“Azimuth” is available for download from the Homeless Services Network web site.

Locally, the 2011 funding competition resulted in a $547,927 award to the Homeless Services Network for two new permanent supportive housing projects.

For a local summary of the grants announced today, visit HUD’s Homelessness Resource Exchange (What’s New section) or HUD’s website (Featured News)

Services offered include emergency shelter and transitional housing, mental health and substance abuse services, employment resources, food stamp assistance, Florida ID cards and birth certificates via IDignity, legal services, medical care, showers, haircuts, food, clothing and much more.

HSN will be holding the 6th annual Project Homeless Connect in Downtown Orlando on Friday, March 23, 2012. The location is First Baptist Church of Orlando, 3000 S. John Young Parkway Orlando, FL 32805. Transportation to and from the event will be provided for clients via shuttle from various locations in Downtown Orlando and Orange County.

HSN is grateful for the support of First Baptist Church of Orlando, Love Orlando, City of Orlando and Orange County Government for our event this year. In 2010, Project Homeless Connect served over 1,000 clients in Downtown Orlando. In 2012, we expect to serve the same.

In order to make this event a success, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! If you would like to volunteer, please fill out the Volunteer Registration Form.

To file your taxes at no cost to you, you must have with you:

• Proof of Identification ( driver’s license or other photo ID)
• Social Security Cards for you, your spouse and dependents and/or a Social Security Number verification letter issued by the Social Security Administration.
• Accurate birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents on the tax return.
• Wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W2G, 1099R.
• A copy of last year’s tax returns, if available.
• Total paid for day care and the day care provider’s name, address, and tax ID number.
• College tuition expenses, Form 1098T, if available.
• Bank routing numbers and account numbers for direct deposits for up to three accounts.
• To file taxes electronically on a married filing joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

This service will be offered at the following locations:

• Palm Grove Apts., 3944 WD Judge Drive, Orlando FL 32908
• ONIC/City View Apts., 101 S. Terry Avenue, Orlando, FL 32805
• Hidden Cove Apts., 4900 S. Rio Grande Avenue, Orlando, FL 32839
• Seville Place Apts., 3124 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando, FL 32808
• Boca Club Apts., 3114 C.R. Smith Street, Orlando, FL 32805

On the following dates & times:

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact LaSonashia McFadden and/or Amanda Kinzey – (407) 648-1623 at ONIC.

Additionally, the new report provides an overall data quality score in the form of a letter grade. This report uses the following scale:

A = 95%+
B = 90-94%
C = 80-89%
F = 0-79%

This scale certainly seems a lot more difficult than the one we’re all accustomed to from our school days, but HSN has always required that participating agencies achieve a minimum data completion rate of 95%, so this is actually a standard everyone is used to.

We are still ironing out some wrinkles with the report, but we did run it for 80 separate HMIS-participating programs throughout our CoC. The following 18 programs made the dean’s list for the month of January:

CENTAUR-Facility-Based Housing
Center for Drug-Free Living Inc-Anchor Aftercare
Center for Drug-Free Living Inc-Anchor Program
Center for Drug-Free Living Inc-Project ANEW-Heart 2 Heart
Center for Drug-Free Living Inc-Project ANEW-Women’s Residential
Center for Drug-Free Living Inc-SSVF
Center for Multicultural Wellness & Prevention-HOPWA
Coalition for the Homeless-Community Housing Program
Coalition for the Homeless-First Steps Transitional Housing
Coalition for the Homeless-WRCC-Transitional Housing
Grand Avenue ECDC-SSVF
Homeless Services Network-Goodwill Employment Program
Intervention Services-Transitional Housing
Lakeside Behavioral Healthcare-Transitional Housing
Miracle of Love-PHP
Orange County-Shelter + Care 3
Seminole Behavioral Healthcare-SSVF
Seminole County-Shelter + Care 1

These programs have achieved a data completion rate of 95% or more for all clients served from October 2010 through January 2012.

If you are not on this list, you should not be worried just yet, but if you are interested in your program’s grade, please contact the HSN HMIS Help Desk via email at hmis {at} hsncfl(.)org or via phone at 407-893-0133 x120.

What is SOAR training?

• An overview of the Social Security Administration’s disability programs
• A step-by-step guide to engaging and interviewing potential clients
• Overview of the application process and the key components for success for your client’s application

Why is this training important to our Continuum of Care?

How many times have case managers completed a Social Security Disability application for a homeless client, only to have it denied? Nationally, the approval rate for homeless persons is 15% at initial application.

After the techniques in the SOAR program are implemented by case managers, the approval rate is 62% at initial application.  Miami-Dade County’s approval rate is 80%.

Think of the impact this result may have in transforming clients’ lives and improving program outcomes!

Who is our Workshop Trainer?

Cindy A. Schwartz is a nationally known expert on SOAR implementation who has gained substantial success in Miami-Dade County, where the program has been implemented since 2005.  She is a great motivational speaker with extensive expertise in large-scale SOAR implementation.

Cindy has arranged for the regional Social Security Administration (SSA) manager and the Disability Determination Department (DDD) manager to attend both days of training to answer your questions and clarify processes and procedures.

Who should attend this training?

Program managers and case managers who have ongoing engagement with homeless and disabled adults as part of their work responsibilities should attend this workshop.

Applicant selection process:

Applicants must commit to participate in a follow-up workshop (TBD) conducted by Ms. Schwartz where SSI/SSDI applications in process by each case manager will be peer-reviewed and additional training will be provided to ensure future success in SOAR implementation.

Forty applicants will be selected from those who apply and will be notified by January 25, 2012.

Please download and complete the SOAR training application detailing your interest and fax it by Friday, January 20, to (407) 893-5299, Attention: Olivette Carter.

Volunteers for our labor pool surveys will go to a labor pool site, arriving at approximately 5:00 a.m. when persons seeking work are lining up. Informal surveys are completed until 7:00 a.m. (or until all clients have been interviewed).

HSN is hosting an optional breakfast for volunteers at the Denny’s in Orlando at I-4 on Lee Road beginning at 8:00 a.m. to turn in survey forms and share their experiences with coffee and a hot breakfast.

HSN volunteers will be going to more than 70 locations to gather data on the unsheltered homeless through a simple two-page survey form. The aggregated data is reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and is used by local governments, foundations, businesses and nonprofits to develop programs that serve the needs of the homeless in our community. The data is especially important when applying for funding for homeless programs from local, state, and Federal sources.

Volunteers are asked to attend a mandatory one-hour training session at HSN’s office at 2828 Edgewater Drive (downtown College Park) at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2012, where they will receive their assignments, get clipboards, surveys and directions to their assignments.

To sign up, please fill out the Volunteer Registration Form.

Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Jessie Figueroa at 407-893-0133 x107 or jessie {at} hsncfl(.)org with any questions.

HUD is renewing funding through its Continuum of Care programs to existing local programs as quickly as possible to prevent any interruption in federal assistance and will award funds to new projects in early 2012.

Homeless Services Network was awarded a total of $5.1 million to continue the operation of current projects at many agencies in Orlando and across Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties, including Catholic Charities, the Center for Drug Free Living, Safehouse of Seminole, the Salvation Army of Orlando, the Sharing Center, Rescue Outreach Mission, the Transition House, Wayne Densch Center, Seminole Behavioral Health Care, Goodwill Industries, the Coalition for the Homeless, Covenant House Florida, Grand Avenue Economic Community Development Corp., Harbor House, Intervention Services, Lakeside Behavioral Health Care, and Health Care Center for the Homeless.

Resources:

• A full list of renewed projects throughout our CoC and the entire state of Florida
• The full press release from HUD

For more information, visit HUD’s Homelessness Resource Exchange at http://www.hudhre.info/