LINCOLN’S CONTINUUM of CARE/HOMELESS COALITION
MEETING MINUTES
04/24/2015
In Attendance:Brett Anderson, People’s City Mission; Andra Bartels, Community Action; Susie Blue, Matt Talbot; Beatty Brasch, CFPIN; Tamara Cartwright, UNL- CCFL; Jeff Chamber, UNL-CCFL; Jay Conrad, Houses of Hope; Heather DeGroot, Houses of Hope/ TASC; Lindsey Drake, The Hub; Leah Droge, Friendship Home; Sarah Fentress, Community Action; Bobbi French, League of Human Dignity; Andrea Haberman, LLCHD; Teresa Harms, Clinic with a Heart; Lee Heflebower, Community Action Partnership; Ruth Karlsson, Released and Restored; Mary Kelly, Good Neighbor Community Center; Alison Kortefay, St. Monica’s; Christina Lloyd, Cedars; Maria Lopez, Catholic Social Services; Clarice Mackey, Salvation Army; Rhonda Mattingly, Bridges to Hope; Patricia Miller, Lincoln Vet Center; Sandra Miller, VA;Tom Randa, Good Neighbor Community Center; Mary Rittenburg, Region V Systems; Bryan Seck, LPS; Nikki Siegel, The Bay;Sarah Virchow, Community Corrections; Amy Wagner, LHA; Tonya Walker, Voices of Hope; Abby White, People’s City Mission; Monica Zinke, Fresh Start; Lisa Moehlenhoff, GA; Blair Banas, Salvation Army; Jennie Hagen, VA; Marilyn Barnes, VA; Amber Dean, PCM; Rosalee Newell, Matt Talbot; Matt Martinosky CenterPointe.
Chair Lee Heflebower opened the meeting.
Minutes fromMarch 2015 were reviewed and approved.
Treasurer’s report was reviewed. Current balance is $8,240.78,includes PHCL monies of $2,246.53.New revenue of $305 was from 2015 dues paid.
Presentation: Homelessness among college students, Quint Geis
Canceled by speaker.
Presentation: LPS Transportation for Students who are Homeless, Bryan Seck
Bryan Seck provided updates regarding the new buses that are being used to transport students who are homeless. They are called MVP (McKinney- Vento Program) buses and currently there are 4 buses and 2 mini vans that have been purchased. LPS is still using cabs for some students because they do not yet have enough drivers hired for the buses. Currently there are approx. 160 students needing transportation and approx 45 are still in cabs. He asks that people NOT call the buses” homeless buses” as we all work to de-stigmatize this for the students. Transportation will be available for students who are homeless who are attending summer school. There is no cost for summer school or transportation for them. Contact Bryan with questions about any of this. As of the meeting date, there are 470 identified students who are homeless.
Presentation: Project Homeless Connect Video from 2014 event was shown.
New Business
Please contact Lee if you would like to request assistance to pay for registration costs to the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference, or another conference related to the Coalition’s work (i.e. National Social Work Conference). Denise Packard shared that there are many resources available via the National Association of Case Managers Facebook page, and conference information also will be posted there. They plan to post summaries of presentations on Facebook also.
Old Business
Community Health Endowment’s Community Conversation “I Was Homeless” is on Tuesday April 28, 2015 from 1:30- 3PM at Community Health Endowment Office. It is being held in conjunction with the Lincoln Homeless Coalition. It is open to the public and everyone is invited. Monica Zinke is the moderator and she thanked everyone who helped find the 3 panelists. Please send any questions you would like asked to Monica. Panel was announced during previous meetings and CHE has sent emails and a mailing, the last panel will be about living with mental health.
Committee Updates
Executive Committee-Lee Heflebower
Committee discussed the 10 year plan and the meeting in Kearney. Another meeting is scheduled in May, also in Kearney, to further develop the action sites. Contact Lee for more information.
Planning and Data- Jeff Chambers
Point in Time County and Housing Inventory were both submitted HUD so the CoC should be in compliance with everything. This committee is also working with the most vulnerable review team and about the coordinated entry process. The PIT report for Lincoln should be ready for the next CoC meeting.
Consumer Engagement- Andra Bartels
The Employment Workshop is scheduled for Thursday May 14, 2015 from 11-1 at Community Action. There will be 1:1 help on the computers, HR panel, and more. It will include lunch. The flyer will be emailed to Coalition members in the next few days. Email Andra the names of people to register them and so she can get an approx. count for lunch.
Public Awareness- Bryan Seck, Chair
The committee continues to work on the community meeting. Bryan is working on invitations and outreach for it.
Youth- Christina Lloyd, Co- Chair.
The job and resource fair for youth will be on May 5, 2015 from 2-5PM at The Bay. There are currently 60 agencies and employers registered. School is out early that day. The clothing drive is on May 9, and they are already picking up full barrels from the colleges.
Rent and Utility Network-Sarah Fentress for Michelle Martinez
The next meeting is on 5/18/15 at 1PM at CAP.Everyone is invited.
Discharge Planning/Reentry Alliance-Patricia Miller
They continue to be busy working on legislation. The Dept. of Corrections now has ReEntry Specialists and they are giving our goals workbooks for inmates to work on while incarcerated. Center for People in Need has been working with people and doing a lot of things thru their new program, and is looking at housing options. Released and Restored also has expanded services, and has been able to hire additional staff.
SOAR- Denise Packard
There is some lag time currently because they are short staffed for the SOAR program. Another person is being hired. Denise plans to hold another “SOAR Lite” training this summer.
Street Outreach & Coordinated Services Committee- Denise Packard
This committee continues to focus on reviewing people identified as high needs and work on housing plans and other services for them. The time of the meeting will be changing; Denise will contact committee members about it.
Project Homeless Connect- Monica Zinke, Chair
Four committee members (Andrea, Lee, Monica, Paul) toured Project Homeless Connect Omaha on 3/27/15, and Monica shared some of the information and feedback gained. Their event is heavily focused on health and medical services, along with legal services. There are not many information/ referral booths. It is primarily planned by Creighton University not service providers. Charles Drew Health center is very involved and the medical records go to them at the end of the event. Pinnacle Bank Arena has been contacted and a date should be finalized soon. Ideas for actual services were again requested and for people to think about services and connections to those services that we could use to grow the event. Current wish list for additional services include: car repairs, animal/ vet services, legal services.
Agency Updates were provided.
Meeting adjourned.
The next meetingis the Friday 04/24/15 at 9:00AM at Cedars Northbridge.
Respectfully submitted by Monica Zinke