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Employment as a Means to End Homelessness

Employment as a Means to End Homelessness. Engaging Homeless Job-Seekers with Multiple Employment Barriers. Housing Alliance: Homes Within Reach Conference , October 29-31, 2018. Presenters.

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Employment as a Means to End Homelessness

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  1. Employment as a Means to End Homelessness Engaging Homeless Job-Seekers with Multiple Employment Barriers Housing Alliance: Homes Within Reach Conference , October 29-31, 2018

  2. Presenters • Lyn Kirshenbaum, MPA, CPM - Senior Management Analyst and Regional Homeless Coordinator, Field Policy and Management, HUD Regional Office, 215-430-6695 k.lyn.kirshenbaum@hud.gov • Lauren Shawl, MS, CPRP, CPS, ACRE–Behavioral Health Employment Services Coordinator, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), (215) 546-0300, Lauren.Shawl@phila.gov • Larry Russock, ACRE, CESP, MSW - Program Director for Employment and Day Services, St. John's Community Services (SJCS), (267) 238-9540, lrussock@sjcs.org • Jason Cosley, MSW, Executive Director, First Step Staffing,  (215) 233-3349, Jason@firststepstaffing.com

  3. How We Got to This Phase • Phila. Health Commissioner - Dedicating Opportunities to End Homelessness Creating Income Committee • Creating Income Membership & Activities for Chronic & Veterans • Merged with Employment Group on TANF, Youth & Homeless • Partnered with DBHIDS homeless/transitional housing services for participants in recovery for behavioral health and/or substance use challenges • Resulted in Supported Employment Pilot - Replicable Across the State

  4. How Does Employment Help End Homelessness? Employment Income Increases Housing Options & Prevention: • PHA Voucher allocations • Employment Preference for Certain Properties • Zero income residents in affordable apartments • Family Reunification/Reconnection & Fights Over Money • Rapid Rehousing & Other Short-Term Subsidies • Living Wage needed for Market Rate Options • Source of Income Discrimination • Social Security Accumulates for Older Years

  5. Barriers to Getting and Keeping Employment • Inability to Translate Skills to Employment and No Obvious Network • Previous or Current Justice, Mental Health, or Substance Involvement • Inadequate Quality and Hours of Childcare • Difficult Schedules, Dependability and Cost of Transportation • Real or Perceived Conflict with Benefits • No Computer Access or Literacy and Inconsistent Contact Information • Lack of Understanding Employer and Employee Expectations • Inability to Navigate Work Environment and “Play the Part” • Fear

  6. Overarching Principals • There is value to working. And working adds value. • Client Focused instead of Employer Focused • We believe in Employment First • Anyone with INTEREST in Working, Can • Part-Time is Okay • A Certified Benefits Counselor is a Piece of Gold • Long Term Support is Critical - Such as Peer Job Club

  7. Supported Employment Pilot Coordinating Partners: • St. John’s Community Services: Employment Services • Pilot Design, Guided Group Discovery Facilitation, • Pilot’s Supported Employment Services • City of Philadelphia, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) • Pilot Participants Recruitment, Meeting Coordination, • Participant Resume Development • U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) • Opportunities to End Homelessness: Creating Income Committee • Pilot Advisory Group Representative

  8. DBHIDS Rationale for Conducting the Pilot Supported Employment Pilot • Provide Chronically Homeless, Transitional Housing Participants with Opportunity to Enhance Income & Independence • Disrupt Participants’ Cycles of Poverty and Housing Instability • Embed Employment Information & Access within Funded Behavioral Health Services

  9. Employment …it’s more than just an income! • Can Be an Important Component In: • Recovery • Resilience • Self-Determination • Community Integration

  10. Employment for People With Mental Health Challenges Meaningfulness in work – experiences among employed individuals with persistent mental illness. Leufstadius, C., et. al. Work. 2009; 34(1): 21-32. “The aim of [this] study was to investigate how people with persistent mental illness, with various types of work and employment conditions, experience and describe the meaningfulness of work.” Findings: “Work gives a feeling of normality, acceptance, belonging and fulfilment of norms and values. It affords structure, energy and a balanced daily life. And work increases well-being and strengthens one’s identity.”

  11. Participant Recruitment Safe Haven Participants: Chronically Homelessness w/ Mental Health Diagnosis - Many also have histories of Substance Use and/or Incarceration Program: Small, behavioral health-supported shelter programs which offer chronically homeless individuals a safe place to begin their recovery. All residents receive case management and an opportunity for supportive housing, based upon their needs. Journey of Hope Participants: Chronically Homelessness w/Substance Use Disorder (SUD) - Many also have histories of Mental Illness and/or Incarceration Program: Housing services for individuals who are chronically homeless and have Substance Use Disorder or Co-occurring Disorder; Required participation in Drug and Alcohol Treatment.

  12. HUD Definitions of Homelessness Homeless • Persons living in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings. • Persons living in emergency shelters. • Persons living in transitional housing programs for homeless persons and who originally came from the street or emergency shelters. Chronically Homeless • Four occurrences of homelessness in past 3 years • One full year of street or shelter stay • Homelessness must be documented by having outreach team contact(s) and/or shelter stay

  13. Supported Employment Pilot PILOT STRUCTURE: Phase I: • 6 Weeks of “Guided Group Discovery” Sessions @ 1X/week • Transportation Assistance to Attend Sessions • Preparation of “Elevator Speech” based upon Discovery • Basic Benefits Counseling Overview (how employment impacts SSI/SSDI benefits) • Resume Development Phase II: Supported Employment Services • Individual Planning Sessions with an Employment Specialist • Interviewing Skills Practice • Job Search/Placement Assistance • Ongoing Job Maintenance Support

  14. Supported Employment Pilot Residential and Clinical Supports Partners: • DBHIDS Homeless Services Program Analysts • Residential Site Staff at Homeless Programs • Case Managers Community Partners: • Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) • PA CareerLink • Agencies which provide Benefits Counseling: • Community Integrated Services • Disability Rights PA

  15. Pilot and Participant Information • 15 Eligible Candidates Applied for Pilot • 11 Candidates Attended Information Session • Pilot: N=6 Participants (Regular attendees) • 50% Safe Haven Residents; 50% Journey of Hope Residents Survey Findings - Demographics: • Gender: 100% Males (all single) • Ethnicity: 83% Black or African American; 17% Native American • Age: 33%: 45-54; 67%: 55-64 • Lifetime Homeless History: 33%: 10+ Years; 17%: 5-10 Years 33%: 1-2 Years; 17%: 6-12 Months • Income/Benefits: 17%: SSI; 83%: Food Stamps; No reported income* * “Under-the-table” jobs: Selling water & misc. items on street; demolition; working for moving company; participating in research studies

  16. Pilot and Participant Information • 100% felt ready to work. 67%: full-time; 33%: part-time • History of long-term employment. Longest time holding a paying job: 50% (3): 5-10 years; 33%(2): 1-2 years; 16% (1): 10+ years • Previous jobs: warehouse work, landscaping, food industry, construction, office work, social services, photography/videography • Desired Work: food service, janitorial, landscaping, construction, becoming a peer specialist, hospitality, repair/maintenance, video production Participant Outcomes: 1 – Working for 8 months @ 25-35 hrs/week (Grocery Store); bought car 1 – Volunteering at MH Clubhouse (in preparation for Peer Specialist job) 1 – Still looking for a part-time position suitable for his physical disability 1 – D&A Relapse; currently in 90 day treatment program; wants to work 2 – No response to communication attempts after Phase I of Pilot

  17. Pilot Obstacles • Inconsistent Involvement of Case Managers & Residential Staff • Difficulty in contacting participants • Participant phones were unreliable, frequently w/no service; • Only one Participant had email • Transportation: Travel funding necessary for attendance • Participant Attendance Conflicts: • Housing Search & Move-in Activities • Medical and Treatment Appointments • Need for Immediate Income: Sporadic Work Opportunities • Developing Resumes/Describing Work History: • Large gaps in participant employment history and/or no recent work experience

  18. - Lessons Learned - • Attrition: Start with 20 if you want 10 to complete • Prior to beginning project: Identify key “Participant Support Staff” and provide them with excellent education about project and participant needs/goals; obtain committed “buy-in” of support • Contact: Obtain multiple points of contact for each participant; encourage continuity of phone service for obtaining a job as well as for maintaining contact with Project staff; assist participants in obtaining and using email. • Transportation: Consider locating project where participants live or regularly congregate • Need for a dedicated, trained Group Facilitator • Have Clear Expectations for group, participants, facilitator and next steps

  19. PA is an “Employment First” State As of June 19, 2018, Pennsylvania has an official “Employment First” law regarding citizens with disabilities. “Employment First” requires state, county, and other entities receiving public funding to first consider competitive integrated employment as the preferred outcome for individuals with a disability who are eligible to work under state law.

  20. Competitive Integrated Employment • Competitive integrated employment (CIE) is work performed by a person with an impairment or health-related disability • Within an integrated setting (i.e., working with non-disabled employees) • Wages are at least minimum wageor higher and at a rate comparable to non-disabled workers performing the same tasks.

  21. MYTHS! Some “Untruths” About Working While Receiving SSI and/or SSDI Benefits • “If I work, I will lose my benefits” • “I can only work 20 hours or less • “I can only earn $1000 per month” • “Because my SSI check will be reduced when I work, I’ll end up with less income for the month” • These statements are NOT TRUE as long as benefits recipients follow the SSA rules for working! • It’s strongly recommended that benefits recipients see a • Benefits Counselor before starting a new job.

  22. Working While Receiving Social Security Benefits: It Pays to Work! People receiving benefits such as SSI and/or SSDI CAN WORK and actually INCREASE their overall monthly income when they follow Social Security’s rules concerning employment. Benefits Counseling: Social Security Benefits Recipients should meet with a Certified Benefits Counselor who can advise them about how working will affect their benefits and help them to navigate work rules and regulations. This information will help them avoid overpayments or having their benefits terminate unexpectedly.

  23. To Find Free Benefits Counseling Near You • 1. Go to the following Link: • https://choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp/result?option=directSearch • Select the “Benefits Counseling (WIPA)” option • Fill in your local Zip Code • You can then choose one of the following options: • Both in-person and virtual providers • Virtual providers • In-person providers located within a specified radius

  24. Working While Receiving Benefits WIPA: The Social Security Administration’s “Work Incentives Planning and Assistance” program provides free services to help disability recipients and encourage them to return to work. Contact WIPA for Benefits Counseling and the “Ticket to Work” program. Note: If WIPA (Benefits Counseling) services are not currently available in your area, contact the Ticket to Work Helpline at 1-866-968-7842 (V); 1-866-833-2967 (TTY).

  25. Philadelphia: - Child poverty Rate at 37% (Pew Charitable Trust) - 2nd hungriest Congressional District in the country (Census Data) - Family Homelessness: More than 4500 families serviced a year; more than 4500 are turned away each year (The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services ) - Adverse Childhood Experiences: Multiple zip-codes and police districts where 60% of the residents have ACEs score of 4 or more (PATF) - Youth Homelessness: at least 4,000 between the ages of 14 and 19 (YRBS) - Most homicides (victims and perps) are youth ages 11-24 and are predominantly African American Males (DOJ)

  26. Employment as a Preventative Health Intervention • Less than 1 in 4 born to low income parent will make it to median income ($55,000) • Life expectancy from being low to high income differs by about 5 years • Identity, social status, stress • Low birth weight, higher rates of asthma, heart conditions, hearing problems, digestive disorders and elevated blood lead levels HUD Increasing Earned Income Outcomes Stayers Leavers 2016 - 8% 2016- 19% 2017 - 9% 2017- 21%

  27. Systemic Barriers to Employment Access to required documents (ID/Social Security Card) Eligibility and authorization timeline for services Investment in employment from different systems Expertise around Social Security Benefits and earned income Organizations openness to partnering vs wanting to provide everything Example of requirements while being engaged in a system Meal times Time of day able to sleep Hours of shelter operation Probation appointments Mental health/medical treatment appointments

  28. Implications for Practice The brain is not fully developed until around age 28 • Self Regulation • Goal setting • Problem solving • Decision making • Emotional regulation • Coping skills • Following rules • Impulse control

  29. What Can We Do? Predictability Consistency Clear expectations Repetition “Consequence” procedure Physical environment Specific feedback

  30. Guided Group Discovery A journey in self-exploration for job seekers ready to take control of their employment search

  31. The Discovery Process Leads to a Blueprint for Employment • A Blueprint for Employment : • Summarizes what you learned about yourself during the discovery process • Provides you with some structure as you take your first (or next) step towards employment

  32. Customized Job Search • Requires you to investigate what YOU need to be successful: • Conditions for employment • What you have to contribute • Your interests • Your specific skills and the tasks you perform well • How these skills and tasks meet an employer’s needs

  33. Blueprint for EmploymentSection 1 Identify your team

  34. Blueprint for EmploymentSection 2 Contributions: What you have to offer

  35. Blueprint for EmploymentSection 3 Consider issues around disability and other complex life circumstances

  36. Blueprint for EmploymentSection 4 Taking action

  37. Continuum of Employment ServicesandNext Steps 1:1 SE Soft Skills College Tuition Industry Certification Classes Assistance Course

  38. Sustainable income for individuals with barriers to employment OUR VISION: To become the jobs solution for America’s homeless. FIRST STEP PHILADELPHIA OVERVIEW October 2018

  39. MISSION: First Step brings together sustainable income opportunities from local businesses and benefits programs with individuals transitioning out of homelessness, including veterans, previously incarcerated citizens returning to society, and anyone experiencing other barriers to employment. With offices in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Nashville, First Step is the largest nonprofit, light-industrial alternative staffing agency in the country. 40 www.firststepstaffing.com

  40. First Step Staffing: History • 2007 --- Founded in Atlanta, GA by Greg Block, a successful business entrepreneur/operator. • Grew to place 100 homeless men and women into jobs daily and started benefits program • 2015 --- Rapid scalability to grow impact • Acquires the Atlanta operations of LGS Staffing & operations immediately integrated into First Step • Annual revenues over $21 million & access to 1,000 jobs per day for Atlanta’s homeless citizens. • 2017 --- Expansion Model proves successful • Placed 1,200 men and women, 750 who are homeless, into jobs daily. • A total of 3,400 homeless clients were employed annually • 111 individuals were approved for benefits income. • 2018 --- Two new cities open – Philadelphia and Nashville • Expansion to Philadelphia by purchasing a division of On Time Staffing (January 2018). Nashville office driven by employment customer demand • Annual projected revenues of $44 million • Job placements for over 3,500 homeless and at-risk men and women into jobs. • 600 benefits cases “in the pipeline” for approval. • Next Step --- First Step is exploring expansion opportunities in new cities. 3

  41. The Scope of Homelessness in America Studies cite the annual cost to a community to support a chronically homeless adult at 3.5 million Americans experience homelessness annually $40,000 per year* 27% are families 25% are veterans An episodically homeless adult at $15,000 per year* Due to cost of: Incarceration Healthcare Foster Care Shelters *Culhane, Dennis P., Stephen Metraux, and Trevor Hadley. "Public Service Reductions Associated with Placement of Homeless Persons with Severe Mental Illness in Supportive Housing." Housing Policy Debate 13.1 (2002): 107-63. Web. 4

  42. Why Staffing? Temporary and contract staffing is one of the fastest growing segments of the workforce, employing approximately 3 million employees weekly. The majority of these jobs (37%) are in the industrial sector.¹ The staffing industry: • Is scalable; • Creates rapid job placement opportunities (placements within 48hrs post orientation); and • Is a major factor for onboarding new potential employees for full-time employment Many low/no barrier, entry-level jobs; however, opportunities for advancement exist, and currently 65% of First Step jobs are “temp to perm” or “long-term temporary” positions. Employment customers include large national brands (Hilton Hotels, Whole Foods Markets, and Manheim) and small, privately owned companies. 6 ¹American Staffing Association Annual Reports www.firststepstaffing.com

  43. A Social Enterprise Model: Alternative Staffing Staffing for Good Focus on job placements for those who are homeless or unstably housed, including veterans, those with previous incarceration, and other barriers to employment. Job coaching and trained placement specialists to ensure short and long-term success of our employees Transportation and other supportive services to help clients meet their goals today Practice a “Person-Oriented, Culture of Care” with staff and clients 100% of cash flow re-invested into mission critical services Staffing for Business • Skilled business and nonprofit management teams • Highly motivated, supported, and 100% drug free workforce • Fulfill an existing employment need in the economy • Ability to be highly responsive and adaptive to job market • KPI measurement and analysis on business outcomes and mission impact • Financial sustainability – fee revenue structure lowers average cost per job seeker compared with other transitional employment models 7

  44. First Step Philadelphia Program Impact 700 Average hourly wages range from $8 - $20/hr – creating an anticipated $14 million in wages for homeless clients this year. 460+ rides given each week to and from work to help overcome the transportation barrier for our clients. First Step Philadelphia’s offices are located in the Kensington neighborhood. Since January 2018, over 600 men and women transitioning from homelessness working with dozens of Philadelphia businesses, including: Bed, Bath & Beyond, Amoroso Baking, RR Donnelly, Country Fresh, Devault Foods, and PAE. By the end of 2018, First Step anticipates providing jobs for 700 homeless jobseekers.

  45. Wraparound Services = Client Success Subsidized Transportation Options Housing Support Job Coaching First Step provides critical wraparound services, such as job coaching, transportation, and referrals with providers for housing, legal services, and more to support job retention and client success. 8

  46. Current Nonprofit Partner Collaboration - Mission Critical First Step prioritizes collaboration with nonprofit partners that refer clients for employment. Local social service providers also partner to fully support client needs such as housing, healthcare, or legal services. 11

  47. First Step: Ending homelessness one job at a time For more information, contact: Jason Cosley, Executive Director: jason@firststepstaffing.com, 215-333-3349 ext. 1004 Amelia Nickerson, VP of Development: amelia@firststepstaffing.com, 404.577.3394 First Step Staffing Philadelphia 1952 E. Allegheny Avenue, Suite 500 Philadelphia, PA 19134 www.firststepstaffing.com 17

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