Table of Contents

Section One

Introduction

Agency Name, Current Population served and Student’s position. I currently worked for Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizen’s Council (RBSCC) our primary services now include homeless prevention, re-housing from shelter, legal services, veteran’s services, adult education, and job training and placement. We also offer ongoing tenants’ rights and financial literacy trainings for community residents. I am the Program Director of the Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program. My program is designed to house homeless veterans into permeant housing.

Organizational History and Analysis

  • History of the OrganizationRidgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council is one of New York’s largest non-profit social service organizations. For more than 30 years, RBSCC has provided critical care and services for the community. In 2009, RBSCC established the Community Empowerment Center to address the long standing social issues of homelessness and unemployment through innovative programs. The community empowerment center is the site I work at.
  • Agency Mission- RBSCC missionis to increase economic independence by challenging perspective, improving tangible skills, and inspiring the confidence to achieve. We are proud to share these values Community commitment growth understanding collaboration and creativity
  • Service Mandate(s) and Reason(s) for ServiceProvide housing, employment and education services.
  • Categories of Servicehomeless prevention, re-housing from shelter, legal services, veteran’s services, adult education, and job training and placement
  • List or chart of contracted serviceLegal services, and veterans outreach program

We assist homeless veteran families to leave shelters and secure affordable housing and prevent at-risk veterans from becoming homeless. Free services available to qualified households include:

  • VA and NYC benefits advocacy
  • Housing placement services
  • Housing for homeless Veterans in shelter
  • Third party mediation
  • Legal services
  • Emergency rental assistance
  • Tenants’ Rights Workshops
  • Community referrals for supportive services
  • Financial Literacy Courses
  • Availability of Services
  • Service Time Schedules
  • MondayTuesdayWednesday Thursday Friday from 9:00am- 5:00pm
  • Client Access Train, bus
  • Walk in, outreach
  • Location(s) with addresse(s) and map(s) Community Empowerment Center 90 Beaver Street Brooklyn NY 11206

  • Qualifications of Service Providers
  • Personnel qualifications, and job function titles with Job Descriptions and Specifications-- Program Director, Program Supervisor, Case Manager, Resource SpecialistThe Support Services for Veteran Families program is an initiative funded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The goals of the program are to (1) assist homeless veteran families to leave shelters and secure affordable housing and (2) prevent at-risk veteran families from becoming homeless.The program director/aftercare coordinator will lead a team of four professionals to implement a nationally recognized, start-up program.

Duties and Responsibilities Of the Program Director

  • Oversee all outreach, eviction prevention, and re-housing from shelter services
  • Develop a collaborative approach with employees to accomplish the program’s objectives.
  • Provide day to day guidance, support, trouble-shooting, and leadership.
  • Establish a monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure effectiveness of operations.
  • Facilitate meetings and trainings with staff to develop best practices in the program.
  • Build and maintain relationships with partner agencies including the VA.
  • Participate in management meetings to address program challenges.
  • Evaluate staff performance and recruit new employees as needed.
  • Contribute to program reports and develop website content.
  • Participate in the ongoing development of the program and center.
  • Assists program participants with the renewal or extension of an existing financial assistance subsidy in order to prevent homelessness.
  • Counsels clients who reside in the community and were recently in shelter regarding options to prevent shelter entry
  • Coordinates services and activities to provide program participants with necessary tools to sustain their housing and prevent homelessness
  • Develops and implements an individualized service and housing plan that establishes goals and actions which address the immediate housing crisis and the underlying causes of the crises
  • Provides referrals for clients to access public benefits and entitlements
  • Maintains accurate record keeping via case files and the designated computer database
  • Engages in the arrangement, coordination, monitoring and delivery of services to SSVF program participants

Duties and Responsibilities:Program Supervisor

  • Assist families who are homeless, living in shelter, and transitioning permanent housing
  • Provide day to day guidance, support, trouble-shooting, and leadership
  • Engage in the arrangement, coordination, monitoring and delivery of services to SSVF program participants
  • Develop linkages with real estate companies, and management offices.
  • Train housing staff in database utilization, chart organization, and FARS
  • Conduct chart reviews and supervision for rapid rehousing case managers
  • Participate in management meetings to address program challenges
  • Oversee quality of outreach, case management, housing placement activities
  • Collect data and prepare regular reports for the agency and funders
  • Participates in all financial management activities for the program including annual budgeting, monthly vouchers, budget modifications, and annual closeout submissions
  • Participate in program development activities for SSVF, as necessary
  • Other duties as required by your supervisor

Qualifications:

  • Master’s Degree and one year of case management experience or Bachelor’s Degree and three years of case management experience
  • Proven leadership and program management ability
  • Experience working in non-profit organizations and commitment to social justice.
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to advocate
  • Ability to work independently and collaborate with a teamEntrepreneurial spirit, ability to problem solve and build relationships

Duties and Responsibilities: Case Manager

  • Outreach to homeless veteran families residing in New York City shelters.
  • Assess prospective clients and determine eligibility for the program.
  • Outline action plans that establish a path to permanent housing.
  • Facilitate applications for permanent housing subsidies and apartment relocation expenses.
  • Ensure access to NYC entitlements and VA benefits.
  • Coordinate access to in-house grants for housing relocation expenses.
  • Refer clients for services including job training, education, and financial literacy.
  • Ensure clients obtain housing within a limited timeframe.
  • Manage multiple deadlines in a crisis environment.
  • Participate in the ongoing development of the program and center.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree.
  • A commitment to social justice and experience working for non-profit organizations.
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to advocate.
  • Ability to work independently and collaborate with a team.
  • Entrepreneurial spirit, ability to problem solve, build relationships, and a sense of humor.
  • Community residents and veterans strongly encouraged to apply.

Duties and Responsibilities: Resource Specialist

  • Perform outreach in various settings including NYC shelters, treatment programs and partner organizations to market and enroll clients into the RBSCC SSVF program.
  • Develop and maintain linkages with real estate companies, employers and management offices that lead to a housing placement
  • Facilitate apartment viewing for clients and assist client in completing housing applications
  • Work in collaboration with Case Management staff to determine the employment and housing need of each client
  • Provide up-to-date information to Case Managers on job openings that meet the experience and education of clients
  • Develop outreach and marketing materials such as flyers, fact sheets, brochures, posters, etc., on programs/policies for various audiences including clients, employers and landlords
  • Create, update, and maintain a resource tracker (on community contacts/referrals, for internal use
  • Assist Program Director to ensure performance objectives including number of individuals enrolled and rehoused from shelter are achieved
  • Take on a caseload of SSVF clients as required
  • Other duties as assigned by Program Director

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • Experience with the homeless population
  • A commitment to social justice and experience working for non-profit organizations.
  • Ability to conceptualize challenges and communicate creative solutions.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint
  • Entrepreneurial spirit, ability to problem solve, build relationships, and a sense of humor.

Statement of Research

Do case managers in the supportive service for veterans families program need to be trained in veteran’s issues in order to be effective case managers.

Needs Assessment

New York City a total of 148,281 veterans has been reported homeless. Agency such as mines who have Supportive Service for Veteran Families Program are design to assist the city with resolving veteran homelessness by placing each veterans into permanent stable housing. The veteran’s administration has granted seven agencies in the New York City areas with funds to help the veterans with financially means to relocate. As a program director my job is to make sure that my staff which includes case managers, resource specialist,and housing specialists are all effectively and collectively identify these homeless veterans and assisting them with transition from homelessness to stably house.

New York City’s Homeless Shelter Population: (November 2015)

  • Total number of homeless people in municipal shelters: 59,929
  • Number of homeless families: 14,476
  • Number of homeless children: 23,912
  • Number of homeless adults in families: 22,070
  • Number of homeless single adults: 13,947
  • Number of homeless single men:10,247
  • Number of homeless single women: 3,700

Community/Client Identification- My program outreach specialist participates in community events, go to shelters to identified veterans, go to the veteran’s centers, and hospitals to see which veteran is in need services.

History and background of the problem/need-The problem is that there is an enormous amount of veterans who are homeless in New York City. The need is financial support to help them transition into permanent housing by paying, first month rent, security deposit, broker’s fee and depending on the case ongoing rent for five months. When workers in the SSVF program are working with veterans this now is the determine factor as to whether or not they should be trained on veterans issues. Prior to providing a veteran with financial assistance the initial contact with the veterans takes place and the key is to get the veteran engage and willing to participate in services that are tied to the veterans administration. Some veterans have had bad experiences and have made personal decisions not to work with the veterans administrations. By having some of the outreach specialist or case managers conduct survey will give me a good since if what I feel is needed is worth implementing.

1What is the nature of the situation or condition? RBSCC/ SSVF program case managers need efficient training on veterans issues so they can better engage the clients we serve.

2 How are the terms being defined?Currently the veteran’s administration encourages agencies that have a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) to hire veterans because they believe that veterans are more likely to relate to case managers who are veterans also.

3 What are the characteristics of those experiencing the conditions- Ideally that will be wonderful to be able to hire all veterans who meet the requirements for the case manager’s position. However, reality is that during the interviewing process my agency encounters great candidates who are veterans and then some who are not.The current conditions do not allow our case managers to identify the route of the problem. It’s normally acquired after several clients and case management contact and a serious of questions. I believe in order to service our veterans we must be able to understand the challenges they face.

4What is the scale of distribution of the condition? The supportive services for veterans family program use a prescreen form and assessment form to decide who is in need of services which includes in financial assistance.

5 What social values are being threatened by the existence of the condition- Clients are not getting the proper services? Although majority of the veterans are able to resolve their housing crisis other issues that may have been a contributing factor to their initial homeless may not necessarily be resolved. For example, obtaining employment, some veterans may not be able to secure employment because of a substance abuse problem or some sort of disabilities. The lack of knowledge on the case manager’s behalf about the services that the veteran’s administration may provide can affect the overall outcome of the case.

6 How widely is the condition recognized? Throughout the community empowerment center there are various programs in which a variety of individuals can receive a wide range of services.

7Who defines the condition as a problem- The case managers

8What is the etiology of the problem? The program requirements

9Are there ethnic and gender consideration – Yes mainly gender because female veterans and male veterans have different experiences during the course military

Include global to local history and perspectives

Include current existing initiatives and/or models of intervention

Review of the Literature

Identify hypotheses of research similar to your own from other scholarly research. Explain how the hypothesis in scholarly research (in journal articles) is related to the hypothesis in your research. State findings/conclusions,of the articles similar to your selected research.

This section consists of an integrated discussion of articles on the research topic of student choice. This discussion should answer the following questions:

  • what is the paper about
  • what is the hypothesis stated in the paper;
  • what type of data is collected;
  • what are the (major) findings and conclusions?
  • This section ends with your comments on similarity of your research with the research in the literature that supports your research.
  • Awareness of Need and Opportunity

Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program Staff Training and Mentor Program

The SSVF Program Office has developed a Mentor Program, which identifies “Mentor Sites” that have effectively developed interventions that successfully meet VA’s goals of preventing and ending homelessness. Mentor Sites work with new grantees to accelerate their skill development and knowledge acquisition of the SSVF Program. This mentoring program should help new grantees adopt promising practices from the very start of their program operations. Mentor Sites will provide experiential, rather than improving training, as the latter will continue to be offered through VA’s technical assistance provider. New grantees are encouraged to have a program manager spend a week at their assigned Mentor Site to observe how that program organizes and delivers SSVF services. It is hoped that by shadowing key Mentor Site SSVF staff, new grantees will be better able to apply formal training and quickly organize effective and productive services upon return to their home agency.

In addition, grantees must attend VA-mandated training sessions. Trainings will be conducted by VA and its technical assistance provider. Information on training, including eligible training expenses, will be emailed to grantees. It is also expected that grantees will provide training for case managers and staff who will provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families. VA mandated training will be provided at no-cost to grantees

Participant Satisfaction Surveys

SSVF’s programmustprovide each veteran with a satisfaction survey which can be submitted by the participant directly to the program director, within 45 to 60 days of the veteran’s entry into the program and again within 30 days of such veterans pending exit from the program. The SSVF satisfaction survey should be distributed to veterans at entry and exit. In situations where the case manager is actively assisting a veteran in transitioning to another location or program, the program should provide the veteran with a satisfaction survey as close to exit as possible. In situations where a participant exits the program unexpectedly, the case managers should attempt a follow-up contact with the veteran to provide them with the survey. Lastly, the survey should include case manager’s knowledge on veteran’s issues.

Awareness of Need and Opportunity for need intervention

During my assessment I noticed that my agency is on track with the services that they provide. They have been fortunate to identify the needs with the population that we serve and have been successful in providing various opportunities to meet those needs. By accomplishing this we have improved the quality of life for many individuals in the community. The community empowerment center has been able to budget properly and or request financial assistance through grants in order to expand our programs by hiring new staff that are trained and skill to meet any new needs that are identified over the course of time. The issues are that the agency has not effectively implemented the training for the new hire. I also noticed that for clients’needs that we are unable to assist with directly, we will than refer to the proper sources. The agency has collected a numerous amount of resources from outside agency or charitable organizations that have been better suited for the client to get their needs met. With all the good I do believe that the most needs that my agency can benefit from is there staffing and providing the proper training so that the workers can be effective we engaging clients.

  • Initial plan for intervention- To provide extensive trainings to case managers on veteran’s issues and challenges that face in society. This will allow the case managers to be more efficient when engaging clients,
  • Systems Resources-

Personal and community values comparison

  • Resources Available- Adequate space, materials, computer systems or other colleagues
  • Personnel Skills necessary for program implementation

Section Two

Action Plan

(Format in Landscape)

Week / Objective / Strategies/Activities / Evidence / Analysis / Outcome
1 / To meet with supervisor
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Section Four -Analysis and Evaluation