April 13, 2023,The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee

The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee

April 13, 2023

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Agenda:

  1. Open and Introductions
  2. The Role of CSH
  3. Goals of Subcommittee
  4. Shared Definition of Homelessness
  5. Department Presentations
  6. Selection of Chairs
  7. Next Meeting Expectations
  8. Public Comment
  9. Close

Presentations:

IDHS Division of Mental Health

Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice

Meeting Recording:

Meeting Recording

Meeting Minutes:

  1. Opening & Introductions

    1. Introduction and welcome from Christine Haley, Chief Homelessness Officer 
      1. Our team at the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) will provide support for the meetings. Looking forward launching and to the system changes to come. Asking for representatives from the State agencies to introduce themselves and then I will turn the meeting over to Johnna Lowe to facilitate the meeting. 
    2. Amaal Tokars, Department of Public Health 
    3. Ann Baker, Midwest Youth Services 
    4. Chevelle Bailey, Department of Children and Family Services 
    5. Christine Hammond, Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness 
    6. Isabella Hurtado, Governor's Office 
    7. Jennifer Parrack, Department of Corrections 
    8. Johnna Lowe, CSH 
    9. Julie Nelson, CSH
    10. Latonia Byrd- Williamson, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice 
    11. Leonard Johnson, National Youth Advocate Program 
    12. Melishia Banasa, Department of Healthcare and Family Services 
    13. Nicholas Johnson, Youth Representative 
    14. Nikita Robinson, Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness 
    15. Niya Kelly, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless 
    16. Patricia Hudson, Department of Human Services Hospital Operations 
    17. Sandy Godinez, The Harbor 
    18. Tedd Peso, The Night Ministry 
    19. Teresa Parks, Department of Guardianship and Advocacy Commission 
    20. Tyrie Fluker, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice 
    21. Valerie Tawrel, 360 Youth Services 

  2. Role of CSH

    1. Johnna Lowe, Senior Program Manager. We are contracted by Prince Charitable Trust to support in the convening of state agencies and appointed stakeholders to identify state strategies for preventing and ending youth homelessness. 

  3. Goals of Subcommittee 

    1. A link was provided in the chat to the original legislation that was created for the subcommittee that describes the function. We will be reviewing the discharge and service plans around the four systems of care that will be presenting today. 
      1. The mandate also is around the collection of data on the housing stability of youth have been released from those systems of care. 
      2. Based on that data what are some innovative and new policies that can really support housing stability. 
      3. To provide recommendations on ending homelessness of youth existing those systems of care. 

  4. Shared Definition of Homelessness

    1. Youth: A person between 18 - 25 years of age 
    2. Housing Stability: A lawful place, meant for human habitation in which youth (ages 18 - 25) who are discharged are on the rental lease or permitted to love on the premises for at least one year. 
    3. Four Systems of Care:
      1. Illinois Department of Corrections 
      2. Juvenile Justice 
      3. Division of Mental Health 
      4. Department of Child and Family Services
    4. Discharged/ Placement: Released from the system of care and living in housing stability.

  5. Department Presentations: System of Care Presentations 

    1. Tyrie Fluker and Latonya Byrd- Williamson, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice: 
      1. Discharge Planning workflow chart for everyone to see how IDJJ begins the discussion of youth who come into our custody. Starts with the Facility to Aftercare to Discharge. 
        1. We can have youth until their twenty first birthday and the youngest to come is around the age of thirteen. Discharge planning begins when the youth is committed to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. 
        2. We have facility teams that are responsible for identifying a host site that must be assessed and approved by Aftercare. 
        3. Placement Resource team helps to determine appropriate placement options for youth who do not have a viable site. 
          1. Each youth is assessed for service needs: mental health, psychiatric, substance abuse, juvenile sex offender treatment, multi system therapy for emerging adults, mentoring and educational needs, etc. These are taken into consideration when youth need placement and appropriate referrals are provided. 
        4. Youth will have a release review to determine if the youth meet the requirements for releasement. Aftercare and Facility team will determine the recommended conditions should be for the specific youth. 
        5. Aftercare team is responsible for monitoring referral linkages and completing a six, twelve, one and half review and or an early discharge review on each youth who identifies discharger plan that includes housing. 
        6. Aftercare Progress Review or Final Discharge Recommendation and Discharge Plan 
          1. Form used listed and reviewed. 
        7. Any Questions? 
          1. What kind of options do the placement team have avail to them to assist the youth? 
            1. We have providers that support mental health, juvenile sex offenders, substance abuse, psychiatric concerns, LGBQY community, looking into providers that support sex trafficking needs. We review the packet and talk to the youth, their family members on what will help them to be successful.
          2. What is the percentage of cases that end up in the hands of the placement team? 
            1. We are top heavy with males. We have lately had an influx in females in the last two or three months than previously. A lot are very high needs females, which has required a lot. Dealing with sex and human trafficking piece. About 96% male overall and about 50% female. 
          3. Do you also include placement options for youth that have developmental disabilities? 
            1. Yes, we have providers throughout the state that have several focus areas including disabilitiy aspects. 
          4. What are your staff to youth ratios within the department to support? 
            1. We have one aftercare youth specialist for every three to ten youth. There has been a dwindle in the numbers over the years. We are able to pour more into each youth as the numbers have gone down. Looking at individual's youth needs. The department looks at their caseloads and provide those who really need a higher-level care.
          5. Any trends you are seeing outside of the city of Chicago, are numbers going up in rural areas? Are you seeing any unique issues with placement? 
            1. Numbers are always higher in the north. We get a map once a month form our clinical services. Cook the numbers are higher. The numbers dwindle as you move down state. Staff, one in the southern part of the state and one in the northern part of the state. Central IL is having an increase in numbers. Trends differently at different times but we pay attention to that 
          6. When discharging a minor, do you do a youth check for those who turn 18? Discharge someone home at 16 would you check in with them when they turn 18 to assure, they still have stable housing?
            1. We see that our youth form a relationship with the aftercare specialist, and they keep in contact with the youth after discharge. The youth reach out to IDJJ administrators. After they are discharged and no longer in our custody, we cannot tell them what to do and not to do. But there can still be communication and provide youth with community services support as they reach out. 
    2. Chevelle Bailey, Office of Education and Transition Services within the Department of Children and Family Services: 
      1. We have a number of different departments that support the transition of youth out of care into independency. My division works with supplementing the services to the case work team or the permanency team. There is redundancy purposefully created within the departments to ensure we address any needs of the youth before exiting care. 
      2. Youth can remain in their care to the age of twenty-one. Many remain in care until twenty-one, but some do exit at the age of eighteen. At age fourteen the youth have the Casey life assessment to introduce the resources and support. 
      3. The Permanency, at the age of nineteen the have the countdown to age twenty-one program, so they meet with them to find out what the youth's needs are to move to independency. 
        1. Pregnant and parenting program has different meetings. 
      4. All align with procedures to help youth successfully transition so they are required to:
        1. Take a financial literacy course 
        2. To identify support system outside of the agency 
        3. To have the meeting with the countdown to twenty-one for employment aspirations discussions 
        4. Have housing needs conversation 
        5. They are provided with a stipend when they exit care 
        6. Case workers are required to go through case reviews to assure that educational needs are on track, physical/ mental and behavior issues are being addressed. 
      5. Family advocacy centers provide support through cash assistance, housing assistance. 
      6. What are your staff to youth ratios in the transition? 
        1. Permanency team, not certain of the numbers. The supplemental case work services, we contract with community-based providers. One staff to fifteen youth for the supplemental services. 
    3. Patty Hudson, Division of Mental Health: 
      1. Different regions of hospitals throughout the state of Illinois. You can be treated anywhere across the state of Illinois based on bed availability now to expedite treatment. Five Regions and a statewide facility. 
      2. Forensic Placement Options and Criteria 
        1. Details listed on where patients can be admitted 
          1. Chicago Read 
          2. Elgin 
          3. McFarland 
          4. Alton 
          5. Choate DD 
          6. Chester 
          7. Not listed -Madden Mental Health Center is all civil 
        2. Statistics on civil patients to forensic patients 
        3. 2,229 Civil Patients: 79% 
        4. 594 Forensic Patients: 21% (UST & NGRI) 
        5. Approximately 631 Patients ages 18 - 25: 23% 
      3. Civil patients entering and leaving a SOPH (state operated psychiatric hospital) 
        1. First thing we do when developing the treatment plan, we are also looking at discharge planning. 
        2. Review treatment goals and process. 
        3. Explore housing options and securing housing through community partners. 
        4. Achieve the treatment goals and discharge plans. 
        5. Link patients to community providers for engagement and outpatient services. 
        6. Patients are given fourteen days of free medication upon discharged. 
      4. DMH Funded Programs 
        1. Transitional Services & Residential Programs 
      5. Forensic Patients Entering and Leaving a SOPH 
        1. UST (unfit to stand trial) Patients 
        2. NGRI (not guilty by reason of insanity) Patients 
      6. NGRI Placement Options 
        1. DMH Funded Programs for NGRI Patients
      7. Any questions? 
        1. On the civil and youth patient side how do they get to that level of care with you? 
          1. Emergency rooms is how about 99% come to a SOPH. If not coming in through a court order, then they are through an emergency room to be medically cleared. 
            1. Sometimes we get a lot of just housing based referrals that do not have psychiatric needs. We have to screen for appropriateness. Have to say no a lot of times, because people come to them for just housing issues, so we won't accept that referral. 
          2. The youth category are they mostly civil patients? Where are they based, is it in all the facilitates? 
            1. We admit eighteen and up, so we don't separate our youth from the other adults. We won't separate them out, but we individualize the treatments and provide different resources according to their issues. Customize the treatment but they are co-mingled in the units. 
    4. Jennifer Parrack, Department of Corrections Update: 
      1. IDOC Custody 
        1. Youth eighteen to twenty-four age range. Upon intake, we assess all who come in the same, regardless of age. 
          1. Assessment includes programming, education/vocational training, and re-entry. 
        2. ORAS Assessment 
          1. Start by thinking about release and reentry upon their arrival 
          2. Case plans around their identified needs. 
            1. Seeing a much higher need individuals coming into their custody 
        3. Educational Services 
          1. Adult Basic Education 
          2. Advance Basic Education 
          3. GED Programming 
          4. Community Colleges 
          5. Bachelor and Master Level Education Programs 
        4. Re-Entry Unit in IDOC 
          1. Created in the Fall of 2019. 
          2. Roughly 1,200 to 1,600 individuals are released each month 
          3. Goals of the Re-Entry 
            1. Have a big need on housing needs support. 
            2. Seeking to improved re-entry services and collaboration with other state agencies. 
          4. Re-Entry Services 
            1. Healthcare enrollment 
            2. Vital document obtainment, birth certificate and social security cards 
            3. State ID cards 
            4. SNAP enrollment 
            5. SSI/SSDI Enrollment 
            6. Re-entry resource rooms 
            7. Web-ex in-reach series - connecting people to community resources 
            8. Transitional Housing 
          5. PRG Overview 
            1. The Parole Reentry Group (PRG) is a statewide unit that makes placements arrangement on coordinate service delivery necessary for individuals. 
            2. Will try to accommodate requests and return individuals near their family. 
            3. Offices located in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Champaign, Effingham, Marion, and East St. Louis 
          6. PRG Placement Numbers 
            1. Placement numbers not separated out for 18 to 24. 
            2. Population over the years have dropped. Higher need of services for individuals. 
          7. Statewide Specialized Housing Coordinator 
            1. Public Housing Authorities 
            2. Dedicated to support those who have needs with housing placements. Majority of the 18 to 24 members have desire to return to their families. 
              1. We do not blanket deny people to be placed with their families in public housing. 
          8. Specialized Housing 
            1. IDOC has seen a reduction in gate violations. 
            2. Increased diversion options 
            3. Discharges - linkages to hospitals 
            4. Coordination with DHS - Civil Commitment 
            5. Increase in nursing home options 
            6. PRG: Has increased recovery homes options through collaborations with SUPR 
          9. Any questions? 
            1. One of the challenges we see is the use of coordinated entry systems, do your agencies have access to them to sign people up across the state? 
              1. IDOC- when someone needs housing it is an immediate need for us. We don't have the ability to take someone to the emergency room to use the 311 system and HUD won't accept someone then they can't access they systems because they are not considered to be homeless. 
          10. SB 1367 will change the wait time based on the time they are judicated, they will automatically be added to the waitlist. Currently in the house for approval. 
            1. Question around, are folks seeing any issues if you attempt to assist with vouchers or housing support, are you seeing landlords shy away from allowing people to get housing? Struggle with housing even if money is available that the landlords are weary of renting to young or those using a voucher to remain housed. 
              1. Yes. A lack of affordable housing, but we have eleven clients current with housing vouchers who are not leased up. They won't say no, but it is more of a covert response. 
              2. Yes. We have state funding for homelessness, have even don't presentations on this. There is a barrier on the business side of things. 

  6. Selection of Chairs 

    1. Thought it was important for all the subcommittee members to get a deeper dive into the details of the discharge processes. All materials will be available. 
    2. We want to select chair or co-chairs. Self-nominate or nominate others? Anyone interested. 
      1. We talked to Tedd Peso and he is interested. 
    3. Tedd and Nicholas Johnson accepted the nomination. 
    4. Official vote: Please use the raised hand feature or type yes in the chat for the nomination. 
      1. No opposition was presented. 

  7. Next Meeting Expectations 

    1. We will meet again on May 11th and give us time to digest what we have learned today. 
    2. Gap Analysis from CSH 
    3. Presentation from the University of Chicago Chapin Hall 
    4. Report back from the Systems of Care, think about what does your system need in order to support youth discharging into housing stability?

  8. Public Comment 

    1. No comments. 
    2. Contact Johnna Lowe for any questions, comments, concern, critiques. 
    3. Do we need to prepare any talking points to prepare for the next meetings?
      1. No not at this point. Meetings will be scheduled for the co-chairs to discuss further. 
    4. Melishia Banasa, HFS standing in for Teresa Eagleson. 
    5. Open Meetings Act training is required for all. We have four trainings that you will have to complete. 
      1. When do they have to be done by? 
        1. Thirty days from when you receive a DHS ID. 
      2. I have an external ID; will that be the same? 
        1. May be the same if you are on another committee. You only have to do the trainings one time. 
        2. You can ask for them to combine the IDs. 
      3. What are the four other trainings? 
        1. Ethics, security awareness, diversity equity, and harassment and discrimination prevention training. You have to do those annually.

  9. Closing

    1. Meeting adjourned at 11:33am CST