Alliance Online News: New Web-Based Training Survey

Newsletters | 10 Aug 2010

Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness

August 10, 2010

POLICY | DATA + RESEARCH | TOOL + TRAINING | NEWS + MEDIA

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Editor: Kimberly Walker

Spotlight On...

Take the Online Training Survey!

The Alliance's Center for Capacity Building works to end homelessness by helping communities implement best practices from the field. The Center's online trainings are meant to help providers understand the basic concepts and program design components behind each of these strategies. In an effort to improve its online training offerings, the Center has designed a short survey to elicit feedback about their design, applicability, and content matter. To access the online trainings before taking the survey, click here. All feedback is appreciated and will be used to improve the online trainings and other resources. Please contact Stephanie Wege if you have any questions.

Online Training Survey

Dwight Radcliff, Leader in the Area of Veterans' Homelessness, Passes Away

President and CEO of United States Veterans Initiative (U.S. Vets) Dwight Radcliff passed away on July 31, 2010. A Los Angeles native, Radcliff served in the Air Force from 1971 to 1974. After his service, Radcliff struggled with substance abuse and experienced homelessness himself. Later, he would turn these experiences into an opportunity to help others, becoming trained in substance abuse counseling and becoming involved with a number of organizations dedicated to serving homeless veterans. He developed Veterans in Progress before taking over as President and CEO of U.S. Vets. U.S. Vets provides transitional and permanent housing, substance abuse counseling, and job training, among other services, as well as programs specifically designed for women and veterans with high barriers.

Los Angeles Times Obituary

Hill Update

Senate Passes FMAP Extension, Pelosi Calls House Back for Final Vote
On Thursday, August 5, the Senate passed H.R. 1586, which allocated $16.1 billion for Medicaid shortfalls in each state. The bill also features an additional $10 billion for public school systems to help them avoid teacher layoffs. At this time, a state-by-state breakdown of the Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) is not yet available. In response to the bill's passage in the Senate, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi called the House back from its August recess for a final vote on H.R. 1586 today.

Congress in Recess
After today, both the House and Senate will be on recess until the week of September 13. Following the recess, both chambers are expected to continue the appropriations process.

HUD Hosts "APR 101" Training

On Friday, August 13 and Monday, August 16, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be hosting Annual Performance Report (APR) online trainings. The training module is entitled "APR 101" and will explain how annual reporting requirements for HUD's homeless assistance grants vary according to grant types and operating year end dates. In addition, the training will explain key elements of the new HUD APR, show sample questions, and list the resources available to assist in the completion of the APR. HUD has advised those who need further training on the new e-snaps APR, those who don't know if they need to submit the Transition APR, and those who are unclear about the difference between the e-snaps APR and the paper-based HUD-40118 form to participate. The training will be offered through a real-time webinar and is also available through an on-demand eLearning module.

If you are interested in registering for the live webinar taking place on Friday, August 13, please click here. To register for the webinar taking place on Monday, August 16, please click here.

eLearning module

Second HEARTH Act Implementation Message Released

Director of the HUD Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) Ann Oliva released the second message in the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act implementation series last week. The message iterated the importance of using mainstream resources and services (e.g., in the fields of education, health, etc.) in concert with housing to end and prevent homelessness. The message also contains a list of resources and tools communities can use to help connect homeless persons to mainstream programs and benefits. The communiqué concludes with a reminder about the upcoming HEARTH conferences sponsored by HUD in Atlanta and Denver. For more information on these conferences or to register, please visit this website.

To receive the HEARTH implementation messages directly, you must subscribe to HUD's HMIS listserv. To subscribe, please click here.

HUD Posts New HPRP Case Studies

HUD posted seven case studies profiling communities implementing HPRP (Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program) on the Homelessness Resource Exchange (HRE) website. Communities selected for study included Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, NC; Dayton/Montgomery County, OH; Sacramento, Yolo, and Santa Clara Counties, CA; Worcester County, MA; and the State of Rhode Island. Although each case study in the HPRP Impacts: Case Studies in Community Change series is unique, the authors found shared characteristics among the successes in each community: (1) inclusive government and centralized program oversight; (2) commitment of leadership to systems transformation; (3) alignment of organizational philosophies, especially with the Housing First model; (4) innovative use of data; and (5) service coordination and standardization. To read more about each community's specific program model, please visit the HUD HRE website.

HPRP Case Studies

HPRP Implementation Survey: Initial Feedback

Communities across the nation have been utilizing HPRP to facilitate the incorporation of best practices into their homeless systems: however, many communities have faced challenges with its implementation. The Center for Capacity Building developed a survey assessment to determine the barriers to HPRP implementation and to find out how the program has helped communities end homelessness. While many respondents cited challenges, including shortages in staff and funds, as obstacles to successful HPRP performance, other providers praised HPRP's ability to help them serve more clients and to place clients directly into stable housing.

There is still a chance to take the survey and share your experience with HPRP. If you are an HPRP provider, please take a moment and impart your knowledge!

HPRP Provider Survey

HRC and PATH to Host Regional Training

From September 21 to 22 in Tacoma, WA, the Homelessness Resource Center (HRC) and Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) will be hosting a free regional training in the northwestern United States on innovative strategies for providing homeless assistance services. The training will teach service providers how to create environments that are person-centered, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented. The training is targeted toward direct service providers, consumers, administrators, government staff, and policymakers. HRC is particularly encouraging Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) PATH and Services in Supportive Housing (SSH) grantees in the Tacoma, WA area to attend.

More Information

ABOUT US
	The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, non profit organization dedicated to solving the problem of homelessness and preventing its continued growth. www.endhomelessness.org
EXPERT Q & A
	Take a five minute break from whatever you are doing to read our interview with this month's featured expert, Adolfo Carrion, outgoing Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs. Take Five!
JOIN US!
	Become a fan! The Alliance is online: on Facebook, on Twitter, on our blog, and on our website! Be sure to join the Alliance's online community and stay up-to-date with homelessness and housing information.
NEED HELP?
	Visit the Center for Capacity Building to learn more about the ways the Center can help your community end homelessness.

Alliance Online News: New Web-Based Training Survey

Newsletters | 10 Aug 2010

Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness

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