility of each providers
 Connect with landlords/housing programs
 Landlord engagement
 Faith community
 Collaborate with other proponents of your model
in the community

16. Implementing Changes to Your Program
8. Building/Facility
 Explore options for facility
 What role does it play in the new model
 Explore all funding issues
 We still used the building as a site based model;
Current exploration of potential to sell or move to
another model

17. Implementing Changes to Your Program
9. Get Started- It Works! Lancaster Program:
 Redefined length of stay, immediate focus on permanent
housing plan
 Service provision is through external sources rather than
internal staff
 Redefined staff role to housing locators, supportive
service coordinators, housing stabilizers
 Outcomes and indicators focus on moving to permanent
affordable housing
 Established community partnerships
 Development of landlord partnerships

18. Implementing Changes to Your Program
2010 Results
72% of households in the Transitional
Living Center moved to permanent leased
housing in an average of 105 days
94% maintained that permanent housing
for six months
82% for a year

19. Implementing Changes to Your Program
Next Steps
1. Who are the change agents in you will connect with
as you make this transition?
1. In your organization?
2. On your board?
3. In the business and/or funding community?
4. In the provider community?
2. What funding sources are likely to be at risk? What
other funding streams can you tap into?
3. What are 2 critical things that will need to change
(that are in your control) to make this shift?
1. One “stop-doing” item
2. One “start-doing” item
4. What is one activity or asset that your organization
currently does/has that can be leveraged in this
transition?

20. Final Thoughts
 Re-tooling your transitional housing program
requires a culture that embraces change
 Clear vision and goals are imperative
 Community involvement and partnerships
 Prepare a good communication plan
 Evaluate and adjust
 Be prepared for challenges
 Build on successes: celebrate small victories
“Its not the letting go that hurts, it’s
the holding on”.