“Draft” Day Resource Center Concept Paper

I might be being dense here, but there is nothing new in this that Lynn Green hasn’t been saying all along. There appears to be no feedback mechanism at the moment, except to email Lynn Green and Casey Becker, but I don’t know what happens with that feedback (likely nothing, like the rest of our feedback so far) and then I’m unclear what the next steps are except to go right to a RFP, with no public discussion of this.

This was forwarded with two different emails, one to the Common Council. One to the Homeless Issues Committee which Casey Becker staffs, and even tho they asked for a meeting to review it, she doesn’t seem like she’s going to help make that happen.

I’d really like to know who helped create this paper (who was in the room), how many times did they meet, was there consensus or were their minority viewpoints, etc. etc. etc. The document has the logo of the county, United Way and city on it, but there were supposed to be others in the room like Downtown Madison Inc, Catholic Charities etc.

Email to Homeless Issues Committee:

From: “Becker, Casey”
Date: Apr 11, 2016 1:46 PM
Subject: FW: Draft Day Resource Center Concept Paper
To: “Bradley Hinkfuss” , “Carl Gloede” , “Deedra Atkinson” , “Wegleitner, Heidi Forward” , “Kat Koski” , “Kristopher Wachowiak” , “Palm, Larry forward” , “Linda Ketcham” , “Marsha Rummel (district6@cityofmadison.com)” , “Ritt, Michele” , “Ronnie Barbett” , “Sue Wallinger” , “Ulysses Williams” , “Wegleitner, Heidi”
Cc: “Macfarlane, Dawn”

Dear Members of the City County Homeless Issues Committee,

Attached, please find the final draft Day Resource Center concept paper developed in partnership with the City of Madison, The United Way, and Dane County that Human Services Director Lynn Green shared with other stakeholders earlier today.

At the last meeting, you all indicated you may want to call a special meeting to review this document and provide feedback. If so, please let Dawn MacFarlane know your availability to meet in the next three weeks. If a meeting is not possible for the group, individual comments are greatly appreciated.

As you can see below, the feedback received on this document will help inform the final request for proposal (RFP) to locate the Day Resource Center operator. The partners are hoping to release that RFP early in May and would appreciate any input you have by May 2nd.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns,

Thank you,
C

Casey Slaughter Becker
Communications and Homeless Services Manager
Dane County Department of Human Services
Dane County Job Center
1819 Aberg Ave.
Madison, WI 53704
(o) 608.242.7511
(f) 608.242.7410
(e) becker.casey@countyofdane.com
(t) @slaughterbecker

So yeah, like if you all want to meet like you said you did well then you all do something about it . . . designed for failure in the next 20 days. They really don’t want the committee to meet and don’t want their feedback, clearly.

Email to City of Madison Staff and Council President sent to some alders the shared with the neighborhood:

>
From: “Okeefe, James”
Date: April 11, 2016 at 1:39:53 PM CDT
To: “Zellers, Ledell” , “Verveer, Michael” , “Rummel, Marsha”
Cc: “Parks, Timothy”
Subject: FW: Final Draft Day Resource Center Concept Paper

FYI.

From: Becker, Casey
Sent: Monday, April 11, 2016 1:25 PM
To: Green, Lynn; ‘Deedra Atkinson (Deedra.Atkinson@uwdc.org)’; ‘Martha Cranley’; Erdman, Natalie; Okeefe, James; Wallinger, Sue; Wescott, Joshua; Kostelic, Jeffrey; Demarb, Denise; Corrigan, Sharon
Subject: Final Draft Day Resource Center Concept Paper

Good afternoon,

Attached is the final draft Day Resource Center concept paper, taking into account the feedback we’ve received so far. We will be sending this out to stakeholders this afternoon. Please do not hesitate to share this document. The feedback we receive on this document will help inform the final request for proposal (RFP) for the Day Resource Center operator.

Thank you all for your time, input, and support,

Lynn Green and Casey Becker

Paper:

Introduction and Goals
Representatives of major partners and potential funders of a Day Resource Center recently met to reaffirm their shared goals and reach agreement on proposed operations and funding commitments for the facility – a one-stop-shop for critical community connections that provide a path to safe, permanent housing, as well as basic services, for our neighbors in need.

These discussions were guided by previous recommendations for a facility, research into other Day Resource Center models, funding currently pledged and/or available, and consideration of the feedback received from discussions with local advocates, providers, elected officials, and residents of the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood.

Major themes emerged during these discussions:
• Ensuring the facility is a welcoming support for those in need, and a good neighbor to surrounding residents, businesses, and visitors.
• Developing an operations model that can respond to current and emerging needs of the community over time, and soliciting community input on that model.
• Ensuring the successful acquisition of a qualified operator through a request for proposal (RFP) process that clearly outlines expectations for the operation.
• Determining a guideline budget for center operations and a proposed program model based on available cost estimates, funding currently pledged and/or available, and funding that will still be needed.
• The importance of partnering with the private sector to ensure the successful operation and funding of the Day Resource Center.

Based on this information, the partners are proposing the following operations model and estimated budget for a Day Resource Center. This proposal will be shared with stakeholders through formal and informal venues.

The goal of this proposal is to outline services that could be successfully provided in the first year of the Day Resource Center’s operation and that meet the current needs of the county’s individuals and families who are homeless, or living in poverty and at-risk of becoming homeless.

The proposal also outlines additional services that could be phased in over time as other resources become available for the facility and through continual assessment of the community’s needs.

Proposed Operations
Operations would ideally occur seven days a week, including holidays, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the former Messner building on 1326 East Washington Avenue in the City of Madison.

The bulk of the recommended services are proposed to be available when the center first opens, while other resources are proposed to be phased in over time. This model is intended to balance several considerations and goals:

• To provide services to address barriers that cause individuals and families to experience homelessness.
• To meet urgent, basic needs of Day Resource Center customers, largely as outlined in the 2013 Day Resource Center recommendations report approved by the then County Homeless Issues Committee, with program flexibility to address emerging needs.
• To allow for regular contact between the provider and project stakeholders – customers, partner providers, advocates, funders, neighbors, policy makers – in the center’s initial year to communicate early successes and collect feedback.
• To secure a Day Resource Center operator with a proven track record of operating effective human services programs that involve a variety of stakeholders and accountability measures.
• To allow an operator to build the organizational and financial capacity necessary to successfully operate a Day Resource Center.

Initial Community Connections and Co-Located Services
The Day Resource Center operator would be responsible for coordinating the following services. Services could be provided by partner agencies that currently offer these programs in our community, and would
utilize space available at the Day Resource Center for those services.

• Case Management – Staff to help customers with assessments, planning, and access to critical resources such as housing, employment and training, food assistance, medical care and insurance, mental health services, alcohol and other drug addiction (AODA) services, legal services, and more.
• Computer Lab – Computers available for customers to conduct housing and employment searches, work on a resume, check e-mail, obtain vital records, etc.
• Coordinated Intake – Staff to conduct housing assessments and connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness or near homelessness with shelter, housing, or eviction prevention and/or rental assistance funds.
• Housing Navigator – Staff to assist customers with housing searches, housing applications, addressing barriers to housing (income, credit, transportation issues), outreach to housing providers, and connection to supportive services (if needed) once a customer has obtained housing.
• Private Partner Offices – Spaces where individuals and families can confidentially connect with community resources.

Engagement Services
The following services would be provided by the operator of the Day Resource Center, and are intended to meet the basic needs of its customers.
• Day rooms – Separate spaces for single adults and families with children to provide refuge from the elements during the day.
• Kitchenette – A self-service kitchenette where visitors can warm up or prepare their own snacks or small meals.
• Laundry – Six commercial washers and six commercial dryers, available for use during business hours.
• Mail/Message Center – The ability for individuals and families with no fixed address to have mail delivered to the Day Resource Center, or to obtain messages at a fixed location.
• Outdoor Space – An outdoor playground for families with children, and a separate outdoor space for adults.
• Showers – Four showers for women, and four showers for men, with a separate bathroom and shower area for families with children.
• Day Storage – Gym lockers suitable for daytime storage of personal items.
• Telephone Access – Landline phones that can be utilized by customers to access local resources or stay connected with community supports.
• Van Transportation – Van transportation to and from the Day Resource Center and other critical services throughout the community.

Phase-In Services
The following services could be added over time as the provider builds organizational and financial
capacity.

Customers could use these services in the Day Resource Center’s initial year through case management
located at the facility.

• Benefits Counseling – Assistance identifying where a person can utilize their medical benefits in the community.
• Haircuts – Free on-site access to haircuts provided by community partners.
• Medical Services – On-site access to medical professionals and limited care.
• Mental Health Assessments – Voluntary, private screening to determine if an individual is experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition, and referral to services.
• Legal Services – Free legal assistance or connection to assistance. For example, housing law, consumer law, family law, addressing licensing and record loss, and more.
• Alcohol and Other Drug Addiction Services (AODA) – Voluntary, private connection to assessments and services to assist an individual in addressing an addiction to alcohol and/or drugs.

As emerging or different needs are identified, this list of services may be adjusted or re-prioritized.

Additional Considerations
In addition to providing and coordinating the services detailed above, the operator of the Day Resource
Center would be responsible for the following:

• Security Plan – A component of the conditional use permit application the county will submit to the City of Madison, developed with the Day Resource Center provider, to be executed by the Day Resource Center provider to ensure the safety and comfort of those who visit the Day Resource Center, as well as live, work, learn, or do business near the Day Resource Center.
• Community Engagement – Regular provider staff outreach to Day Resource Center customers, community service partners, representatives from the neighborhood, local government, local law enforcement, and surrounding businesses to ensure open communication and proper escalation of any challenges that may arise.

Budget
The cost to operate the facility (not including renovations, equipment, etc.) is estimated at $489,898. This total includes the estimated cost to provide facility staff – at least 3.5 full-time equivalent operating staff (allows for two staff on-site at all times for the desired hours of operation) and 1.0 full-time equivalent Program Director) – utilities, insurance, security, custodial, refuse, laundry service (for the shower program), telephone/data, supplies, and van transportation.

Dane County has budgeted $130,000 for Day Resource Center operations. The Mayor of Madison and the Madison Common Council are on record, and have been through four consecutive budgets, as supportive of an ongoing role in sharing the operating costs of the Day Resource Center. The City of Madison’s base budget currently earmarks $80,000 for that use. The United Way has been an ongoing funding partner as well and has made a $100,000 investment commitment.

The total cost to operate a comprehensive Day Resource Center is anticipated to exceed the funds pledged for this project. It is expected that the Day Resource Center provider will fundraise and otherwise leverage private sector resources to cover the costs associated with running a program.

I have lots of feedback, but that will have to wait for now . . . to get started, no storage (so the city will continue to pay $22,000 in rent), no laundry (so the city will continue to pay $16,000 when its costs $30,000 a year), the Housing Help Desk the Tenant Resource Center used to run for tenants has become services for homeless people and tenants no longer matter in Dane County . . . this is financially irresponsible and results in cuts to services for some people. It makes no sense. And how United Way gets to come to the table for a $100,000 investment commitment but no commitment to support this over time is ridiculous. And I’m just getting started.