It’s official! Planning for the January 2020 Point-in-Time Count is well underway and our listing on the VolunteerNY! website is live. If you are interesting in volunteering please sign up, we can’t do it without you!
#bettertogether #endhomelessness #2020PITCount #Westchester
Read MoreThis month Westchester County’s CoC revealed the Comprehensive Homelessness Assessment Tool (CHAT). This proprietary tool will replace the Homeless Assessment Tool (HAT) to collect ONLY what CoC stakeholders have found to be the most relevant and helpful information from clients when identifying housing opportunities for them through Westchester’s Coordinated Entry system and CoC housing inventory. The CHAT score, along with the length of time a person has been homeless will determine an individual or family’s place on the Coordinated Entry Housing Prioritization List.
October 1, 2019 – The CHAT is available to all HMIS users.
October 1-31, 2019 – All current CE enrollees and new clients must have a CHAT done with them
November 1, 2019 - All clients who are in CE but do not yet have an active housing referral will need a CHAT to be referred to housing
**All clients with current housing referrals can proceed without a CHAT. A CHAT will be needed only if the existing housing referral is declined by the client or provider**
Allison McSpedon, Systems Manager for Westchester County’s Continuum of Care to End Homelessness presents on Westchester County’s new Comprehensive Homelessness Assessment Tool (CHAT).
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Presents: Basic Housing Law and Eviction Prevention for the Community Advocate (Including Updates to the New Housing Laws)
Join Legal Services of the Hudson Valley for breakfast and training on basic housing law and useful eviction prevention tools. This training is designed for non-attorney housing advocates/case managers/community activists/and those providing services to low income residents of Westchester County.
Two sessions will be offered at the following locations:
Yonkers Riverfront Library
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
10:00am – 12:00 noon
One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701
RSVP to: Cindy Rivera (914) 376-3757 ext. 301 or Crivera@lshv.org
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
10:00am – 12:00 noon
90 Maple Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601
RSVP to: Alicia Vasquez (914) 949-1305 ext. 127 or Avasquez@lshv.org
The Westchester County Continuum of Care Partnership for the Homeless invites you to attend our upcoming training sponsored by the CoC’s Educational Sub-Committee entitled; Addressing Substance Misuse in Permanent Supportive Housing with Motivational Interviewing Techniques.
Presenter: Liliane Drago, MA, CASAC Master Counselor, MAC - Director, Outreach Training Institute
Date: October 3rd, 2019
Time: 8:30am - 11:30am (Doors open at 8:15 training starts promptly at 8:30am)
Location: Westchester Board of Elections - 25 Quarropas St, White Plains, NY 10601
Note: Please do not park in the lot next to the building; please park in one of the surrounding municipal lots.
Making the Invisible Visible: Westchester’s Hidden Homeless Children & Youth - Westchester Children’s Association (WCA) began its investigation into child and youth homelessness in Westchester County in fall 2017, to identify how the organization can lend its voice in advocacy to develop adequate and permanent housing for this population. Through comprehensive data analysis and conversations with homeless and formerly homeless community members, County service providers and stakeholders, and an array of government officials and staff, WCA began to identify and understand the complex experiences of homelessness among Westchester’s children and youth. This is WCA’s initial report on child and youth homelessness in Westchester and will be followed with additional information and analysis as WCA continues its work.
Click Here to view the full report.
The FY 2019 CoC Program Competition opened on July 3, 2019. This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) establishes the funding criteria for the FY 2019 Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. This year, HUD is making approximately $2.3 billion in funding available including up to $50 million available for Domestic Violence (DV) Bonus projects. Applications are due Monday, September 30, 2019 at 8:00 PM EDT.
For a copy of the FY 2019 NOFA - CLICK HERE
Jesse Edsell-Vetter of Metro Housing Boston presents on addressing hoarding behaviors to finish this year’s Spring Symposium. Over 130 community members gathered at the Yonkers Riverfront Library to attend this full-day training to explore issues contributing to hoarding behaviors and ways to prevent or decrease them. The training included demonstration of reliable tools to assess hoarding, communication techniques for engaging persons who hoard, and reviewed the process of putting together an effective, evidence-based intervention plan. Thank you Jesse for sharing your expertise on such an important topic!
On May 23rd, Westchester’s Continuum of Care (CoC) hosted its annual Meeting on Priorities. The Meeting on Priorities provides community members an opportunity to voice what they believe should be included in, and what improvements can be made to our system for preventing and ending homelessness in Westchester County. This year’s topics included; services for individuals with medical disabilities, addressing youth and family homelessness, housing options for individuals who are on the sex offender registry, engaging with the sheltered and unsheltered population, providing day program services in Yonkers, and addressing recidivism rates in eviction prevention programs. The CoC reviews and considers these presentations when determining county-wide priorities
Adam Black of Westchester County’s Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) speaks at this year’s Spring Symposium providing attendees with a history of peer support services, as well as what peer support can offer, who can benefit from peer support, and how to apply. Thank you Adam for sharing your expertise and experiences with everyone!
Peer Support Services for Providers of Homeless and Residential Services
Through our partnership with VolunteerNY Westchester’s CoC was selected by Morgan Stanley for their Corporate Day of Giving. Twenty-one Morgan Stanley employees volunteered worked together in creating 150 care packages for individuals struggling with homelessness. These care packages included; chapstick, antibacterial wipes, tooth brush, tooth paste, and other essential toiletry items, as well as a hand written note to connect those experiencing homelessness to members of the community. Thank you VolunteerNY and Morgan Stanley for supporting community members in need of assistance.
Mark Giuliano, LMSW of Westchester County’s Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) speaks in front of a crowd of over 50 community workers at Westchester County’s Board of Elections to teach the latest techniques used to manage conflict and de-escalate persons who have become distressed.
PowerPoint Slides - Crisis Intervention/De-escalation Training 6/11/19
Andrew Bell, Ph.D. from Westchester County’s Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) kicked off this year’s Spring Symposium on Tuesday by hosting a movie and discussion on vicarious trauma and resilience at the Yonkers Riverfront Library. Below you can find links to the PowerPoint slides from this event, along with an article that highlights the importance of external supports in building resilience.
Article - Put Down the Self-Help Books. Resilience is not a DIY endeavour
PowerPoint Slides - Vicarious Trauma and Resilience Training 6/4/19
