Coordinated Entry

The Coordinated Entry system covers the entire geographic area for the Big Bend region of Florida (FL-506 CoC) in which resources are spread out over an eight-county area.  Part of the overall Coordinated Entry effort entails partnering with existing programs and developing strategic collaborations within the eight counties and throughout the multiple municipalities/communities that exist.  Coordinated Entry is being enhanced by leveraging existing resources and aligning mainstream resources and existing systems.

Coordinated Entry is designed to more effectively connect people to permanent housing that will end their homelessness, and it includes the following elements:

Coordinated Entry works in four steps: 

1.  Access – Individuals or families may access the crisis response system by calling or visiting one of our community agencies, or by being engaged through community street outreach teams.

2.  Assessment – Upon initial access, CoC providers associated with Coordinated Entry will begin assessing the person’s housing needs, preferences and vulnerability.

3.  Prioritization -During assessment, the person’s needs and level of vulnerability may be documented for purposes of prioritization. Prioritization helps the CoC manage its inventory of community housing resources and services, ensuring that those persons with the greatest need and vulnerability receive the supports they need to resolve their housing crisis.

4.  Referral – The final element is Referral. Persons are referred to available CoC housing resources and services in accordance with the CoC’s documented prioritization guidelines.

Case Conferencing meetings are routine meetings designed to manage the Coordinated Entry Housing Priority list. The Coordinated Entry Director will facilitate these meetings.

Representation at the meeting is comprised of:

• Representatives from housing providers
• Street outreach staff
• Advocates for Participants (especially in cases when the client assessment score doesn’t to reflect client need).
• Any direct service providers that can assist with case conferencing participants. Group members must adhere to client privacy policies.

The Coordinated Entry Director prepares for each case conferencing meeting by:

• Organizing and updating the By-Name List by category (Individuals, Families and Youth); This list will be organized by VI-Score, homeless history, and the tiered system.
• Emailing representatives in advance of participants to be discussed during case conferencing.

During the case conferencing, the following will be discussed: 

• Participants and what housing resources they are eligible for;
• Current location of client (camping, at a shelter, unknown, etc.);
• Barriers (review and problem solve);
• Safety (brainstorm how to ensure any unsheltered participants are safe for the near-term);
• Next steps: identify what is next or critical action items, including roles and timelines as well as any participant updates that need to be documented.

Case Conferencing Meetings held bi-weekly. To participate in Case Conferencing, please contact Micha Allen for the current schedule of staffings.