November Meeting Notes

Agenda:  1) Welcome by host Nicole Utz 2) Introductions 3) CAHOOTS update by Kim Hanson and Ashley Hamilton 4) Preliminary results of CANDO Good Neighbor Guide distribution by Michael Livingston   

Present:  Nicole Utz, Facilitator; Moises Ramos and Bruce Donohue with UGM; Ashley Hamilton with MWVCAA; Kim Hanson with United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley; Josh Lair with Be Bold Street Ministries; Stephen Goins with Northwest Human Services; Hazel Patton and Jim Vu with Salem Main Street Association; TJ Sullivan with Salem Area Chamber; Al Tandy with Salem Summit; Alvin Klausen with Victory Club and Kurt Schrader's office; Neal Kern, Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston with CANDO.  Not present: anyone from law enforcement.

Welcome by Nicole.  Intros around table.  CAHOOTS/HEART project update: currently planning 1 van, 5-6 FTE (1 EMT and 1 QMHP at $18/hr), limited shifts, serving citywide, anyone in crisis (not just downtown, not just “homeless” and not 24/7). Twenty-five “key stakeholders” are meeting Nov 21st. They met with Chemeketa CC re training program specifically for program. Program to be 1yr pilot starting some time in spring, and named Homeless Emergency Assistance Response Team. Will be dispatched out of 911 and administered by MWVCAA. United Way proposes to cover cost of van and CAHOOTS consulting fees. Preliminary budge estimate is $.5M. Eugene’s Public Works Department covers CAHOOTS $150 vehicle maintenance. Ashley estimates it will cost $70/hr to run the van. Hoping to get more info on the startup program in Olympia. Was not able to go on ride-along.  Distinguish MCRT? MCRT relates to criminal behavior. Can request MCRT, but subject to availability and fit. Stephen estimated about 20% of his requests were answered.  CAHOOTS is “outside criminal modality.” People who won’t get into back of patrol car to be taken to PCC will get into a van just to talk (sometimes ppl just want someone to talk to).

TJ said Salem Health was ”overrun” and asked if providers have resources to staff the van, maybe rotating shifts. Jim asked for more information on annual budget, e.g. cost of document management system startup costs. TJ asked about providers' ability to share client info. Discussion of HMIS - ServicePoint versus HIPPA-protected records, cloud-based ”social solutions” systems like Apricot that are HMIS-compatible.  NWHS is plans to use Apricot to document their street outreach efforts.  JIm returned to TJ's question whether Salem has resources to staff an outreach team.  Nicole said such a team would need a lead agency, and SHA had considered, but decided there was not the capacity.  Al Tandy suggested rotating staff.  Stephen said it would be possible in theory to "Frankenstein a team" but it would have to be 9-5, and wouldn’t be faithful to the CAHOOTS model, which operates after hours.  Josh asked if the post-QMHP agency connections were in place.  Kim said they were still figuring out whether Marion County or NWHS was the appropriate follow-up agency, and added that the project almost derailed because the full continuum of care was not in place.  TJ said that the business community was getting to the point that they are "ready to invest" and that Larry Tokarski was putting together a meeting for that purpose.  Nicole said what was needed was more permanent supportive housing developments like Redwood Crossings.   

Report on the distribution of CANDO's Good Neighbor Guide:  Visited 72 downtown Salem businesses and spoke with owner or manager at 29 of them.  Guide received a uniformly positive response, and most immediately read it.  Some asked for extra copies for employees.  “Very helpful”

Asked if business had problems with "homeless" individuals?

• 15 “too busy to talk”
• 11  “not mentioned”
• 13  no problems, or no current problems
• 8  “yes, but no specifics”
• 15  occasional, or infrequent (intoxicated; “alternate reality; unruly person asked to leave; people drunk or using drugs at sidewalk restaurant tables; people sleeping in doorways when staff arrive
• 4 on High St north of Marion (2 based on previous contacts) identified continuing serious problems -- e.g., vandalism and people mentally ill and out of control)  Owner of one of those businesses spoke highly of Be Bold Street Ministries staff -- Josh & Matt, whose contact information is in the pamphlet

Asked if business did have any problems, how handled?  

• 10 relational approach (asking people to leave) & call police as needed
•  3  security guard
•  8  relational approach only
•  4  other (e.g., call police & coordinate with nearby businesses; complain to mayor & council; call Be Bold Street Ministries) 

Josh said that as a result of the distribution, he had received 27 calls, and Matt had received 15.

Nicole offered tours of SHA's Immediate Needs Station to which law enforcement has 24/7 access. 

Note: the "if/then" project was not discussed, as the list of business "scenarios" was not completed until shortly before the meeting.  Sarah and Michael have since sorted the list and have distributed it to providers and law enforcement to decide whether a meeting is needed to agree on the appropriate response(s), or whether this can be accomplished through correspondence.  The deadline for a response is COB 11/20. 

Meeting Schedule:

Wednesday, 5:30 to 7p, December 11, at The ARCHES Project
Wednesday, 5:30 to 7p, January 8, at Ike Box, Bay Room
Wednesday, 5:30 to 7p, February 12, at United Way