Happy Monday!

Happy Monday everyone!  There are several things that have been happening since the Balance of State Meeting a few weeks ago.  In addition, I want to remind you of some deadlines approaching quickly.

(1) WEBSITE UPDATES  **NEW**
 There have been a few changes and updates the website as we continue to find better ways to share information with everyone.
 
Change #1 – Under the Quarterly Meeting tab, there is now a place to recap what happened at the last BOS Quarterly meeting.  This area will contain copies of handouts and presentations, meeting minutes, and a link to the post-meeting survey.  http://www.wiboscoc.org/what-happened.html
 
Change #2 – Under the Coordinated Entry tab, the information has been rearranged.  There are now the following sections:  policy, planning (which focuses on the committee), implementation, and training & tools. http://www.wiboscoc.org/coordinated-entry.html
 
(2) RECAP OF FEB. QUARTERLY MEETING  **NEW**
 The Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Care as an organization pledged to house 147 people from the top of priority lists by the end of 2016!  
Each continua also has an opportunity to pledge how many people from the top of your priority list you believe you can house by end of 2016.  Remember, this is about housing folks and is not limited to certain programs or funding types.  I have attached a pledge form.  Please submit your goal to Jesse Dirkman ([email protected]) by March 15, 2016.
 
As noted above, we want to make sure there is a place for information that you might have missed from the past quarterly meetings. If there is additional information you would like to see included, please let me know.
 
If you have not already completed the survey, please do so soon. This provides the Board with important information and an opportunity to make changes for the next meeting.  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016febqtrly
 
The May meeting agenda is already being worked on by the Board. Please send me any thoughts or ideas that you would like to make sure are included. 
 
(3)  DEADLINES
 Point-in-Time:  
The deadline for initial completion of the January HIC, Non-WISP PIT form, and deduplication chart was last week.  Each of the google drive Excel spreadsheets have been pulled down and I am working on reviewing the information.  If there are changes that you need to make, please let me know as I will not be re-looking at the google drive document until after PIT Training #3 extended deadline is released.
               The PIT Training #3 is scheduled for Thu, Feb 25, 2016 9:00 AM - 10:30AM 
To register:   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2531231170063044097
 
Also, the Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) 101 Training was done last week and the slides and recording are now posted on the website as well.  http://www.wiboscoc.org/point-in-time.html
 
Finally, the Post-PIT survey is due Monday, Feb. 29th. You must complete the questions located on the google drive. However, there is a component that must be submitted to [email protected]. Please make sure to label the document accordingly.
 
Board of Directors:
The Board is still seeking applicants for certain subpopulations.  These include:

• an individual who is homeless or formerly homeless
• an individual from the HMIS Lead organization
• an individual from an organization or project that serves persons with substance use disorders
• an individual from an organization or project that serves persons with HIV/AIDS
• an individual from an organization or project that serves veterans
• an individual from an organization or project that serves unaccompanied youth
• an individual from an organization or project that serves persons who are victims of domestic violence

The application is located on the website (http://www.wiboscoc.org/weekly-update-attachments.html).  The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 11th and email it to [email protected]. 
 
Standards & Prioritization Committee:
Comments on the ESG RRH standards are due by:  Friday, February 26th to [email protected].   
Comments on the COC RRH standards are due by:  Friday, February 26th to [email protected].   
 
Project Evaluation & Assistance Committee:  **NEW**
The deadline to submit forms from your COC-funded TH, PSH, RRH, Shelter Plus Care, and/or Safe Haven programs was extended to March 8, 2016 at 5:00 pm.  Please make sure to label the forms accordingly.
 
Balance of State Board of Director Scoring Tool for the COC Competition:  **NEW**
Seeking comments on the tool, scoring criteria, weight, and process. All of these documents are located on the website. http://www.wiboscoc.org/coc-competition-information.html  Those comments must be sent to [email protected].  The deadline is TBD.
 
(4) TRAINING  **NEW**
 There are two critical trainings coming up in March specifically related to Coordinated Entry and the Non-WISP Prioritization List.
 
#1 – List-Holder/DLA Training:  Managing the Non-WISP List
Thursday, March 10th from 10:00 am - Noon
To register:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/698291411397876993 
 
This is a required training for all List Holders and/or identified designated leads for Coordinated Entry.  Once you have completed the training, you will receive the link to your specific continua.  The link is NOT to be shared or sent to anyone that is not identified as a List-Holder for your community. Being the List Holder means the following things are true:

• You are comfortable with technology.
• You are familiar with google drive.
• You are knowledgeable about Microsoft Excel.

This training is NOT for those that will be entering people on to the list. Only for those responsible for the list itself.
 
#2 – Adding Someone to the Housing Prioritization List (Non-WISP)
Monday, March 14th from 1:00 – 2:00pm
To register:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/28860353896284929
 
This training is designed for anyone that wants to use the Google Form tool to enter client information that will be included on the Housing Prioritization List for Non-WISP users. We will go through the google form and briefly explain what happens to the information that you enter. Following the training, each of List Holders and COC leads for the local continua in the Balance of State will receive the specific google form link.
 
(5) OTHER UPDATES
 
Coordinated Entry:
Reminder, Corin Tubridy & Lisa Sanders completed an introductory training called “Coordinated Entry 101” for those folks wanting more information about how the process is supposed to work in your community.  The training was recorded.  The slides and link to watch the training are posted on the website.
 
Coordinated Entry Committee:  **NEW**
Jeanette Petts as agreed to continue to chair the committee.  If you are interested in outreach/marketing and/or helping to develop a process for youth, please contact her to join.  These are the next two major components that will be worked on by the committee.
 
Coordinated Entry – Implementation Team:  **NEW**
The implementation team has met and has a plan!  In the upcoming week, each of the currently identified DLA in the Balance of State will be contacted by a member of the Implementation Team to check in.  Please share questions, concerns, identify training needs, etc.  The goal of our team is to provide a smooth transition and consistent training as we implement coordinated entry in the Balance of State.
 
A few things to note:
1) I conducted a Transitional Housing Prioritization training last week.  The recording and slides are now posted on the website.  http://www.wiboscoc.org/coordinated-entry.html
 
2) The correct paper version of the VI-SPDAT (Version 2) and the link to the OrgCode training are now also posted on the website.  If you were using Version 1, please stop. Take the shorter training and start using Version 2.  The version in Service Point has already been switched to Version 2.
 
News:
If you have any media from your local continua, including newspaper, radio, or TV, please send the link to [email protected].  We want to be able to post it to the Facebook page and please visit the new “NEWS” section of the website:  http://www.wiboscoc.org/news.html
 
(6) HUD, USICH, NAEH Training  **NEW**
In partnership with DOL and USICH, HUD is offering a training series called “Housing + Employment Works.”
Webinar 1: A Discussion of WIOA, Rapid Rehousing, and Rapid Job Placement
The first webinar will be held Thursday, February 25, 2016 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST. It will introduce CoCs to the use of WIOA as a strategy to prevent and end homelessness for participants in rapid rehousing (RRH) projects.
Experts John Rio of Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. and Seattle’s Nick Cobb and Mark Putnam will share their expertise and experience with addressing employment barriers for people who are homeless from their combined CoC/RRH perspectives. The webinar will cover:

• The importance of employment-focused case management in RRH projects;
  How one CoC and service provider incorporated employment supports for participants in an RRH project; and
• The successes and challenges they’ve faced.

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2016
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 PM EST
Register for this webinar.

Webinar 2: Housing + Employment Works: CoC and Workforce Partnerships to Serve WIOA Population Priorities
This webinar will take place on April 21, 2016 at 1:00 PM EDT. The audience will hear an overview of WIOA and the importance of collaborating with your local Workforce Investment Board (WIB). You will hear from CoC and WIB leadership who are effectively collaborating to identify homeless job seekers and provide the resources they need to find and retain employment.

Webinar 3: Housing + Employment Works: Employment Assessment in Coordinated Entry Systems
This webinar will take place on June 16, 2016 at 1:00 PM EDT. The audience will hear from communities who are identifying employment needs when the person first enters the coordinated entry system. You will hear benefits, challenges and successes of addressing the person’s needs as soon as they enter the CoC as well as how some CoCs designed a system with access to employment services

Webinar 4: Housing + Employment Works: Systems Performance Measures around Employment and Income Maximization
This webinar will take place on August 18, 2016 at 1:00 PM EDT. The audience will hear the importance of emphasizing employment and measuring income outcomes. In the new day of accountability, recipients need to consider the income of participants as key to housing stability and affordability in the long-term. You will hear how communities are measuring employment outcomes and the benefits to the CoC.