Developing the “Support” in Supportive Housing A Guide to Providing Services in Housing By Tony Hannigan and Suzanne Wagner Center for Urban Community Services Made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Supportive Housing June 2003 Corporation for Supportive Housing June 2003 Dear Colleague, For too long, homelessness has troubled America’s conscience, harmed its most vulnerable people, and cost the public hundreds of millions of dollars for band-aid solutions that have had inadequate results. But in the midst of this enduring tragedy, there is hope. We now know that supportive housing ends homelessness for people with chronic barriers to health and housing stability, who are cycling through the systems meant to assist them. We know that supportive housing has a positive impact on people’s health, employment and stability, and is a cost effective use of our scarce public resources. In all of its models and manifestations, what makes supportive housing tick is its combination of permanent, affordable housing and voluntary, supportive services. This manual, Developing the “Support” in Supportive Housing, is a practical guide to developing those voluntary supportive services. It includes an overview of what it takes to put together a supportive services program, as well as some specific suggestions for services related to employment, mental health, HIV/AIDS and sub-stance use issues. It also offers some lessons for promoting good relationships among supportive housing tenants and staff, and with the neighborhoods where we work and live. I hope that supportive housing providers and advocates can use this manual and its resources to build better homes and communities, and move us toward the day when supportive housing is a standard component of every community’s effort to prevent and end homelessness. My special thanks to Tony Hannigan and Suzanne Wagner of CUCS for putting together this important and useful volume and for their pioneering efforts to create high quality services in supportive housing. Some of the many other people who assisted in the writing and production of Developing the “Support” in Supportive Housing are noted on the Acknowledgements page within. We also acknowledge, with gratitude, the many supportive housing providers and tenants whose hard work and experiences over the past years provide the foundation for the lessons taught within these pages. Sincerely yours, Carla I. Javits, President 50 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004 Phone: (212) 986-2966 Fax: (212) 986-6552 Web: www.csh.org E-mail: [email protected] Table of Contents History and Principles of Supportive Housing The Emergence of Supportive Housing . 1 Early Precedents in Supportive Housing . 3 Supportive Housing Becomes a Movement . 4 Principles of Supportive Housing . 4 Appendix Appendix I: Resources and Additional Readings . 6 Developing a Supportive Services Program Core Considerations . .9 Tenants . 10 Goals . 10 Resources . 11 Location and Physical Design . 12 Core Program Components . 13 Meeting the Obligations of Tenancy . 13 Tenant Selection . 13 Rent Payment . 15 Complying with Lease/Occupancy Agreements and House Rules . 15 Maintaining an Apartment or Living Space . 16 Moving On from Supportive Housing . 16 Structuring the Delivery of Services . 16 Staffing and Supervision . 16 Case Management . 17 Outreach and Engagement . 17 Setting Individualized Goals . 19 Access to Community-Based Services . 19 Groups, Classes, Workshops, and Special Events . 19 Case Records . 20 Program Policies and Procedures . 22 Program Evaluation . 22 Appendices Appendix I: Resources and Additional Readings . 23 Appendix II: Services to Be Provided Planning Worksheet . 27 Developing the “Support” in Supportive Housing ■ Contents Appendix III: Responding to Different Populations and Levels of Need . 30 Appendix IV: Project Goals and Conditions of Occupancy Planning Worksheet . 32 Appendix V: Housing Skills and Supports Checklist . 35 Appendix VI: Sample Titles and Functions of Staffing Categories . 36 Appendix VII: Standards for Supportive Services Programs . 37 Employment Services Developing a Range of Employment Services . 43 Vocational Support Services . 43 Career Counseling . 44 Finding and Developing Employment Opportunities . 45 Creating In-House Jobs and Transitional Employment . 47 Ongoing Job Support . 48 Core Program Components . 49 Defining Goals and Expectations . 49 Creating a Culture that Promotes Work . 50 Defining Staff Roles . 51 Managing Entitlements and Public Benefits Issues . 52 Confidentiality/Sharing Information . 52 Services for People Who Have Disabilities . 53 Policy Issues . .53 Program Issues . 53 Mental Illness . 54 HIV/AIDS . 55 Alcohol and Substance Use . 55 Homelessness . .56 Appendices Appendix I: Resources and Additional Readings . 57 Appendix II: Employment History and Preferences Self-Assessment . 61 Appendix III: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) . 64 Mental Health Services Mental Illness . 65 Working toward Recovery . 67 Using a Rehabilitation Approach . ..