Keeping Families Together

Bidder’s Conference

May 4, 2015

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Department of Children and Families (DCF)

• Created in July 2006

• First Cabinet-level Department devoted exclusively to serving and safeguarding children and families

• Ensure the safety, well-being and success of children, youth, families and communities

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Department of Children and Families (DCF)

Four Major Operating Divisions:

Child Protection and Permanency

Children's System of Care

Family and Community Partnerships

Women

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Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P)

• Formerly the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)

• Investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect and addresses child welfare concerns

• Child Abuse Hotline (State Central Registry) operates 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

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Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P)

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Local

Offices

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Area

Offices

Most Families Do Not Return to CP&P within One Year

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Some Families Return to CP&P Over and Over

• Frequently Encountered Families (FEF) are the small number of families that return to CP&P three or more times within a 12-month period

• These families have multiple, complex needs and require a large amount of resources.

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NJ’s FEFs Have Higher Rates of BOTHCaregiver Substance Abuse / Inadequate Housing

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New Cases Referred to Child Protection & Permanency (n=25,345) between 11/1/12 – 10/31/13 and followed for 12 months

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Background

• Keeping Families Together (KFT) pilot in NYC was identified as a promising practice. With supportive housing and dedicated case management in place, the KFT evaluation found:– 90% of the families remained housed– 61% of the child welfare cases closed in an

average of 10 months after move-in– 100% of children returned to their families from

foster care and stayed with their families– Roughly 63% had no further involvement with the

child welfare system

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Background

• In 2012, the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families awarded five-year grants to five demonstration sites across the country to test supportive housing as a child welfare intervention on a wider scale.

• DCF applied but was not awarded a grant.

• Committed to bring the KFT model to NJ and have been able to do so through a number of partnerships including the Department of Community Affairs.

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Program Overview

• Funding (DCF) and housing vouchers (DCA) will be used to support a permanent supportive housing program for CP&P involved families confronting homelessness or housing instability.

• One award will be granted to serve families in up to two adjacent counties in southern NJ including: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and/or Salem.

• Trauma-informed, evidence-supported services must be integral components of the model

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Family Identification

• CP&P Local Office, in partnership with service provider

• Indicators of need:– CP&P Involvement: child(ren) at risk of placement

OR in out-of-home placement and deemed ready for reunification with housing as the only barrier

– Long-term or repeat pattern of homelessness and/or housing instability

– Persistent co-occurring challenges/high service needs

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Housing First Principles

• Consumer-driven and client-centered

• Flexible in response to individual service preferences

• Team-based

• Cultural competence

• Recovery-oriented

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Housing

• Must have concrete plan to access 25 affordable housing units for a 15 year period in your proposed county(ies)

• Must be able to demonstrate that the housing units can be secured and ready for lease/sublease within 90 days following an award.

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Housing

• Should be safe and affordable

• Families hold the lease/sublease

• Tenure in housing is not contingent upon participation in service

• Consumers must contribute 30% of their adjusted gross income towards rent

• Housing vouchers will be administered by DCA

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Case Management and Supportive Services

• Assist with housing identification, application, move-in, and furnishing

• Ensure families maintain stability and maximize tenure in housing through ongoing housing support services such as:– Life skills training– Financial literacy training– Preventing lease violations– Active communication and mediation of conflicts with landlord

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Case Management and Supportive Services

• Work with families to development and implement a family-based service plan

• Navigate, facilitate access to, and advocate for needed services and supports

• Coordinate services and systems at a local level for families with multiple challenges

• Develop and/or enhance partnerships with CP&P, community agencies, and local services systems

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Team

• Interdisciplinary approach – including clinical supervision and case managers

• Role of Team:– Build trusting relationships to engage families

and be seen as a source of support– Build a network of supports within program,

tenants, and community– Advocate on behalf of families and adopt a

“whatever it takes” attitude

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Evaluation

• Expected to monitor and report on housing stability, child wellbeing, caregiver wellbeing, family functioning, and achievement of identified service plan goals

• Long term outcomes to be measured include:– Decreased involvement with the child welfare

system– Increased housing stability– Improvement in caregiver outcomes– Improvement in child wellbeing

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Funding Information

• Up to $500,000 in annualized funding for case management

• Up to 25 Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers

• $140,000 in funding for specific client assistance as defined in the RFP

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Clarifications to RFP

The following slides describe AMENDMENTS to the RFP. Please note that your application must comply with any changes in program requirements.

These changes will also be posted in the Q & A document released following this bidders conference.

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Housing Vouchers

Vouchers available in this RFP through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will be twenty-five (25) 15-year Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers.

The awardee for this program is expected to have a concrete plan to access 25 affordable housing units in their proposed county (ies) for a 15 year period.

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Clarifications to RFP

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Clarifications to RFP

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Clarifications to RFP

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Clarifications to RFP

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Clarifications to RFPThe following language has been added to page 7:

“The design, construction, appearance, physical integrity, and maintenance of the housing units provide an environment that is attractive, safe, sustainable, functional, appropriate for the surrounding community, and conducive to tenants’ stability and community integration. Housing units must pass an initial, and annual, HUD housing quality standards inspection conducted by DCA staff.”

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Clarifications to RFP

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Clarifications to RFP

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Clarifications to RFP

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RFP Inquiries

Deadline for questions and inquiries:

TODAY, May 4, 2015by midnight

Email: DCFASKRFP@dcf.state.nj.us

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RFP Submission

Deadline for receipt of proposals:

June 29, 2015by 12:00 PM

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Questions

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Additional Information

More information on Keeping Families Together can be found on the

Corporation for Supportive Housing’s website at: http://www.csh.org/