System Planning & (re)DesignWorkshop

Presenters

• Brooke Spellman, Abt Associates Inc.• Jamie Taylor, Cloudburst Consulting• Judy Perlman, Cloudburst Consulting• Darlene Mathews, Darlene Mathews Inc. (Atlanta)

Workshop Design and Purpose

• This workshop is designed to build upon theTransforming Systems session.

• Its purpose is to give participants practical experiencein system planning and (re)design.

Workshop Goals

• Increase understanding of system components andtheir cumulative effect.

• Begin to understand how changing parts of a systemcan impact performance of the whole.

• Identify and practice strategies for system change.• Define your own change actions.

Reflection: What Makes a System?

• Resources– Homeless programs– Existing grants and funding opportunities– Mainstream services and housing market

• Relationships– Coordination among providers such as formal CoC Decision-making

process and/or Ten-Year Plans– Linkages between homeless and mainstream systems– Shared data within HMIS (for analysis and/or service delivery)

• Shared Values– Assumptions, beliefs and attitudes that underlie the structure of the

homeless service system

Sample Homeless Program Resources

• “Front Door” (e.g. central intake, outreach)• Homelessness prevention• Emergency shelter• Transitional assistance

– Housing placement– Transitional housing– Rapid re-housing– Community-based case management

• Permanent supportive housing

HUD’s Roadmap to Transformation

Key Objective ofMcKinney-Vento Act,

as amended byHEARTH:

Improve communitycapacity to carry outthe mission ofpreventing andending homelessness.

HEARTH Act Performance Measures

• The length of time persons remain homeless• The extent to which persons who leave homelessness

experience additional spells of homelessness• The thoroughness of grantees in the geographic area

in reaching homeless individuals and families• Overall reduction in the number of homeless persons• Jobs and income growth for homeless persons• Success at reducing the number who become

homeless

Data to Understand System Performance

• Longitudinal HMIS Data– Homelessness Prevention– Homeless Assistance System

• Point-in time Counts

• Program Inventory Data

• Mainstream System Administrative Data

Relationship between Capacity & Turnover

Estimated Monthly Household Turnover =Number of Units / Average Length of Stay (mo)

Number of Households Served by Each UnitAnnually =

12 months / Average Length of Stay (mo)

Projection of Total Units Needed to Meet Need =Total Households Expected per Year /

Planned Average Length of Stay (mo)

Change Scenario - Part 1

• Scenario:– Each table represents a CoC – cards show the Current

Program Inventory and program characteristics for each.– Chips represent homeless consumers who are currently in the

system.

• Start by understanding the current system and howclients flow through it.

• Complete the worksheet on client movement for a 6-month period and tally overall system performance.

Part 1 Debrief

• How many households had their homelessnessprevented?

• How many Day 1 or Month 1 clients are still in thesystem?

• How many households moved into (e.g., exited to)Permanent Housing or Permanent SupportiveHousing?

• How many returned to ES (from all points of thesystem) for subsequent assistance?

• How many left PH for more assistance?

What part of system should be targeted…

… if everyone with a housing crisis becomes homeless?

… if lengths of homelessness are long?

… if a large proportion of families have 2nd and 3rd

episodes of homelessness?

Vision of an Improved System

• What would an improved system inventory look like?– Program types?– Number of units for each type?– Performance expectations for individual programs?

• How should homeless programs interrelate?

• Would linkages with mainstream systems affectdecisions?

Change Scenario - Part 2

• Scenario:– “Bonus” cards have been provided that you can use to change

or add to your current system.

• Work together to determine how you want to applyyour bonus cards.– Try different ways of adapting or augmenting your current

system to see the impact on performance.

• Finalize your decision, model client movement for a 6-month period, and tally overall system performance.

System Change Debrief

• How did you decide what to do?– How did personal values factor into decision-making?– Did you find or identify a process for decision-making?– What data was most important; what else do you wish you’d

known?

• What made the biggest impact on performance?– Were you able to improve system performance by adjusting

current programs?– Did add new programs to the current system?– Which parts of the system affected measures the most?

Possible System Planning Steps

1. Define a vision for your system and the programmodels you need within your system to achieve it.

2. Listen and understand stakeholder values.3. Map out how you think people who are homeless will

move through the system.• What % can be diverted from shelter• What % will only use shelter• What % need assistance beyond shelter to obtain and

remain in permanent housing (and achieve other outcomes)

Possible System Planning Steps (cont.)

4. Document “future system” unit projections for eachprogram model.

5. Summarize current inventory, future inventory, andchange implications.

6. Consider costs and potential savings associated withchange strategies.

7. Develop implementation and resource plan to evolvesystem from current inventory to new.

8. Assist providers to make changes to support overallsystem goals.

Defining Change Actions – “Take 5”

• Make notes on 3 things you think you could do orshould do when you get home to:– Assess current performance– Consider whether you have the right mix of program models– Develop a shared view of what your system should look like in

the future and how to get there recognizing:• Values• Current resources• Potential effect on performance

– Identify who should be involved– Define the information/support you need to plan

Questions/Comments?

Contact Info

Brooke Spellman, Abt Associates IncBrooke_Spellman@abtassoc.com

Jamie Taylor, Cloudburst Consultingjamie.taylor@cloudburstgroup.com

Judy Perlman, Cloudburst Consultingjudy.perlman@cloudburstgroup.com

Darlene Mathews, Darlene Mathews Incdarlene@darlenemathewsinc.com