TESTIMONY
Joslyn Carter, Administrator of the NYC Department of Homeless Services on the intake process and services for families with children entering DHS shelters
0:44:05
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15 min
Joslyn Carter explains the intake process at the PATH center for families with children entering NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters.
- Families spend an average of 6-7 hours at PATH for intake, a major reduction from previous 20-hour intakes
- Social workers assess families' needs and connect them with preventative services to avoid shelter entry when possible
- Staff from partner agencies like the Department of Education and Human Resources Administration are co-located at PATH
- Carter addresses proposed legislation on requiring all family members present at intake and providing dedicated intake navigators
Joslyn Carter
0:44:05
Good afternoon.
0:44:07
My name is Jocelyn Carter, and I serve as administrator of the New York City Department of Homeland Services.
0:44:13
I would like to thank deputy speaker Yalla and the members of the committee on general welfare for holding today's hearing on families with children in DHA shelters I also want to acknowledge the 2 moms who testified here this afternoon.
0:44:27
It's very brief to share their stories.
0:44:29
And we'll follow-up with them after this hearing to get more information from them.
0:44:34
At the onset, I want to reassure the counsel that at DHS, we recognize the vulnerability of the families we serve and understand that families experience trauma from housing instability.
0:44:44
Our objective is to carefully and compassionately meet the full needs of the people we serve while they are in our care.
0:44:50
That includes serving us the bridge towards connections with the resources to meet the very real psychosocial and social needs of families experiencing homelessness.
0:45:00
We understand housing is a critical part of well-being and a dangerous family space in these vulnerable moments.
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That is precisely why we aim to craft an intake process.
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That meets our clients where they are.
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And nurtures onerous connections so that DHS can serve as an on ramp to further social services.
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Our trauma informed approach aims to treat every client with dignity that they deserve.
0:45:24
Families come to us in a moment of crisis, and we work to stabilize them quickly and move them towards permanent housing.
0:45:31
I would like to take the opportunity to give the council a public listing some insight into how our intake systems have developed over time and share our reasoning as why our system are the way they are.
0:45:43
I will also offer review of the legislative proposals with attention to fiscal, operational staffing and service process flow impacts.
0:45:53
DHS prevention assistance and temporary housing path intake center is a front door door services that is sized, staffed, and designed to meet the needs of families with children.
0:46:04
As the last resort, families that have fallen in hard times come to path, located at 151 East 151st Street in the Bronx.
0:46:11
It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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Prior to the establishment of Path, We had multiple intake centers, and we found that families were spending an average of 20 hours in the intake process.
0:46:26
Today, on average, families spend 6 to 7 hours a path.
0:46:30
That is a dramatic decrease in the amount of time families are spending at intake.
0:46:35
Path allows us to realize economies of scale, offer wraparound services, and serve as a critical node in diversion screening, and assessment required for place and families and shelters.
0:46:47
We have staff at the front door and at reception that greet families as they enter the building and they require an inquiry about the family's reason for coming to path.
0:46:55
Families are then directed to the intake area where we have staff prepared to begin the application for shelter.
0:47:02
During this time, discussions with clients also focuses on the needs of children within the household, including school enrollment, We explain next steps and offer families an opportunity to ask questions.
0:47:13
When you applicants into those families reapplying after more than 30 days applied path, They engaged by path social services workers.
0:47:21
These workers provide crisis counseling, mediation services, and referral to the community based resources as an alternative to shelter.
0:47:30
For those families with housing options still available in the community, Path social services workers elaborate with HRA homeless diversion unit caseworkers, and home based offices 3 to 5 borrowers to put services in place to help families retain or secure independent housing without having to enter shelter.
0:47:49
All families reapplying for shelters, falling or breaking shelter services of less than 30 days, except for those who have experienced domestic violence, are also referred to lead a resource from social services worker who then collaborates with our HDU team to further explore ways to avoid shelter entry through family mediation, legal services, HR emergency grants, and rental assistance.
0:48:14
There is no one size fits all solution for families.
0:48:17
Their circumstances are all unique, their needs are unique, and we need to take time to listen, learn, and connect them to the resources that best served.
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For instance, and family may have had a nonphysical argument that could benefit from family mediation.
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For that family, mediation could be the cause to avoid shelter altogether.
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We find that approximately 13% of families are diverted from shelter.
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If families have no alternative options immediately available, such that they would qualify for homeless preventive services.
0:48:48
They are interviewed by Aditya's family worker who obtains the family's 2 year housing history.
0:48:53
This serves as the basis for determining shelter eligibility.
0:48:57
During the interview process, families may be assigned a conditional shelter placement while DHS investigates and invest and assesses the family's individual needs.
0:49:06
Conditional placements last for 15 days on average.
0:49:10
During this time, field specialists visit the homes of family and friends with whom the family previously resided to verify information provided during the interview.
0:49:18
During the conditional placement, social services staff and social workers and DHS arrange in person meetings whenever possible, with families applying for shelter and family or friends they live with previously to further pursue mediation and explaining greater detail available housing preventive services and rental assistance programs to return to the community.
0:49:40
Once the investigation is completed, and eligibility determination concerning the completeness of the application and the availability of other housing is written, reviewed, and provided to the family in the shelter placement.
0:49:52
Reconnect the eligibility assessment in accordance with the New York State Social Services Law And Regulations from our Oversight Agency the New York State Office of Temporary And Disability Assistance, OTDA.
0:50:05
Path benefits from our co located sister agencies who partner in delivering their insights and services.
0:50:12
The part of education is represented a path in the form of family assistance staff who serve as a critical point of linkage with NYC Schools, offering an opportunity to discuss transportation and educational needs.
0:50:24
Administration for children's services staff provide collaboration and consultation as related to abuse or neglect cases Our partners from the Human Resources Administration know balance again.
0:50:35
The safety assessment for families who indicate domestic violence have a domestic violence history or their suspicion of DV wallet path.
0:50:43
Additionally, HRA's home based team serve as a link to further homeless preventive services and aftercare services.
0:50:51
There's also medical provide on-site, the floating hospital, and they are there to conduct health screens and other health education as necessary.
0:50:59
With that larger context in mind, I will now turn to the legislation being heard today.
0:51:05
Intro123 would preclude DHS from requiring that every member of the family be present at its intake center when that family sees placement in shelter.
0:51:15
We have made accommodation for the logistical challenge of having all children onto 18 present at empty.
0:51:21
Currently, All adults in the family are required to appear.
0:51:26
However, children under age eighteen can appear remotely for the initial visit.
0:51:33
They are not required for any subsequent visits.
0:51:37
We believe the system we have in place maintains the appropriate balance between the necessity of having children on screen to assess for real potential needs.
0:51:48
While offering the flexibility and recognition of the potential challenge posed to family.
0:51:52
For families that choose to bring their children to path, We have a child weight space on-site with educational activities and fun games.
0:52:00
Initially, as designed to accommodate children whose parents were being interviewed by the Nova Social Workers to avoid re traumatization.
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We have since expanded it to serve all children.
0:52:12
Inflow 124 would require a DHS to provide process navigator services every family with children at an intake center.
0:52:21
Andrew 440 would require DHS to ensure that eligibility specialists are available at every shelter to assist residents with determining eligibility for PA benefits, public assistance benefits.
0:52:33
Introonto 4440 focuses on roles and functions that already exists in our system.
0:52:39
Our intake staff is trained to guide families through this process.
0:52:43
We offer an explanation to every family that comes to us with multiple touch points immediately at the front door with readers at the window where registration occurs as they exit elevators and throughout their time in the waiting areas.
0:52:57
Our managers, case managers, social workers, family workers, or medical provider have been charged with explaining, explaining the process, and offering families the opportunity to ask questions.
0:53:08
We structured this system of touch points to make sure families feel safe, secure, and deliver consistent supported message in the intake process.
0:53:16
Prior to becoming a DHS administrator, I had the privilege of directly overseeing path.
0:53:21
I understand the intent of intro 1 to 4 and the idea of adding process navigators.
0:53:28
But I believe we are already providing that navi navigation over the intake process itself, and I do not believe adding another navigation layer would be advisable.
0:53:37
With regard to the eligibility specialist in intro 440, an intake, we have a host of staff on-site who are responsible for ensuring that family needs met.
0:53:46
This begins with the leadership and staff at Path, followed by the shelter directors, directors of social services, caseworkers, housing specialist social workers, and operation staff at shelter.
0:53:56
Who all play a constructive role in fulfilling the responsibilities of guiding clients to resources and services.
0:54:02
We understand they show this temporary, and we are aiming towards housing stability in community where our clients can attain their goals, assessing assessing executive permanency is part of our process.
0:54:14
1 and ensuring that this happens is ensuring that public assistance cases are open.
0:54:18
We have staff both at the front door and at the shelter level who are already doing this work.
0:54:23
We wanna make sure applications for public assistance occur and work towards clients putting appropriate applications in At intake, we have staff on-site helping to open these cases.
0:54:34
Furthermore, independent living plans include eligibility and applications, as part of the toolkit in driving towards exit and permanent housing.
0:54:43
Once a shelters, families meet with staff.
Angela Serda
0:54:48
To come.
Will Watts
0:54:56
You.
0:55:13
Okay.
Joslyn Carter
0:55:23
We're good.
0:55:23
Thanks.
0:55:24
I needed water anyway, so that's good.
0:55:26
Once the shelters, family meat will snap to complete an independent living plan.
0:55:30
They are then biweekly meetings with staff to update these IOPs.
0:55:34
They can include procuring entitlements for families that they may be eligible for referrals to mental health, education, or job preparation opportunities, or referrals to what are the other services that best need the needs for clients.
0:55:47
In addition, to being a component of the IOPs, ACCESS HRA is a tool in this process.
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All providers have all been training ACCESS HRA.
0:55:57
Serving as our online benefits portal, ACCESS H And RIA allows clients to gain information on and apply for government programs, including cash assistance, SNAP, virtual food stamps, fair fairs, the home energy assistance program, Medicaid city trips, and child support.
0:56:12
Because we already have this latest system in place, including contact with case managers, access HRA, IOPs, we do not believe they're just leading a specific title and comp a company ratios to be appropriate.
0:56:24
Enrolls 453460, focus on expanding families with children intake through an additional intake sent in the Bronx or Queens, and through producing a feasibility report on community based organizations viability for existing and processing intake.
0:56:39
There are manifold advantages of centralized intake.
0:56:42
Those advantages include consistent screening of critical factors and assessment for conditions related to medical needs mental health needs and substance use, adult and child protective services, and domestic violence.
0:56:55
Moreover, centralization forces continue to have service by taking advantage of colocated into agency links.
0:57:02
DOE, ACS, HRA Nova, HRA Homebase, as well as medical.
0:57:07
Centralization also allows us to benefit from economies of scale in addition to cost concerns.
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Intake is a complex process with a host of regulatory compliance requirements.
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Example, client privacy.
0:57:18
Accordingly, centralizations allow us to deliver service, inconsistency, and claim monitoring from for deviation from best practice.
0:57:26
Those advantages mean they have significant drawbacks to the proposal envisaged by intros 453460.
0:57:33
As we discussed in 2023.
0:57:36
We believe feasibility studies are prerequisite to considering an additional path site.
0:57:41
Therefore, we would be supportive of moving forward with a feasibility study that encompasses the design requirements that went into path.
0:57:48
And that takes into account the capital cost of a building of a new facility, location considerations, staffing requirements, and obligations to meet our federal and state legal regulatory mandates.
0:58:00
We are working to exit families.
0:58:01
In January, we did Adam's administration launch Women's Forward NYC an action plan for gender equity, an investment aimed at making New York City a national leader on gender equity.
0:58:12
Supported through $3, private and public partnerships, academic institutions, federal grant funding.
0:58:19
This live in action plan is a framework for all of the administration's effort.
0:58:22
Addressing gender disparities going forward and takes immediate action to connect women into professional development and higher paying jobs.
0:58:30
This malibu virus is sexually reproductive on chronic health care, reduce gender based violence against women, and provide holistic housing services, including for formally incarcerated women and domestic and gender based violence survivors.
0:58:44
Through going forward, the administration committed to increase families exiting shelter in department and housing by 25% by 2030.
0:58:54
As part of the administration's comprehensive effort to connect New Yorkers to state affordable homes, we are aiding New Yorkers from intake, to exit to transition into permanency.
0:59:05
We continue to focus our efforts on moving families and individuals from shelter into permanent housing as quickly as possible.
0:59:12
This is challenging work.
0:59:13
Our frontline staff or sister agency partners and the community providers are all focused on adding families through crisis towards permanency.
0:59:21
I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and acknowledge their successes.
0:59:25
While we acknowledge we have further work to do, in delivering the highest quality social service to our fellow New Yorkers.
0:59:32
We can also recognize the meaningful difference our hardworking staff and network of providers makes in the lives of children and families on a daily basis.
0:59:41
And thank you for this opportunity to testify, and I look forward to your questions.
