Office Hours: COVID-19 Planning and Response - April 16, 2021
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Office Hours:
COVID-19 Planning and Response
April 16, 2021
Housekeeping
• A recording of today’s session, along with the slide deck and a copy of the Chat and
Q&A content will be posted to the HUD Exchange within 2-3 business days
• Event information for upcoming Office Hours, along with copies of all materials can be
found here:
https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/diseases/#covid-19-webinars-
and-office-hours
• Password for all COVID Office Hours: HUD123
• To join the webinar via the phone, please call in using:
+1-415-655-0002 Access code: 185 207 6880
(If you need to call in toll-free, call 1-855-797-9485)
Chat Feature Select the Chat icon to make a comment or ask a question. Be certain the To field is set to Everyone
Speakers & Resource Advisors Department of Housing and Urban Development • Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs o Norm Suchar o Lisa Coffman o Karen DeBlasio o William Snow o Marlisa Grogan o Sharon Singer • Mandy Wampler, Program Manager, Philadelphia Field Office Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless • Lucy Kasdin, LCSW, Program Director • Seth Gomez, PharmD BCPP, Senior Pharmacist Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services • Alice Minervino, Behavioral Health Program Manager, Housing & Homeless Services
Speakers & Resource Advisors National Healthcare for the Homeless Council • Barbara DiPietro, PhD, Senior Director of Policy, National HCH Council Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Ashley Meehan, MPH, Homelessness Unit, Disproportionately Affected Populations Team • Sapna Bamrah Morris, MD, MBA, FIDSA, CAPT, U.S. Public Health Service Department of Veterans Affairs • Dina Hooshyar, MD MPH, Director, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans (The Center), VHA Homeless Program Office • Jillian Weber, PhD, RN, CNL, Homeless-PACT National Program Manager, VHA Homeless Programs Office
Alameda County COVID-19 Response April 16, 2021 Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless 1404 Franklin Street, Suite 200 Oakland, CA 94612 www.achch.org
Vision Mission
We envision a just society where all Our mission is to improve the
persons have access to quality health of Alameda County residents
health care and housing. experiencing homelessness by
We believe the problems of ensuring access to culturally
homelessness and health inequities informed, whole-person health care
can be solved. and housing services.
COVID-19 Response:
Information and Resources
• Convening county-wide shelter and outreach providers weekly since March
2020 to provide guidance, information and communicate updates
– Approximately 60 providers on each call/week
• Providing key PPE supplies directly
to front-line partners
• Continually developing and updating materials and protocols to keep our
community informed and vigilant: https://www.achch.org/coronavirus.html
COVID-19 Response:
Project Roomkey
Project Roomkey hotels provide temporary housing for unsheltered residents as
part of the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Operation Comfort
• Short-term isolation/quarantine housing available to people experiencing
homelessness who are unable to isolate or quarantine safely at home.
• Over 1,900 individuals have been served to date.
Safer Ground
• Non-congregate shelter emergency housing resources for individuals
experiencing homelessness at high-risk of developing acute disease or
complications from COVID-19.
• Over 1,500 individuals have been served to date, with 500+ transitioning into
housing.
COVID-19 Response:
Homeless Outbreak Rapid Response
Planning with homeless outreach partners, shelters, city and county staff, ACHCH
developed and leads COVID-19 Homeless Outbreak Rapid Response model:
Environmental Scans (200+ to date)
Support & Guidance from Local Public Health Department
• COVID+ Contact investigations: 400+
• Rapid Response testing & coordination with outreach
Flexible Response: Offer I&Q hotel through Project Roomkey or “enhanced shelter
in place” with deployment of increased support and supplies
• Depends on partnership with cities, CBOs and community groupsCOVID-19 Response:
COVID-19 Testing Strategy
Testing Strategy:
• Rapid Response
• Rapid Antigen (soon rapid PCR)
• Community Care (surveillance testing)
• Partnership with Public Health key
Locations:
• Streets
• Shelters
• Project Roomkey
Over 7500+ COVID tests administered to dateCOVID-19 Response:
COVID-19 Vaccine Education
Host COVID-19 Vaccine Webinars
Post vaccine updates and materials to website
Develop and provide educational material
w/feedback from individuals with lived
experience (e.g. Fliers, FAQ, Myths)
Have staff available onsite at events to be
available for Q/A
Flexible and responsive to changes (e.g. Janssen)COVID-19 Response:
COVID-19 Vaccine Preparation & Coordination
Site Preparation:
Developed and provide material, including a
check-list, with coaching and a pre-site visit
with ACHCH staff.
Coordinated outreach prior to event.
Coordination:
Identified partnerships and resources to
scale vaccine reach to persons experiencing
homelessness
Vaccine Guidance - ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS (achch.org)COVID-19 Response: Vaccine Service Delivery
Models
Shelters/Project Roomkey: Vaccinate directly in sheltered settings, 40+ sites to date.
Services leverage pharmacy and program resources to maximize workforce
Community Care Sites: Identified sites in high-need areas to draw in local unhoused
residents to provide vaccination on a recurring interval.
Streets: Field-based teams providing vaccines to unsheltered homeless in
encampments and other places not meant for human habitation across the county
County PODS: Geographically accessible vaccine sites affixed with adaptations for
serving PEH including building in walk-in capacity and ability to self-attest to homeless
status in lieu of validating other forms of ID.
Over 3,000 vaccines provided since 3/1/2021www.achch.org
Vaccine Confidence
Alice Minervino, MA
State of CT Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services
Housing and Homeless ServicesMaking a Plan
Start in a staff meeting
Help people talk about it – give an update
Make a plan for roll out
People are scared, we are scared
Know where you stand
Do you have enough access to information?
Are you prepared to discuss this with people?
Remember what we do
Hope
Confidence
CompetenceInstilling Hope How will the vaccine make life better for this person? o Why is this important? o We will do this together; we are part of something bigger o We do this to protect ourselves and others – people we care about Lend our trust and mentor Talk about what is important to the person o Remember people have been in crisis a long time o Crisis affects peoples thinking o People need time and information to consider this change o Start early - now
Building Confidence
Do you have the information you need to have a
conversation?
Itis fine if you can’t answer the question, research it
together
Will staff and tenants get the shots together?
People trust you
Be real about being afraid
Use outreach or trusted staff that worked before
Threats and consequences do not build confidence
Use the tools you have – confidence ruler, decisional balance
sheet, Harm Reduction TechniquesJohnson & Johnson
Suspended vaccines
May increase apprehension
Time for Motivational Interviewing
Opportunity for discussion
May delay timeline for vaccinations
May decrease number of mass vaccination sitesSupporting the Staff
People are tired and scared
Staffhave lives that are affected and are still expected
to be completely there when at work
The work is frustrating and often does not follow a
path we see so clearly
Listening
is the hardest thing we regularly do and
sometimes the scariest
People need to use their skills and relationship
They work close in and often need perspective
Supervision and peer support is essential
This is how we will get through thisOutreach and Engagement COACH On-going trainings Outreach and support at vaccination sites
Partnerships
Federal
HUD
SAMHSA
FEMA
State
Governor’s Office
Department of Public Health
Department of Housing
Department of Social ServicesComing Attractions
Goals of Department of Public Health community
partner outreach
Equip community leaders with timely information on
the vaccine rollout and key messaging
Create space for dialogue and best practice sharing
amongst community organizations focused on vaccine
access for communities of color and those facing
significant access challenges (e.g., living with
disabilities, undocumented)
Amplify efforts of CT community organizations to scale
outreach and communications strategies
Develop new communications messaging tools where
there are distinct needsPartnering with DPH Trusted Messenger Forums Clinician Speaker Bureaus Toolkit and Messaging Resources
Success Stories (1)
While distributing COACH information, one COACH staff
encountered a family who were all hesitant to receive the
vaccine. The COACH staff was able to spend some time
with them to discuss their concerns, share vaccine
education and increase their confidence. They worked
together to identify a local vaccination event with
available time slots. The family was so encouraged that
they asked for additional copies of educational resources
so they could go back to their community and continue to
share with others.Success Stories (2)
A tenant had a difficult experience at their first vaccine; a
woman waiting in line for her vaccine had passed out,
causing a lot of anxiety and was reluctant to get the
second dose. Staff attended the vaccination event to
provide support the tenant and be available to anyone
who needed to talk. The tenant received the second dose
and the case manager connected with others waiting for
their vaccines to offer support and education. Over 500
vaccines were administered at this event.Success Stories (3)
A woman explained she was highly concerned for her
father, who has been too afraid to leave his home/go out
for a vaccination. The COACH supervisor was able to reach
out to the woman’s father and they have worked together
to register the gentleman for a homebound vaccination
appointment.Tips and Ideas
Staff can assist with persons who are having difficulty
navigating Vaccine Administration Management System
(VAMS) and/or individual pharmacy websites
Agencies can hold their own vaccination clinic
Staff can discuss the process, assist in registration and
attend the vaccination appointments
Register at clinics and places the person may be familiar
with attendingResources COVID-19 Vaccination for People Experiencing Homelessness: Frequently Asked Questions COVID-19 Vaccination Fact Sheet State of CT COVID-19 Materials COACH (COVID-19 Assistance for Community Health) Program
Contact Information Alice Minervino Alice.Minervino@ct.gov 860.418.6942 (office) 860.478.5363 (cell)
COVID-19 and
Homelessness
Updates
Homelessness Unit
Disproportionately Affected Populations Team
CDC COVID-19 Response
cdc.gov/coronavirusNational COVID-19 cases
37.9% of US population has received at least one dose of vaccine
CDC Resources https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/index.html
For more information, contact CDC 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636) TTY: 1-888-232-6348 www.cdc.gov The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
USDA Boosts Food Assistance for Homeless Young Adults Seeking Refuge in Shelters
• Young adults under the age of
USDA Boosts Food 25 experiencing homelessness
will now be able to receive
Assistance for meals at emergency shelters
participating in the Child and
Homeless Young Adult Care Food Program
Adults Seeking
• CACFPs will receive
reimbursement from USDA
Refuge in Shelters • Effective for the duration of the
public health emergency
• Guidance available to State
AgenciesESG-CV Grants Status Report
Updated April 12, 2021
Percentage of total funds drawn:
6%
39 recipients are over 20% drawn
83 recipients are 100%
Committed/funded in IDIS!
Please start drawing funds NOW!
20% of your grant allocation must
be expended by September 30, 2021At the current ESG-CV spending rates… • There are 81 grantees projected to meet the 20% deadline on 9/30/21 • There are 15 grantees projected to meet the 100% deadline 9/30/22 • Many grantees are not projected to finish spending this century, with the maximum being projected to drawn down the allocation on March 28, 6474
HUD RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT • New Rapid Rehousing Flexibilities
New RRH Flexibilities – ESG-CV • Issued April 14, 2021 and retroactive to the date the State or unit of local government began preparing for COVID (presumed to be January 21, 2020) • Allows ESG-CV RRH projects to serve individuals and families residing in housing who are receiving time limited rental subsidies funded by another source who were homeless prior to entering that housing • When serving this newly eligible population, recipients may accept inspections conducted by other providers indicating that the housing is safe and sanitary instead of having to conduct their own habitability inspections
New RRH Flexibilities – Applicability to Annual ESG
• Applies to ESG-CV funds as well as annual ESG funds used to
prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID and follow the
additional instructions in the Notice
• Regarding annual ESG funds - exempt from consultation and
citizen participation to FY2020 or prior year funds only to the
extent necessary to amend recipients’ plans to include the
newly eligible RRH beneficiaries and make corresponding
changes to written standards and the recipient publishes its
plan onlineWaiver 1 – Eligibility for RRH Assistance
• In addition to those who are currently eligible for ESG funded
RRH, allows RRH providers to serve households who meet all
the additional criteria:
• Met the definition of “homeless” immediately before moving into their current
housing
• Have been residing in housing with time limited rental assistance provided under a
homeless assistance program
• Would not have an overlap in rental assistance between the non-ESG program and
the ESG Program
• Would not have a gap of more than one month between the end of the non-ESG
rental assistance and the beginning of the ESG RRH assistance
• Do not have resources or support networks (beyond an eviction moratorium)
needed to retain their existing housingWaiver 1 – Con Plan Amendment Requirements
• Recipients that use this waiver to expand the scope of RRH
beneficiaries must amend their consolidated plans
• In amending consolidated plans, recipients are not required to
comply with any consultation or citizen participation
requirements provided the recipient publishes its plan to
include these newly eligible RRH beneficiaries onlineWaiver 1 – Other Requirements • For households that are currently ESG RRH program participants (because they have been receiving ESG funded services), they may be provided ESG rental assistance without being treated as a new applicant • For households not currently ESG RRH program participants, recipients must develop written standards for serving this population, as well as make changes to HMIS, coordinated entry, initial and re-evaluation, recordkeeping, and reporting, as appropriate
Waiver 2 – Minimum Standards for PH
• Recipients who choose to serve these newly eligible RRH
beneficiaries, the ESG recipient can provide rental assistance and
housing relocation and stabilization services without first
inspecting the unit so long as one of the following criteria is met:
• The recipient maintains documentation showing the prior rental assistance
provider determined that the housing meets the habitability standards at 24
CFR 576.403(c) or HQS established at 24 CFR 982.401
• The recipient or subrecipient provides no more than 90 days of RRH
assistance to a program participant
• The recipient or subrecipient conducts an inspection within the first 90 days
and determines the housing meets habitability or HQSHUD RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT • CPD Monitoring Overview
New Resources Posted • Rehousing and Coordinated Investment Planning Tool
Key Websites HUD: https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/diseases/infectious- disease-prevention-response/ CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless- shelters/index.html NHCHC: https://nhchc.org/clinical-practice/diseases-and-conditions/influenza/ USICH: https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/coronavirus-covid-19-resources/ VA: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/n-coronavirus/index.asp HRSA: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/emergency-response/coronavirus-frequently-asked- questions.html
Federal Partner Contacts For additional information or assistance, contact: • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/COVID19; 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636); TTY: 1-888-232-6348 • Department of Housing and Urban Development: HUD Exchange Ask-A-Question (AAQ) Portal
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