(AREA CODE 412 UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED) / EMAIL ADDRESS
October 25, 2007– Homeless Outreach Coordinating Committee Meeting
*****TO ALL HOCC MEMBERS*****
PLEASE CHECK OVER YOUR INFORMATION IN THE LIST AND MADE SURE IT IS ACCURATE. PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL BECKY LABOVICK WITH ANY ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS. EMAIL: R VIA PHONE: 412-621-6513 x101. Thanks!
Becky
NEXT HOCC MEETING (4th Thursday of every month )
REMINDER: Nov/Dec HOCC meeting is combined due to the holidays!
Next meeting will be DECEMBER 6, 2007
1:30p-3:00p
LOCATION: PLEASENOTE THE LOCATION IS CHANGED FOR THE NEXT MTG!!
We are shooting for the NOV/DEC meeting to be at the CRC on the South Side. You will receive an update prior to the meeting when details are established!!
HOCC has a WEBSITE!! It is:
HOCC Meeting Minutes are updated monthly on the website as well!! Thanks goes to Diane McMahon for designing and keeping the website up to date for us!!
- 1:45 pm meeting initiated by Mac McMahon.
- Thank you to Shepherds Heart for having us to their site for the meeting.
- Two topics for discussion after the Shepherds Heart tour:
- Shelter/ID issue
- HMIS Street Outreach
- Announcements/General Info/Updates:
- Frank Bernardi, the acting pastor for Shepherds Heart with a brief review of the services available at their site. Services include a drop-in area, a drop-in area that is in stages of development in the basement and transitional housing that is a collaborative between Shepherds Heart and the VA. (approx 80% VA/20% Shepherds Heart). There was a brief review of some history of the church and brochures available regarding services on-site.
- Next HOCC meeting-plan to hopefully visit the CRC on the South Side.
- January HOCC meeting-plan to hopefully visit another location, such as Wellspring.
- Introductions
- Further Announcements/General Info/Updates:
- Bethlehem Haven/Miryam’s Open House 10/25/07 5:30-7:30p @ Miryam’s.
- CHSC Traditional Toast Fundraiser 10/25/07 5:30-7:30p @ Olive or Twist on 6th Street downtown.
- Urban League with change in process beginning 11-1-07. There will be more stringent counseling involved related to Fannie Mae funding. Dennis Payne has further info. Becky LaBovick has one copy of the changes-if you would like a copy, please either email/call and leave message to fax to you
- Chris, Diane and Sgt Miller send their regards and apologies for not being able to attend today’s meeting.
- Pastor Bernardi updates of a grant that the Diocese were awarded to construct the new drop-in center in the basement. Also received funds to purchase and operate (1yr of operation) a van to go around to the homeless agencies/services. Van will provide shuttle service. HAVE THE MONEY, BUT CANNOT LOCATE AN APPROPRIATE VEHICLE. ANY HELP REGARDING THIS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
- Shelter/ID issue:
- Harry Sweitzer polled info on all the emergency shelters in Allegheny Co. Dennis passed out an email updating of which shelters expect photo ID. Alternate forms of ID accepted include: hospital band, jail wristband or persons who are known well to the shelter and do not require photo id.
- No known turn-awasy based on the ID issue. If it occurs, DHS Homeless and Hunger needs to be contacted. Most shelters will assist persons to work on obtaining ID.
- Salvation Army-must have marriage license to enter. They do not honor domestic partnership.
- If an individual is not willing to work on the ID issue while in shelter, the shelter may turn the person away due to concern for harboring a fugitive from law or due to concern for sheltering an underage runaway.
- Question? What if the individual is so impaired with MH, such as paranoia, that this precludes them to ability to follow up on ID issue?
- This brings up issue of transgendered individuals and how these individuals are not readily accepted in either the male or female shelter environment. Shelter will take based on their actual external sexual organs ~ if male dresses as a female, but remains without any surgical change, the male must utilize male shelters.
- General discussion regarding how this creates barriers to an initial level of housing.
- OSN updates that they see many folks who require/request monies to assist obtaining ID for the purpose of entering shelter and for obtaining jobs.
- Discussion regarding need for protocol to be established in order to protect people and decrease barriers. There are barriers related to obtaining ID as well. Often ID is stolen/lost repeatedly on the streets, the person must have a valid mailing address and have some form of mail/utilities/lease to substantiate the address and often require a birth certificate.
- ??-Question posed~Maybe this could be some type of service that the Allegheny Engagement Network could provide to folks ~ some form of shelter picture ID??
- Veterans born in PA can get a birth certificated for free. If eleigvle for services via VA, they can also get a VA ID.
- Other items that can be helpful in obtaining ID: Voters registration card (verify’s address) coupled with a birth certificate.
- HMIS Shelter/Street Outreach:
- Reginald Young with description related to what HMIS is.
- Mac – apologizes, as his original email regarding the HMIS Street Outreach issue was not meant to be brought forth in the HOCC forum.
- Mr. Young presents: General background on HMIS, along with the need for this system and what it will be utilized for.
- STREET INFO: Mr. Young feels that “we” are getting accurate name/dob/ss# on most people encountered on the street. Concern: there are folks on the street who do not want to divulge info such as DOB/SS#.
- HMIS-requires some general documentation in to file as to some general specifics, such as general description of individuals and where found/located.
- General discussion related to STREET ROUNDS. MAIN OBJECTIVE is to outreach, provide basic needs to people such as clothing, food, education regarding shelter, etc. It IS NOT to engage and pull out info such as DOB/SS#/Housing/etc.
- Operation Save A Life (OSAL) only asks 1st name and addresses the immediate needs. Asking for furthered info can be a BARRIER! Must engage 1st, which may take a long period of time. Often, individuals are only known by a “street” name (nickname).
- SWES does ask for name/DOB once from individuals at the shelter.
- County does not want to interfere with building the engagement/relationship. Do want to ID related to persons description/general location/etc. County needs better actual count of unduplicated persons, understanding that there will be issues, but it is necessary.
- How does the countyforsee HMIS getting info back to the agencies? Mike Lindsay updates that reports can be generated back, but request needs to be made to the county.
- Outreach portion of HMIS will be open to all who have been granted access. This includes: OSN, CHSC/OSAL, WPIC.
- OSN issues-there is only a 10 day window, which is not lengthy enough. Also a time of day must be entered, which is not feasible (county recommends giving an estimated time).
- General discussion related to data info and importance of the data being entered.
- Some person could be in duplicate/triplicate in HMIS. Once identified as several duplicate entries, HMIS can merge the records down to one.
- ??? concern related to % of individuals aged out of CYF and now on streets/homeless/etc. If tracked in HMIS, the info could prove useful in many ways.
- Separate group discussion related to the HMIS Street Outreach issue/data entry is suggested. It is recommended that street outreach (OSN, CHSC/OSAL, WPIC) meet separately to discuss the specifics related to HMIS issues.
- Mr. Young updates that geo-coding is used in the HMIS system. Issues pertaining to the geo-coding rose briefly, with request if the specifics on the geo-coding can be changed/reduced. Most of the encounters are only listed as general area such as “downtown, grease alley” or North Side…
- FYI-North Side Common Ministries will be CLOSED for renovation from THANKSGIVING TO CHRISTMAS.
- FYI-County with upcoming challenge related to closure of St. Lufthild’s Personal Care home and also the closure of Mayview. OBH needs to be notified if any of these individuals are ending up on the streets!
Meeting adjournedshortly after3pm.
Food for thought:
Therefore we pledge to bind
ourselves to one another, to embrace
our lowliest, to keep company with
our loneliest, to educate our illiterate,
to feed our starving, to clothe our
ragged, to do all good things,
knowing that we are more than
keepers of our brothers and sisters.
We are our brothers and sisters --Maya Angelou
REGULAR ATTENDEES:
Baldwin, Devin / Three Rivers YouthLOFT/TLP
508 Franklin Ave
Wilkinsburg, PA15221 / Emergency Shelter and Transitional Living Program / 242-5580 x37 /
Baum, Robert / WPIC
3811 O’Hara St
Pgh, Pa15213 / WPIC / 647-9326 /
Chalich, Theresa / Bethlehem Haven
905 Watson Street
PGH, PA15219 / Mental health / 412-391-1348 x104 /
X / Chiappini, Stephanie LMSW / Operation Safety Net
MercyHospital
1518 Forbes Ave
PGH, PA15219 / Medical outreach, case management, transitional housing / 412-232-5739 /
X / Chopek, Steve / ACDHS / 350-6788 /
X / Cox, Jonathan / Pittsburgh Downtown Parnership / 566-4190 /
Coyne, Alex / Oakland Business Improvement District / 683-6243 x19 /
DelCimmuto, Michael SGT. / Zone Two Police Station
2000 Centre Ave
PGH, PA15219 / Pittsburgh Police / 255-2827 /
Denne, Jewel / WPIC
3811 O’Hara St
Pgh, Pa15213 / WPIC / 235-5310 /
DeSantis, Jeff / Mercy Behavioral Health
330 9th Street
Pgh, PA15203 / 488-4390 /
DiFrancesco, Jamie / CHSC / Intern / 716-8738 /
Downey, Glen / ACLU Intern
x / Fowler, Fred / Senior Planner
Office of Behavioral Health
304 Wood Street
PGH, PA15222 / 350-3449 /
Gant, James / Three Rivers Youth
The HUB
28th & Smallman / Drop-InCenter
Outreach / 338-0883 /
Gemmel, Natalie / CHSC / Intern / 621-6513
Haberchak, Ed / Allegheny CountyDHS
United Way Bldg
One Smithfield Street 4th floor
Pgh, Pa15222 / ACDHS Bureau of Hunger and Housing / 350-4031
X / Hochendoner, Paul / Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
Manager, Safety Ambassador Program
925 Liberty Ave, 1st floor
PGH, PA15222 / Downtown Safety Ambassadors / 325-0152
c-589-0783
f-566-4193 /
Johnson, Diane / WPIC-NLP
2552 Centre Avenue
Pgh, PA15219 / Outreach / 578-7729 /
X / Keenan, Chuck / ACDHS / 350-5606 /
Kelly, Heather / Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office
401 County Courthouse
Pittsburgh, PA15219 / Assistant District Attorney / 350-4400
Fax: 350-3312 /
Kroll, Amy
Or
Nock, Mike
Or
Hess, Eric / OBH-Forensic Services
304 Wood St
Pgh, Pa15222 / Forensics / 350-7337
350-4359
350-4393
f-350-4395
BH Crises Hotline: 1-888-424-2287 /
X / LaBovick, Becky / CHSC
3201 Craft Place
Pgh, PA15213 / SOT/Families United
HOCC Secretary / 621-6513 x101 /
Laemmle, Chris / WPIC-Outreach and NLP
2552 Centre Avenue
Pgh, PA15219 / Outreach
**HOCC CO-CHAIR / 578-7730 /
X / Lindsay, Michael / ACDHS / 350-3463 /
McMahon, Diane / Parental StressCenter
5877 Commerce St.
PGH, PA15206 / Pending possible HUD/PH Program, waiting to hear! / 361-4800
© 480-9044 /
X / McMahon, Mac / CHSC
3201 Craft Place
Pgh, PA15213 / Street Outreach/SOT
**HOCC CHAIR / 621-6513 x106 /
McNicholas, Bridget / Operation Safety Net / Intern
Miller, Robert SGT. / Pittsburgh Police
Zone 2
2000 Centre Ave
Pgh, Pa15219 / Pittsburgh Police / 255-2827 /
X / Payne, Dennis / DHS
United WayBuilding
One Smithfield St.
4th floor
Pgh, PA15222 / ACDHS / 350-4984
350-3837 /
X / Pickering, Cheryl / SHF / 281-1305 /
Pilarski, Mary Frances / VA Hospital
122 B-H
7180 Highland Dr.
PGH, PA15206 / VA Healthcare for the Homeless Veterans / 412-365-5273 /
Puttaiol, Asha / ACLU Intern
Quinn, Mae / 1410 Fifth Avenue
Pgh, PA15219 / Miryam’s-Day Program/Residential & Transitional Housing / 471-0155 /
X / Smith, Erica / CHSC
3201 Craft Place
Pgh, PA15213 / Outreach/OSAL / 621-6513 x110 /
X / Sonney, Holly / Bethlehem Haven
905 Watson Street
PGH, PA15219 / Mental health / 412-391-1348 x103 /
Staab, James / 3811 O’Hara St
Pgh, PA15213 / CACTIS/Mobile Crises / 235-5401 /
Upsher, Curtis / CCBHO
1 Chatam Center
112 Washington Place
STE 200
Pgh, Pa15219 / BHMCO / 454-2163 /
X / Vanderhorst, Beverly / VA Hospital
122 B-H
7180 Highland Drive
PGH, PA 15206` / VA Healthcare for Homeless Vets / 365-4640 /
Venezia, Rich / Allegheny CountyDHS
United Way Bldg
One Smithfield Street 4th floor
Pgh, Pa15222 / AlleghenyCounty Dept of Human Services / 350-4354 /
Walczak, Vic / ACLU / 681-7864 /
Walnoha, Adrienne / CHSC
374 Lawn Street
Pgh, Pa15213 / Executive Director / 621-4706 /
Waters, Rocky / NCM-Safe Haven
1329 Lake St #105
Pgh, Pa15233
Wild, Kellie / Light Of Life
PO Box 6823
Pgh, Pa15212 / Shelter
Residential Recovery
Program Director / 803-4113 /
x / Young, Reginald / Allegheny CountyDHS
United Way Bldg
One Smithfield Street 4th floor
Pgh, Pa15222 /
Zinno, Elizabeth / Pitt-MSW/MPH Program / 478-9043 /
HOCC Minutes-October 2007 page 1