DHS NEWS March 2016
“ Homebuilders is an “all-hands-on-deck” scenario to improve child safety and family functioning. Katie Stoehr, Manager of Program Operations in the Office of Children, Youth and Families, describing Homebuilders, a new option for intensive case management.
HUD Continuum of Care grants will move Rapid Rehousing forward The receipt of nearly $15 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) includes funding that allows the Department of Human Services (DHS) to continue embracing a promising new way of assisting people who are homeless, known as Rapid Rehousing. While the grants are primarily renewals for an array of more traditional housing supports, they also allow DHS to pursue seven new Rapid Rehousing programs, making a total of nine that the department will be administering once the additional programs get under way in the next few months in the Allegheny County Continuum of Care. Rapid Rehousing assists individuals and families who have been living in shelters or on the street to quickly acquire stable housing, ideally within 30 days. The approach operates under a “Housing First� philosophy that emphasizes stabilizing individuals and families in housing as the first step in helping them improve their circumstances. After being moved to a Rapid Rehousing program unit, clients work toward self-sufficiency: Securing a job that pays for permanent housing is a program goal. To that end, Rapid Rehousing participants receive intensive case management and must participate in case reviews every three months to ascertain what else can be done to accomplish self-sufficiency. Clients are required to find their own apartment and sign a lease in their own name, although the rent is shared by the program and client while they are enrolled. Clients are assessed every three months for continued eligibility and any ongoing need for rental assistance. The hope is that program participants receive rental assistance for a short period of time, ideally six to nine months, and then are able to take over the full rental payments for their apartment when their stay in the program ends. Rapid Rehousing programs are included in the HUD award along with Transitional Housing programs, which provide housing with financial support for two years; Permanent Supportive Housing for people with disabilities; and Safe Haven housing for people who chronically live on the street. The HUD grants to DHS are part of applications for 51 Tier 1 housing programs that provide 1,758 beds in 981 units of housing. The new Rapid Rehousing programs will provide 92 units and 129 beds. The Tier 1 grants also increase funding by about 5 percent to housing support programs that have not had an increase in a while. Those include Permanent Supportive Housing and Transitional Housing programs for which DHS has demonstrated a continuing need even with the emphasis of Rapid Rehousing Programs in the Continuum of Care. The grants also cover administrative and project planning costs relative to housing. Rob Eamigh, Housing Program Administrator in the Office of Community Services, said the $1,109,089 allotted for the seven new Rapid Rehousing programs is welcome news that has excited those at DHS who work in housing supports. The county was one of 20 jurisdictions nationwide that piloted a Rapid Rehousing program six years ago. That program continues; another program operated by Mercy Behavioral Health Systems began operating in the fall of 2015.
Another highlight of the grants is continued funding for the department’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and the recently established Coordinated Intake system that is carried out by the Allegheny Link under the Office of Community Relations. DHS administrators are awaiting word on Tier II applications for 26 grants totaling $4,456, 347, which includes a potential of three brand new bonus projects that could bring additional funds into the Continuum of Care.
Generous donors once again help Holiday Project fulfill wishes Fulfilling the wishes of children in need at the holidays became a more successful process in 2015, thanks to changes made to the Department of Human Services (DHS) Holiday Project operation and generous donations of goods and money. The Office of Community Relations (OCR) early in 2015 secured a space for the Holiday Project Workshop in Forest Hills, optimizing storage and time considerations that had become issues at the Human Services Building (HSB), Downtown, where the Workshop had been held. Workshop volunteers yearly pack hundreds of bags with donated toys, clothing, books, stuffed animals and more to fulfill wish lists sent to Holiday Project organizers by DHS caseworkers. The Forest Hills space also proved its worth in another way: People coming to the shop could see the Project at work. That wasn’t always possible at the HSB and getting a firsthand look encourages donors and sponsors, said Ondréa Burton, Manager of the OCR Event and Donations Team who oversees the Holiday Project. “People could see that they were contributing to something that really benefits kids,” Ondréa said. The use of KidBoost, a software application that, among other things, tracks needs, wishes and inventory, assisted in helping to ensure all children received gifts. With the software, it is possible to see at a glance what wishes are outstanding so that sponsors can be contacted to ask if they could help, which many did. Also new this year to the Project was the use of gift boxes, topped with Holiday Project stickers, for teens, as an added touch to let the children know they are special. The boxes were stocked with hand bags, perfume, jewelry, hats, socks, belts, books and more. The Holiday Project really wouldn’t be possible with the many individuals and organizations that sponsor children, hold office drives, provide donations and volunteer to help fill children’s wish lists. Among the key groups who deserve special mention include UPMC, PNC Bank, ERT, Home Depot, Wells Fargo, Centimark, CityCo Credit Union, Jones Day, and Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky.
Shoes, a haircut and a remote-control car Home Depot of Greater Pittsburgh employees, this year, demonstrated the type of exceptional acts of kindness seen often with the Holiday Project. The employees sponsored 20 children, giving bicycles to all as part of their gifts. When an employee delivered the bikes, he arranged to set them up at the Forest Hills workshop and told Ondréa that he and his colleagues were dedicated to doing anything they could to make the lives of Project recipients better.
One sponsored child, a six-year-old boy, had asked for shoes, a request that the Home Depot employee found especially touching. “The employee told me he had never done without. For him, it was hard to comprehend that there were children who, through no fault of their own, were in these circumstances,” Ondréa said. He asked Ondréa to make sure that the boy had received his shoes and also wanted to know if he needed or wanted anything else. When she relayed the caseworker’s confirmation that the boy had received the shoes but hadn’t been able to get a haircut he needed because of lack of money, the Home Depot employee not only got him a gift certificate for the barber in his neighborhood, but also got him clothing and the remote-control car he had wanted. “It’s beautiful how many people contribute to making the Holiday Project a success, and the generosity and kindness people show is remarkable,” Ondréa said.
Donor remembers ILI youth with hundreds of gift bags Separately from the Holiday Project, Sue Gove, a member of the Children, Youth & Families Advisory Board, donated 200 filled gift bags filled with a variety of items, including pajamas, blankets, towels and stuffed animals, for older teens and younger adults who participate in the DHS Independent Living Initiative (ILI). Sue has made a similar donation for several years. The youth who received them were, as always, delighted with the presents. Cortez Carey, education liaison for the Independent Living Initiative, shows gifts donated to participants of that program.
Homebuilders is now option for intensive case management The Department of Human Services (DHS) has implemented an evidence-based, intensive case management program designed to keep children safe while avoiding placement. Called the Homebuilders® Intensive Family Preservation Program, it is being rolled out after hiring and training of staff overseen by the model’s developer, the Institute for Family Development of Federal Way, Washington. After issuing a Request for Proposals, Auberle of McKeesport and Pressley Ridge of the North Side received five-year contracts to provide Homebuilders® in the county. Each agency hired supervisors and
therapists under the auspices of the institute and DHS. Staff were trained in the classroom and in the field and work is progressing to fully implement the model. Katie Stoehr, Manager of Program Operations in the Office of Children, Youth and Families (CYF), said DHS selected Homebuilders® as its means of intensive family intervention after researching other evidence-based models. Homebuilders® will only be used in instances of child safety that would otherwise result in immediate placement or where a child cannot be returned without intensive services, Katie emphasized. Participation is voluntary and referrals to Homebuilders® must be made by CYF administrators. Information and education about the service continues to be distributed to caseworkers. Fidelity to the model is crucial in achieving results, Katie added, so the practice will be closely monitored to ensure that training and standards implemented by the Institute for Family Development are followed. Employing Homebuilders® not only fits the Department’s practice of working to support families in finding solutions to their needs and keeping them intact, it also boosts DHS’s commitment to the Child Welfare Demonstration Project and its goals, which include reducing congregate care and out-of-family placements. Studies show that use of the model results in avoiding of placement or hospitalization for youth in at least 71 percent of cases. The model is listed in the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. Each Homebuilders® provider has a team of four therapists and a supervisor. Therapists on average will have a caseload of two families, but it’s expected that the teams will be supporting a combined minimum of 18 families yearly. The small caseload reflects the intensive care that therapists will put into cases. They are available around the clock to work with families in devising solutions to myriad issues. Katie described the intervention as an “all-hands-on-deck” scenario to improve child safety and family functioning. “Therapists will be there right away and as much as they have to be. And the parent has to be willing to do this, too.” Homebuilders® is very much tailored to the family situation. For example, if the issue is that the parent can’t get a teen to school, then Homebuilders® will come at 7 a.m. to coach the parent. If the family consists of a single parent who needs but can’t develop structure for the family, the therapist will be there during the day to help build structure. “They’re getting a family out of crisis and to where they can function and be linked with long-term help if that’s what they need,” Katie said. Shelley Leavitt, Ph.D., Associate Director, Institute for Family Development, who attended some of Allegheny County’s trainings, likened the service to a “Supernanny” approach to intervention, with therapists present “when everybody’s there and everything is going on – that’s the time to be there to figure out how to help.” Therapists on average are expected to be involved intensively for four weeks, with follow-up to ensure goals are being met and safety maintained.
Allegheny County is the only jurisdiction in Pennsylvania using Homebuilders®. Other locations where it is in use are in the state of Washington; Louisiana; Florida; Washington, D.C.; British Columbia; and Hawaii. Shelley praised DHS for its thorough investigation of Homebuilders® and the work the department is putting into it, noting that starting up a program is hard work. “It’s going great,” she said. “There’s a lot of support.”
DHS participates in Breakthrough Series Collaborative to improve trauma-informed assessments and planning A team from the Department of Human Services (DHS) spent 10 months participating in a national collaborative to study, refine and promote trauma-informed practices related to common assessments. The participation underscores the recognition at DHS that trauma impacts the physical and mental health of those served by DHS professionals and that there is a need to better understand it. It also makes use of assessments to discuss traumatic events in a manner that is comfortable for all. The intent in participating in the collaborative, broadly speaking, fell into two categories: Exploring ways to support professionals in the field as they work to discuss traumatic experiences – domestic violence or repeated foster care placements, as examples --- and exploring how better to use the information gathered in common assessments to inform effective action plans for consumers. Called the Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC), the group was formed and led by partners in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, which was established by Congress in 2000 to improve the standard of care for children who have experienced trauma and to increase access to services. BSC leadership included faculty from the Family Informed Trauma Treatment Center at the University of Maryland and the Center for Child Trauma Assessment and Service Planning. From February 2015 to December 2015, eight teams of professionals worked together in their examination of assessmentrelated issues, meeting either in person or via conference call. DHS’s team included Robin Orlando, integrated engagement practice and assessment manager, and Joseph Martin, systems integration specialist, of the department’s Integrated Programs unit; Lynn Bottoms, family interviewer with the Office of Data Analysis, Research and Evaluation (DARE); Roslynn Zielinski, supervisor, and Ashley Diulus, mental health service coordinator, of Human Service Administration Organization (HSAO); and Stephanie Robinson, Youth Support Partner (YSP) Unit coordinator. The Systems Integration unit is overseen by Pat Valentine, Executive Deputy Director of Integrated Programs. For Allegheny County, work as part of the collaborative primarily revolved around use of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool and the Family Support and Advocacy Tool (FAST) to improve:
Knowledge and competence in trauma assessment Screening, assessment and planning processes Engagement and partnerships with youth and families Collaboration among providers in various human service streams
Joseph said that looking at the tools’ ability to harness details of trauma for solutions included finding ways to help professionals broach the subject of trauma. “How do we have a conversation with someone about sensitive topics or painful topics in a way that is appropriate for our role and ‘safe’ for that person’s emotions? And how do we do that in a way that will ultimately benefit that person with appropriate supports because we understand better where that person is coming from?” he said. In the Breakthrough Collaborative, many tests of strategies were carried out. With the Allegheny County team, for example, HSAO supervisors were asked to inquire of front-line workers after an assessment
that revealed trauma, “What about this was surprising to you? And if you could change anything about what is happening here, what would it be?� The purpose was to help workers reflect on the information gathered and how it might be relevant to their planning process, and to see where issues might appear that supervisors may have to address, such as any emotional impact on the worker. DHS tracked work at HSAO several times during participation in the collaboration to see if the rate of assessment use increased. Also tracked were family and individual reactions to assessments to see if they believed the assessments helped in their understanding of needs and strengths and in developing a plan. Both assessment use and families’ reported satisfaction increased, Joe said. Getting families and youth more involved in the assessment and planning process, in fact, was also a key goal of participating in the collaborative. As the collaborative moved forward, DHS developed a Think Tank that brought in more representation, and thus viewpoints, from various DHS offices and providers. The Think Tank continues to examine needs, challenges, resources and more to ensure that trauma-informed care is integrated in daily practice. Currently, the DHS Systems Integration team is distributing a tip sheet for those who use common assessments on how they might broach trauma-related conversations; working to ensure that those being trained and certified in giving assessments understand why they are used and are important; and developing a repository of resources and information that ultimately will be posted on the DHS website.
Computer security and privacy tips: Flash drives In conjunction with the Office of Administrative and Information Management Services (AIMS), the DHS News is offering tips for using your computer safely and securely. DHS employees and contracted personnel are required to adhere to laws and regulations regarding confidentiality and Protected Health Information (PHI). These tips are designed to enhance knowledge on avoiding use that could compromise data. If you have additional questions, contact the DHS Service Desk at 412-350-4357, option 2.
Flash drives USB flash drives, or memory sticks, are data storage devices for your computer that are typically removable and rewritable. The small size of the device makes it highly portable – but also creates a concern for data security. A recent study by the Ponemon Institute revealed that while these devices may be small, the data breaches that can result from lost or stolen USBs are huge. Organizations and employees need to properly manage the security and privacy requirements of data retained on USB drives. Refrain from transporting sensitive data such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Protected Health Information (PHI) on to an un-encrypted USB drive If you have a valid or compelling business reason to transport sensitive data to a USB drive, first consult with your supervisor or manager for his or her approval Never share or use USB drives that are not issued by your organization to reduce malware infection risks USB flash drives can be used safely and securely if the risks are understood and proper measures are taken to mitigate them One option is for attackers to use your USB drive to infect other computers. An attacker might infect a computer with malicious code, or malware, which can detect when a USB drive is plugged into a computer. The malware then downloads malicious code onto the drive. When the USB drive is plugged into another computer, the malware infects that computer. Some attackers have also targeted electronic devices directly, infecting items such as electronic picture frames and USB drives during production. When people buy the infected products and plug them into their computers, malware is installed on their computers. If you have additional questions, contact the DHS Service Desk at 412-350-4357, option 2. See more at https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST08-001