Please take a few minutes to complete and return the Member Survey uploaded today addressing resource needs and strengths within and across the continuum of care. Resource committee members will study the Work Plan and consult with members of both the Portland- and Maine Continuum of Care, and we want your input too. What do you need, and what do you have to offer, by way of training, information and resource sharing. Find the survey under Recently Revised Documents. Many Thanks!
Category Archives: News
MCOC Meeting 3-20-14
This is a reminder that the Maine Continuum of Care will be meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2014 via the Library Tandberg Teleconferencing system. Please see the meeting agenda for location details.
There will be a SPECIAL AD HOC GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE meeting from noon to 1:00 using the same Library Tandberg Teleconferencing locations as the regular MCOC meeting. All are welcome to participate in the Ad Hoc meeting. There is a link, below, to the latest version of the MCOC Governance.
The other links will bring you to more documents and information to be discussed at the MCOC meeting. Hope to see you there.
MCOC Governance Approved 1-23-14
MaineHousing Support to Maine CoC June 2013
Basic Center and Street Outreach Program Funding Available
The Family and Youth Services Bureau is now accepting applications for the Basic Center Program and the Street Outreach Program.
The Basic Center Program funds community-based programs that address the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. Basic center projects aim to increase young people’s safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency, and to help them build permanent connections with caring adults, with the goal of reuniting them with their families (as appropriate). Youth in crisis receive emergency shelter, counseling, and aftercare services. In addition, projects work to strengthen family relationships, and, in the absence of family reunification, help youth find safe and appropriate alternative living arrangements where they can become independent, self-sufficient, contributing members of society.
Deadline for Applications: May 12, 2014.
BCP Funding Opportunity Announcement
The Street Outreach Program funds organizations that provide street-based services to runaway, homeless and street youth who have been subjected to, or are at risk of being subjected to, sexual abuse, prostitution or sexual exploitation. These services, which are provided in areas where street youth congregate, are designed to assist youth in making healthy choices and ultimately help them leave the streets.
Deadline for applications: May 12, 2014.
4.09.14 Region 3 Homeless Council Monthly Meeting – AGENDA
Region 3 Homeless Council Monthly Meeting – AGENDA
103 Texas Ave, Bangor Health and Community Services
April 9, 2014 – 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Conference call #1.877.455.0244; passcode: 2073564836#
1:00-1:05 Welcome/Introductions (sign-in sheet),
1:05-1:10 Adjustments to the agenda; approval minutes prior meeting
1:10-1:30 Statewide Homeless Council update
1:30 -2:15 Discussion Topics:
1. Pressing issues in Region III
2. Efforts at ending long term homelessness – Long term stayers
3. Recommendations to Statewide Homeless Council
2:15-2:30 Regional 3 Council – MaineCare expansion discussion – Quantifying the need for DHHS to support services, particularly to long term stayers. Discussion of other populations in need.
2:30-2:40 State and Federal Updates
2:40-3:00 Agency updates – Including a review of numbers of people who are homeless at each facility/program
Set Agenda for the Next Meeting: (5/21/14, 1-3pm) same location
3.12.14 Region 3 Homeless Council Monthly Meeting – MINUTES
Region 3 Homeless Council Monthly Meeting – MINUTES
March 12, 2014 – 1:00 to 3:00 pm
1:00-1:10 Welcome/Introductions (sign-in sheet), adjustments to the agenda
Rindy Fogler, City of Bangor
Shawn Yardley, PCHC
Kat Perkins, Spruce Run/Womancare
Cullen Ryan, CHOM
Dennis Marble, BAHS
Catherine Sullivan, PCHC Hope House
Kerry Polyot-Stefani, Stepping Stones
Joe Locke, MSHA
Robert Jones, Preble Street VHS
Phone: Sr. Lucille MacDonald/Emmaus, Mary Ellen Quinn/CHCS, Candy Eaton/SAMHS, Jackie Burpee & Gerald Bonner (H.O.M.E); Cindy Namer/MSHA, Francine Stark/Hope & Justice, David McCluskey/Community Care
Regrets: Christine Brown, Jamie MaClay, Denise Lord,
Approve the minutes from 2.12.14 meeting: moved, second, accepted
1:10-1:30 Statewide Homeless Council update
Cullen: Don Gean stepped down; Serenity House stepping into role;
DHHS: long-term stayer initiative – working with MHSA, Cindy Namer providing statistics – monthly basis; engage with shelter providers – what is going on with each long-term stayer; engage at the shelter level to see what can do to help;
Guy: changes – Ricker Hamilton overseeing RPC & DDPC; update on prisons / forensics – mental health ward at Warren
Behavioral Health Home Organization (BHHO) progressing; legislative action re: forensics – need to manage beds better;
BHHO – start up 4/1st; lot of collaborative info; PCHC signing MOUs with MH agencies without physical health component; MH clients receiving community integration services; may have individuals identified that have not been receiving Section 17 services; $$ rate per member per month;
Concerned about not tying housing & services – stagnation is not recovery; state property to be used for veterans (on RPC campus)
White paper – challenging DHHS create solution re: long-term stayers; Commissioner / sr. staff have been meeting, issues presented, work done, work incomplete – away from waiver, looking at finding way to serve folks – discussion managed care aspect, affordable care expansion reaching them; services & housing (DHHS/MSHA successful collaboration) – 100 voucher campaign; sounds vague – want to, without commitment. Maine Housing not getting clear signals from DHHS. Op-ed draft pointed out SHC created long-term stayer initiative with MSHA, without DHHS meeting them half-way
Don’t want to force this on someone, not that someone has been languishing in shelter for long-term; interesting dialogue. Need to continue until solved.
Cindy – next meeting end of March; several charged with tasks – how to get similar commitment from DHHS?
Maine Housing – veterans, review of #, 499 found in shelters, #s going down – getting better counts; suggestion of lower successes
HUDvash program; chronic homelessness is not factor but service delivery to person is better indicator of success.
COC monitoring of shelter
Shelter funding adhoc committee – meeting tomorrow. SHC will look for increased funding. Strategy help group stay together as one voice
Elder abuse – DV update from Holly. High risk response team. Where active – mortality rate has gone done,
Family homelessness
Op-ed – tabled for another month – see if DHHS responds
Lot of discussion on long-term, highlighted, will take place
Documents distributed prior to meeting:
- Statewide Homeless Council Long-term Stayer Initiative Monthly Report for February 28, 2014
- 2013 Homeless Shelter Statistics Region III
- 2013 Homeless Shelter Utilization Region III
- 2013 Veterans in Emergency Shelters in Maine
1:30 -2:15 Discussion Topics:
- Pressing issues in Region III – comments Councilor Durgin re: GA requests for medication; decisions around heat, meds, housing – will destabilize people; GA Meds are over housing requests; 50 people looking for meds because of loss of MC 1/1/14. United Way – local funding; more going to dental / meds this year; is any legislator interested in hearing about MC cutback impacts? Only defending current positions. See Dennis letter to editor published today. Chamber Hot Stove presentation on the weekend. Other stakeholders? BDN editorial – 3 physicians across state spoke to the importance of MC expansion. Important for faith community to speak up; Emmaus helping people with 50 gal fuel; others helping with heat
- Efforts at ending long term homelessness – Long term stayers – Cindy Namer / Sheldon Wheeler
DHHS staff will contact each shelter, link with each individual, similar initiative with WL, small increments each month, testing out for the next couple of months – will help SHC, lower #s with long-term stayers. Will prepare message to shelter directors by end of month re: how to use reports. Awa – add to list – could cross-check with reports, reach out to shelters directly.
Shawn / Cindy – question re: health insurance barrier to long-term housing solution. Credit to Sheldon – making sure that people get linked with services quickly – wants this initiative to create communication between DHHS / PATH / Shelter providers; have dialogue about services needed. SHC preamble include lack of policies / health care access.
Francine – add to data? Do PATH need to report data? Shelters reports monthly to Catholic Charities – reports to DHHS; putting all data in HMIS, helping with data collection; goes to CC then DHHS – as composite? If data is important – ask DV coalition info. Does HMIS have info re: PATH services? Cindy to submit request to PATH data folks. Candy to submit request to Sheldon re: posting to SAMHS website.
Veteran data referenced by Cullen (above) – approx. 10% shelter population. Info comes from Vets in Shelter only at intake.
Annual shelter data – all participating – difference between 2012 & 2013; snapshot – all posted on Maine Housing website;
- Recommendations to Statewide Homeless Council
Dennis re: stay engaged in shelter funding policy discussion – incredible case to be made need. All dates back to 1987 – ridiculously clear case. Shawn likes looking at data, is there analysis? Discussion re: youth in shelters vs adults. Spend a lot of resources to gather data – to what end? Add to SHC agenda. Use data to create learning circles? Change the business model. Open to lots of brain-storming ideas. Longer term in shelters = reduced quality of life; increased services needed.
Sr. Lucille re: “Home-to-stay” working well in Ellsworth area – program makes different. Allows navigator to follow them to new housing for 1 year. Make sure core funding available to keep shelters open, but still need to change the model. Awa == outreach!
2:15-2:30 Regional 3 Council – MaineCare expansion discussion – Quantifying the need for DHHS to support services, particularly to long term stayers. Discussion of other populations in need.
no discussion
2:30-2:40 State and Federal Updates
Vote this week expansion of MC; compromise includes managed care; Omnibus bill passing, president budget favorable 2.045 billion key housing assistance grant; congress will decide, funds to cure effects of sequester. 1 billion to national housing trust fund – could mean several millions to Maine for housing programs. Appreciation letters to Sen. Collins & Sen. King. Unique opportunity to thank & ask for support during election year (Sen. Collins)
2:40-3:00 Agency updates – Including a review of numbers of people who are homeless at each facility/program
Bangor City: Funding for folks in crisis looking for heating oil (Bangor will administer)
Emmaus: Springfest 4/27 Ellsworth Elementary – Middle School
BAHS: 4/12 Hike for the Homeless – 19th annual – register pre 3/26 – free t-shirt – shooting for 1500 this year, 800 last year, 1000 year before, weather dependent
Safe Homes Aroostook 5K 5/4 1-5pm from Gentile Hall, Presque Isle – benefit DV & shelter
Hope House started construction project – rebuild entrance next week;
Preble Street – up & running, has flyers, has Bangor site; consumers need DD214 & other requirements
CHOM: Maine Hall has preference for homeless vets.
Set Agenda for the Next Meeting: (4/9/14, 1-3pm) same location
Statewide Homeless Council Meting 3-11-14
The Statewide Homeless Council will be meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from 9:30 to 2:00 at MaineHousing, 353 Water Street in Augusta. Please follow the link, below, to the Agenda for the meeting, as well as Call-in information for those not able to attend in person. There is also a link to the minutes from the previous meeting.
CHOM Vacancy Report – March 2014
This is the most current listing of vacancies at CHOM. Please forward this on to members within your organization who may find it useful. If you have any questions about the data in the report, please do not hesitate to call 207-879-0347. Thank you!
THIS LISTING IS FOR SERVICE PROVIDER REFERENCE ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT PROVIDE TO INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS.
Request for Proposals: Project Based Vouchers
MaineHousing’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Department has issued a request for proposals from qualified applicants in response to a national competition to award up to 1000 VASH vouchers to selected public housing authorities. The purpose of this allocation is to enable homeless veterans to access affordable housing with an array of supportive services.
The RFP was advertised beginning on Sunday in the statewide newspapers. It is available to interested applicants on the MaineHousing homepage. http://www.mainehousing.org/data/rfp. The due date for proposals is April 11 by 5 pm. The MaineHousing homepage also includes a question and answer opportunity. Any potential applicant who has a question about the RFP should use this format so that questions are answered and that all interested applicants have the benefit of the answers.
MCOC Minutes from 2-20-14, Tandberg Sites, and Ad Hoc info
Please click on the link, below, to review the minutes from the 2-20-14 MCOC Meeting (Thank you Paula!).
There are also links to two lists of Tandberg Teleconferencing sites; one for Library locations, and one for School locations, to facilitate discussion of adding more connections for MCOC meetings. (The Tandberg system does not have a built in ‘call-in only’ option, and it is not compatible with Go To Meeting software due to audio feedback issues.)
Also, the Governance Ad Hoc Committee will be meeting on 3-20-14 from 12:00 to 1:00, immediately prior to the full MCOC meeting that day from 1:00 to 3:00. With this in mind, we have arranged to expand the reservations of the rooms and equipment at the Maine State Library in Augusta, the Portland Public Library, and the Bangor Public Library for the Ad Hoc Committee Meeting, and flowing directly into the MCOC meeting without interruption. Anyone who is interested is welcome to participate on the Ad Hoc Committee.
Maine Continuum of Care Meeting February 20, 2014
This is a reminder that the Maine Continuum of Care will be meeting on Thursday, 2-20-14, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM via the Tandberg Teleconferencing System at 5 locations: Portland, Augusta, Farmington, Bangor and Presque Isle. Please click on the link below to the Agenda for more details. There are also links to the minutes from the last two meetings.