Keeping Families Together

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Keeping Families Together

• Bidders 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 (CPP)

• 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 (CPP)

• 46
• Local
• Offices
• 9
• Area
• Offices

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Most Families Do Not Return to CPP within One
Year
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Some Families Return to CPP Over and Over

• Frequently Encountered Families (FEF) are the
  small number of families that return to CPP
  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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NJs FEFs Have Higher Rates of BOTHCaregiver
Substance Abuse / Inadequate Housing
New Cases Referred to Child Protection
Permanency (n25,345) 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 CPP 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

• CPP Local Office, in partnership with service
  provider
• Indicators of need
• CPP 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 CPP,
  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

• The following language on pages 4, 22, and 29 is
  revised to say
• Applicants who do not currently own the proposed
  housing units must attach an agreement or
  documentation signed by the current owner that
  includes the number of units that will be made
  available through a 10 15 year memorandum of
  understanding or master lease, the rental rates
  for those units, and statement indicating that
  the agreement is contingent upon award of
  funding.

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Clarifications to RFP

• The following language on page 7 is revised to
  say
• The housing units must meet HUD Housing Quality
  Standards as set forth in 24 CFR 982.401 and the
  Housing Quality Standards set forth in N.J.A.C.
  542-3.1 (2014), and must comply with the cap on
  the number of project-based assisted units per
  building as outlined in N.J.A.C. 542-5.1 (2014)
  must comply with Section 8 rules as set forth in
  24 CFR and the DCA Administrative Plan.

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Clarifications to RFP

• The following language on page 7 is revised to
  say
• Rent Gross tenant housing cost must be no
  greater than the Fair Market Rent (FMR) Payment
  Standard indicated by the New Jersey Department
  of Community Affairs Housing Choice Voucher
  Program.

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Clarifications to RFP

• The following language on page 7 is revised to
  say
• The awarded provider will demonstrate that they
  have identified a landlord(s) that will enter
  into a 10 15 year memorandum of understanding or
  master lease agreement for a combined total of 25
  units.

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Clarifications to RFP

• The 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

• The following language on page 8 is revised to
  say
• The SRAP vouchers Section 8 Project-Based
  Vouchers dedicated to this program are
  project-based. As such, they are tied to
  specific housing units and cannot travel with
  clients will contain a mobility component which
  allow households to relocate with assistance, and
  allow a reissue of a housing subsidy for another
  household selected to move into the vacated
  housing unit.

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Clarifications to RFP

• The following language on page 8 is revised to
  say
• Consumers will be required to contribute
  approximately 30 of their adjusted gross income
  towards the rent.

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Clarifications to RFP

• The following language on page 8 has been
  removed
• Consumers will also be required to register with
  the Department of Labor and Workforce
  Development, and adhere to their resulting
  Employability Development Plan.

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RFP Inquiries

• Deadline for questions and inquiries
• TODAY, May 4, 2015
• by midnight
• Email DCFASKRFP_at_dcf.state.nj.us

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RFP Submission

• Deadline for receipt of proposals
• June 29, 2015
• by 1200 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 Housings website at
  http//www.csh.org/