About:
Coordinated Entry and Assessment (CEA): All Populations | Key Decisions
The purpose of a coordinated entry/access system is to ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access and are quickly
identified, assessed for, and connected to housing and homeless assistance based on their strengths and needs. It uses standardized tools and
practices, incorporates a system-wide housing first approach, and coordinates assistance so that those with the most severe service needs are
prioritized.
This document outlines current key decision points and the overarching structure and values of our communities’ aligned coordinated
entry/engagement system for all populations (CEA), as approved by the Interagency Council (IAC) in March 2015. The IAC vision incorporates
community input, via the Interagency Council and population subcommittees, as well as recommendations from Focus Strategies. In addition, in
February 2015, HUD released a policy brief that summarizes HUD’s views on goals for the Coordinated Entry process. The March IAC Vision, Focus
Strategies and HUD guidance, community input, and overall recommendations of the CEA leadership teams are presented with each CEA component.
Objective:
The Coordinated Entry for All vision is to increase clarity and direct each existing CE system (Family Housing Connection, Youth Housing Connection,
and emerging single adult work) to align to one CEA.
CEA Component
Central
management
and point of
accountability
Background and Recommendation
IAC Vision:
• The System Manager, represented by a public funder or CEH, responsible for referral function and
overall point of accountability for the system; to be determined by May 2015
Best Practices:
• HUD does not require CE to be integrated into HMIS, but notes the benefits of doing so in their CE
Policy Brief.
• Focus Strategies’ CE report recomends integrating CE into HMIS.
Coordinated Entry Transition Leadership Team recommendation:
• King County to hold System Manager role, administering CE and HMIS.
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Decision Needed
Coordinating Board
approval of King
County to assume
System Manager role
(APPROVED December
2nd)
Coordinated Entry and Assessment (CEA): All Populations | Key Decisions
Multiple Entry
IAC Vision:
Points and
• Streamlined assessment and triage to housing and resources through community based organizations
throughout King County
Equitable Access
• Access points tailored to each population’s needs, assuring access among marginalized populations
Best Practices:
• HUD recommends fair and equal access through well-known access points regardless of geography,
situation, and presentation accompanied with strong marketing strategies.
• HUD recommends that all coordinated entry locations and methods (phone, in-person, online, etc.)
offer the same assessment approach and referrals using uniform decisionmaking processes.
• Focus Strategies recommended decentralized, geographically-based assessment locations (which is
also a successful strategy implemented in Los Angeles).
Community Input:
• Ensures regional access and will highlight existing gaps in resources both regionally and overall system
capacity to inform future planning and investments.
• Marginalized communities and the high volume of single adults currently experiencing homelessness
may have challenges in accessing designated regional locations which could be different from where
they may otherwise be accessing services.
• YHC has transitioned to decentralized assessment locations in the last year and overall impact has
been positive. Young adults have had access to assessments in locations they are already accessing
services and may have already built relationships with staff.
• Concerns have been raised about how one location would have the capacity, skills and resources to
meet the needs of all populations (families, unaccompanied youth, and single adults).
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Executive Committee
to affirm the overall
vision and continued
planning for regional
HUB development
with special attention
to potential gaps and
issues of equitable
access.
Coordinated Entry and Assessment (CEA): All Populations | Key Decisions
Coordinated Entry Transition Leadership Team Recommendation:
• Release RFP to identify ~ 8 regionally-based HUB locations as main access points for CEA assessments
and connection to housing resources. Identified HUBs to serve all populations and ensure equitable
and consistent access to housing resources, and community supports such as employment, behavioral
health, legal assistance, and financial services.
• Additional tailored access points to be identified including (but non limited to) use of mobile
assessment and outreach teams.
Programs to
Participate in
CEA
IAC Vision:
• Participation of all programs receiving HUD Continuum of Care or local homeless funding sources
Per the HUD policy brief, “the coordinated entry process makes referrals to all projects receiving
Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) and CoC Program funds, including emergency shelter, RRH, PSH,
and transitional housing (TH), as well as other housing and homelessness projects”
• At this point, HUD has not issued a requirement that shelter be included in CEA, but they may
very soon.
• Currently, coordinated entry is not used for access to young adult shelter, and has not been
planned to be used for access to single adult shelter or transitional housing
Best Practices:
• HUD Policy Brief states “the coordinated entry process makes referrals to all projects receiving ESG
and CoC Program funds, including emergency shelter, RRH, PSH, and transitional housing , as well as
other housing and homelessness projects. Projects in the community that are dedicated to serving
people experiencing homelessness fill all vacancies through referrals, while other housing and services
projects determine the extent to which they rely on referrals from the coordinated entry process.
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Executive Committee
to decide on plan for
program participation
in CEA.
Coordinated Entry and Assessment (CEA): All Populations | Key Decisions
Community Input:
• Stakeholders in Young Adult and Single Adult systems (agencies and funders) are concerned about
how shelters could be accessed quickly if they are required to take referrals through coordinated
entry.
• The need for emergency shelter is much greater than current capacity. The inclusion of emergency
shelter in coordinated entry appears to be a model that would work well when that gap is not as great,
or not present at all.
Coordinated Entry Transition Leadership Team Recommendation:
• We are committed to complying with federal and state regulations for operating coordinated entry.
As the guidance to include emergency shelter is currently a recommendation and not a rule, we
recommend that the CoC seek HUD technical assistance and guidance from USICH on addressing the
challenges associated with including shelter for young adults and single adults in coordinated entry.
With HUD TA, the CoC can work towards the inclusion of all programs serving people experiencing
homelessness (including emergency shelter, RRH, PSH and TH) and in the meantime will continue to
include family shelter programs and will phase in the participation of emergency shelter for all
populations.
Common
assessment tool
IAC Vision:
• Easy to use by non-clinical staff (including outreach teams)
• Administered in a culturally competent manner
• Population subgroups have option to add additional tailored questions
• Assessment of employment needs integrated into process
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Executive Committee
to decide on which
common assessment
tool should be chosen
for all populations.
Coordinated Entry and Assessment (CEA): All Populations | Key Decisions
Best Practices:
• The HUD policy brief recommends the same as the IAC Vision and:
o A consistent tool and uniform decision making processes.
Community Input:
• FHC and YHC program participants have expressed concerns about the current assessment tools
stating they do not appropriately triage to the most appropriate housing resource or do not accurately
assess vulnerability.
• In reviewing the VI-SPDAT, there has been feedback about a lack of youth-friendly language.
• There are differing opinions amongst stakeholders of which tool would most effectively prioritize for
housing resources within a housing first approach.
Coordinated Entry Transition Leadership Team Recommendation:
• Adopt the VI-SPDAT as common tool for all populations. Supplemental questions for client choice,
subpopulations (families, veterans, young adults) and for employment and behavioral health to be
developed in December. Agencies may elect to utilize additional assessment as part of their intake
process as desired.
Screening
Criteria
IAC Vision:
• Screening criteria is standardized
o Programs are categorized by those that best serve low/med/high needs people
o Screening criteria is the same under each housing category; funding based on need
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Funder Alignment
Committee will be
deciding on reduced
and standardized
Coordinated Entry and Assessment (CEA): All Populations | Key Decisions
Best Practices:
• HUD policy brief recommends the same as the IAC Vision and:
o Low barrier access to CE, adopting system-wide housing first philosophy, and lowered
screening criteria.
screening criteria on
December 7th.
Community Input:
• Some programs have voluntarily lowered screening criteria.
• Standardization of criteria has begun for young adults and has made improvements to coordinated
entry by reducing the time from assessment to referral.
Coordinated Entry Transition Leadership Team Recommendation:
• Adopt proposed Standardized Screening Criteria including a plan for roll-out and agency support.
Prioritization
and Matching
IAC Vision:
• Matches client need with resource most appropriate for them
• Prioritizes those with the highest needs
• Coordinating Team recommendation for system-wide prioritization and matching is to utilize the VISPDAT scores to prioritize the highest needs and triage to the most appropriate housing resource
based on the results of the assessment.
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The CEA/HMIS
Transition Leadership
Team is reviewing the
recommendations and
best practices for
prioritization and
Coordinated Entry and Assessment (CEA): All Populations | Key Decisions
Best Practices:
• HUD has determined that an effective coordinated entry process ensures that people with the
greatest needs receive priority for any type of housing and homeless assistance available in the CoC,
including PSH, Rapid Rehousing, and other interventions.
• Focus Strategies recommends that coordinated entry should match a person to the housing resource
most appropriate to their needs rather than finding a person that will fit a particular housing resource
(person-based rather than unit-based).
Community Input:
• FHC and YHC program participants have expressed concerns about the current assessment tools
stating they do not appropriately triage to the most appropriate housing resource or do not accurately
assess vulnerability.
• There are differing opinions amongst stakeholders of which tool would most effectively prioritize for
housing resources within a housing first approach.
Coordinated Entry Coordinating Team Recommendation:
• The Funder Alignment Committee has approved the HUD Prioritization Schema for prioritizing in PSH
and additionally, the Coordinating Team recommendation for system-wide prioritization and matching
is to utilize the VI-SPDAT scores to prioritize the highest needs and triage to the most appropriate
housing resource based on the results of the assessment.
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matching and have not
yet made a formal
recommendation.
Executive Committee
to decide on systemwide prioritization and
matching approach
(more conversation at
future meeting)