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HA - ACTION ITEM: Approval of an Amendment to the Existing Professional Service Agreement with Saint Joseph Center to Continue Expanded Homeless Outreach Services During Weekdays, Evenings, and Saturdays in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $844,426.
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Meeting Date: April 25, 2022
Contact Person/Dept.: Tevis Barnes, Christina Stoffers/CDD
Phone Number: 310-253-5782 or 310-253-5989
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness (04/20/2022); Saint Joseph Center (04/20/2022); Upward Bound House (04/20/2022);(E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (04/20/2022)
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Assistant Executive Director Housing Authority (04/19/2022)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Culver City Housing Authority Board (Board) approve an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with Saint Joseph Center to continue expanded homeless outreach services during weekdays, evenings, and Saturdays for the period of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 in an amount not-to-exceed $844,426.
BACKGROUND
Since 2005, Culver City has contracted with Saint Joseph Center (SJC) to provide outreach services to unhoused individuals in Culver City. In 2010, the SJC homeless outreach contract was expanded to include homeless outreach to four days a week, 70 nights of emergency motel stays, and transportation assistance in the form of bus tokens (TAP cards).
On August 12, 2019, the City Council approved an amendment to the existing agreement to expand the level of SJC homeless outreach services from four days to six days a week from 7:30AM to 4:30PM on Mondays, from 7:30 to 10PM Tuesday - Friday, and from 2PM to 10PM on Saturdays. The expansion of outreach and engagement of unhoused residents is the foundation of the City’s infrastructure to address homelessness and is Goal 4 under the Plan to Combat and Prevent Homelessness (Plan), “Enhance Data Tacking and Homeless Outreach Activities Among City Staff and Service Providers”. To accommodate the expansion and additional management and oversight, the creation of two outreach teams were formed. Each team included a Mental Health Specialist, Case Manager, and Peer Specialist. When needed, the Culver City SJC outreach team has leveraged medical and substance use staff support from the SJC E6 outreach team. (See Note 1).
DISCUSSION
Homeless Outreach and Engagement
Homeless outreach seeks to build a relationship of trust and care with unhoused individuals who face unusual challenges and are the most difficult to serve. This process is an ongoing service and can take days, weeks, months, and even years, depending on the stage of homelessness an individual is currently experiencing. It takes an average of seven attempts from initial contact to connect an unhoused individual to supportive services. Effective homeless outreach reaches those who might not otherwise seek assistance on their own and ensures that people’s basic needs are met while supporting them along pathways towards housing stability.
The Culver City SJC outreach team is a multidisciplinary team of clinical and nonclinical staff that work intensively with each unhoused client, providing assessment, case management and referrals to mental health services, medical services, and temporary and permanent housing placements. The team focuses on meeting clients at the level they are ready to accept and receive services and treating clients with dignity, compassion, and respect. This approach helps facilitate client rapport and emphasizes basic human rights, giving unhoused clients agency over their own choices.
Supportive Services and Permanent Housing Placement
The goal of expanding the outreach contract was to increase the total number of homeless individuals and families served from approximately 60 to 120 and to permanently house at least 15 of those homeless individuals.
Over the past year, the team has worked diligently to respond to homeless outreach requests from City departments, including the City Manager’s Office, Enforcement Services, Fire, and Police, as well as the Los Angeles Homeless Outreach Portal (LA-HOP). The SJC outreach team also responds to homeless activity requests made by private citizens through the City Culver City Government Outreach System, Homeless Hot Line, and direct contact to the Housing Homeless Coordinator. The majority of homeless outreach requests are made for the following larger encampment areas:
• Venice and 405 FWY
• Washington Blvd. and 405 FWY
• Ballona Creek Bike Path
Since the start of the expanded outreach contract, Culver City has sent the team to over 200 homeless outreach requests. Under the current SJC contract, the outreach team assisted the following unhoused individuals from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022:
• Total of unhoused persons engaged = 68
• Total of unhoused served and referred to housing and/or supportive services = 147
• Total of unhoused placed in permanent housing = 14
o 6 unhoused residents permanently housed with family or friends
o 4 unhoused residents permanently housed with rental subsidy
o 3 unhoused residents permanently housed on own or through program other than Rapid Rehousing
o 1 unhoused resident permanently housed in long-term care facility
• Motel vouchers nights provided = 152
It should be noted that of the 14 unhoused residents who were placed in permanent housing, 2 unhoused residents were housed in Culver City and 4 unhoused residents were housed in the West Los Angeles area. (See Attachment No. 3, SJC April 2021 - March 2022 Report Summary for more information).
Culver City Project Homekey Motel Conversion Project
One of the biggest barriers in homeless outreach, particularly for unhoused individuals in the West Los Angeles area, is not having access to shelter (interim housing). Often, unhoused individuals are reluctant to accept shelter beds in communities outside the West Los Angeles area because they don’t want to be far from their social and supportive network. Most shelters are located in South Los Angeles and some as far away as the San Fernando or Antelope Valleys, displacing the unhoused residents to communities they are not familiar with.
To address the lack of interim and permanent supportive housing in Culver City, Culver City applied for Project Homekey (PHK) funding and was awarded $26.6M to acquire and convert two local motels into interim housing (IH) and permanent supportive housing (PSH). Increasing shelter beds is reflected in Goal 1 of the Culver City Homeless Plan, “Increase bridge housing options and the number of people served”. Combined, the motel repurpose projects will create 39 interim housing units for people experiencing homelessness and 37 permanent supportive housing units for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
The tenant selection criteria process for both IH and PSH will focus on the highest users of emergency and outreach services and will be developed in collaboration with the SJC outreach team, CCPD Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET), Exodus Recovery, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), and Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. The SJC outreach team will also assist by creating a by-name-list, otherwise known as a comprehensive list of every person experiencing homeless in Culver City, updated in real time. Those on the Culver City by-name-list, that meet the tenant selection criteria, will be matched to a IH or PSH unit.
Outreach Team Staffing
Due to the increase of substance use in the unhoused community, City staff has requested the FY 2022-2023 SJC outreach contract to include a Substance Use Specialist to provide direct substance use and case management services to our unhoused population. According to the LAHSA 2020 Homeless Count, 40% of the unhoused population is white, 73% of the unhoused population are male, 28% suffer from mental health issues, and 25% experience substance abuse disorder. (See Attachment No. 4, LAHSA 2020 County SPA 5 Data Summary for more information).
FISCAL ANALYSIS
To maintain the outreach program at the current level of services, SJC’s proposed budget for FY 2022-2023 is $844,426 (see Attachment No. 1, SJC Proposed Budget). This reflects a three percent cost of living increase in staff salary requested by SJC. Funds to support the contract continuation will be drawn from Housing Account #47650710.
This budget includes indirect costs, operating costs, increased costs for direct emergency client services (i.e., food/hygiene kits) , and increased cost for staff positions including: Senior Director, Director, Program Manager, Mental Health Specialist, Substance Use Specialist, Case Manager, and Peer Advocate. (See Note 2).
The Housing Authority has limited funds to maintain operating costs for the Housing Division and complete the Housing Programs identified in the FY 2022-2023 Housing Division Work Plan. The Board may want to consider how these additional homeless outreach service costs impact other housing programs proposed in the FY 2022-2023 Work Plan and beyond. The program details will be discussed in an upcoming Council meeting addressing homelessness.
Pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code Section 3.07.065.A, these services are exempt from the formal competitive bidding process, provided the contract is based on competitive quotations, whenever practical, as determined by the City Manager. Given SJC’s history with the City and knowledge about Culver City’s unhoused population, in particular the ongoing relationship SJC has established with unhoused individuals, it has been determined that competitive quotes are not practical at this time.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Attachment No. 1, SJC’s FY 22-23 Proposed Budget
2. Attachment No. 2, SJC Scope of Services FY 22-23
3. Attachment No. 3, SJC April 2021 - March 2022 Report Summary
4. Attachment No. 4, LAHSA 2020 County SPA 5 Data Summary
RECOMMENDED MOTIONS
That the Culver City Housing Authority Board:
1. Approve an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with Saint Joseph Center to continue expanded homeless outreach services during weekdays, evenings, and Saturdays for the period of April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 in the amount not-to-exceed $844,426;
2. Authorize the City Attorney to review/approve the necessary documents; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.
NOTES
1. According to the City’s 2021 Internal Homeless Count, 291 people were found experiencing homelessness. Since 2020, the total number of people experiencing homelessness in Culver City increased 35%. In support of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative, the City Council adopted resolution Number 2016 R 113 on November 28, 2017. Through this resolution, the City contracted with Lesar Development Consultants to facilitate the update of the City’s homeless strategies. On July 9, 2018, the City Council and Housing Authority jointly approved the updated Plan to Combat and Prevent Homelessness. The need to expand outreach services is also part of Strategy E of the County Homeless Initiative and is incorporated in Culver City’s Plan to Combat and Prevent Homelessness, under Goal 4: Enhance Data Tracking and Homeless Outreach Activities Among City Staff and Service Providers.
2. Senior Director serves as a team leader providing Program Department leadership and supervision to Division Directors and others, ensuring the delivery of quality care while adhering to the mission of St. Joseph Center. With guidance from the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Director provides overall strategic and operational guidance and recommendations for designated outreach, engagement, and short-term housing program areas. The position will be a part of the senior management team that drives the overall strategy for the organization. The Senior Director will develop deep knowledge of each project, program operations, and business plan, with specific focus on program efficiencies, leadership, and strategic collaborations
Director of Outreach is responsible for providing both administrative and clinical supervision to agency programs providing services to homeless and low income housed individuals, many who have mental illness and dually diagnosed. The Director of Outreach works as a team leader for several social service and administrative personnel ensuring the delivery of quality care and establishing program policies and procedures in accordance with the rules and regulations established by contract(s) as well as adhering to the mission of St. Joseph Center.
Program Manager serves as a team leader providing supervision to program staff as well as overseeing day-to-day operations of the program. The Program Manager ensures the delivery of quality care in accordance with the rules and regulations established by the Los Angeles Department of Health Services for contracted agencies as well as adhering to the mission of St. Joseph Center.
Mental Health Specialist implements case management service plan goals, emphasizing coordinated strategies for addressing mental health/substance abuse issues, relapse prevention, medication management, and any other risk factors that could impede permanent housing and provide ongoing assessment of client progress in attaining goals. Builds trust and rapport with individuals experiencing homelessness. Assesses homeless individuals utilizing the DSM-V. Utilizes a harm reduction model when working with clients with chemical dependency or abuse issues. Links clients to appropriate bridge/interim housing programs and assist them in completing required paperwork in order to enroll them in permanent housing-related programs.
Substance Use Specialist implements case management service plan goals emphasizing coordinated strategies for addressing substance abuse issues, relapse prevention, and any other risk factors that could impede client’s functioning. Provides ongoing assessment of client progress in attaining goals. Utilizes a harm reduction model when working with clients. Links clients to appropriate bridge/interim housing programs and assist them in completing required paperwork in order to enroll them in permanent housing program.
Case Manager under the supervision of the Program Manager the Outreach Case Manager will be part of a four-person case management team that will conduct assertive mobile outreach to chronically homeless individuals on the streets in the Culver City Community and provide them with intensive services intended to engage them in the service continuum. This individual will also ensure their linkage to services enabling them to become housing ready. Once housing ready, the case manager will help clients apply for subsidized housing and link clients to available housing resources by locating suitable units and helping clients to obtain and move into permanent housing. Once clients are housed, the case manager will be responsible for providing ongoing services that will assist them to retain their housing and be good tenants and neighbors.
Peer Specialist has duties similar to the Case Manager but brings the lens of lived experience of homelessness to the team. Provides case management services to client including street-based assessments, linkages, and support. Accompanies clients to appointments (when necessary), assists with gathering of pertinent documentation, provides referrals and warm handoffs to appropriate services.