Step Up On Second believes in Housing First, and we would like to take you through the first 30 days. Please visit www.stepuponsecond.org

1. Housing First: The First
30 Days
Presenters:
Aaron Criswell-Director of Supportive Services-
Step Up on Second
Arely Vasquez-Regional Manager-Barker
Management Inc.

2. Step Up on Second: Mission and Vision
 Vision
Step Up envisions that all individuals, families, and communities affected by mental illness
will have the opportunity to experience recovery and a sense of belonging, and that
permanent supportive housing will be available to everyone who needs it.
 Mission
 Step Up delivers compassionate support to people experiencing serious mental illness to
help them recover, stabilize, and integrate into the community. Through dynamic
partnerships, we provide positive social and learning environments, vocational training,
permanent supportive housing opportunities, and recovery services to empower individuals
to cultivate lives of hope and dignity. We exercise innovative leadership and advocacy to
increase public understanding, support and acceptance of all people living with mental
illness.
 Toward achievement of our mission, Step Up delivers:
 Comprehensive support services and programs leading to self-sufficiency, harm-reduction
and recovery for individuals with mental illness.
 Meaningful opportunities for members and their families to achieve self-determined goals,
experience community, and support advocacy to reduce discrimination.
 Exemplary permanent supportive housing, associated services, and infrastructure that are
member-focused, outcomes-based, economically and environmentally sustainable, aligned
with the Housing First model, and developed through longstanding, trusted partnerships.

3. Service Model
 All permanent supportive housing projects
have on-site services called Life Skills
Coordinators
 Life Skills staff provide supportive services
on-site and coordinate with mental health
provider to assist the tenant in increasing
their independent living skills
 Life Skills and provider staff work to
problem-solve when tenant is behaving in
ways that violate the lease

4. Services and Property
Management
 Our Permanent supportive Housing projects
have Resident Managers supervised through
a 3rd party organization.
 The relationship between services and
Resident Management is critical.
 Communication can be tricky: RM can tell
services everything they observe. Services
can receive this information but need to
maintain a boundary around mental health
information
 How do we effectively move forward with
these restrictions?

5. Pre Lease Up
 Connection to on-site services
 Planning for appointments/preparation
 Stuff – What to keep/discard? How to
minimize infestation/exposure?
 View unit
 Services and PM coordinate to identify
dates and time-frames

6. Day 1
 Move-in
 Services present at lease-signing
 New projects: make it an event. Have food,
strong staff support, keep it exciting. Be
prepared for many hiccups in the process.
 Orient to Building, unit, equipment. Does the
tenant know how to control the thermostat?
Laundry machines? Garbage disposal?
 Review food and basic living requirements.
Make sure the basics are covered.

7. Week 1
 Daily contact in unit
 Review lease/house rules
 Assist in establishing utilities/cable/phone
 Services interfaces with PM to learn about
behaviors
 Orient to community resources
◦ Welcome packet that includes:
 Local emergency service information
 Grocery store
 Bank
 Services and groups
 Utilities for phone, cable, power, water, etc.
 Volunteer opportunities

8. Week 2
 Complete Life Skills Assessment tool
 Should cover domains:
◦ Money Management
◦ Food Management
◦ Personal Appearance and Hygiene
◦ Health
◦ Housekeeping
◦ Housing
◦ Transportation
◦ Educational Planning
◦ Vocational Skills
◦ Emergency and Safety Skills
◦ Knowledge of Community Resources
◦ Interpersonal skills
◦ Legal Skills

9. Week 2 cont’d
 Begin establishing Life Skills
goals/complete goal sheet
 Daily contact in unit or office
 Orient to on-site group activities
 Review tenant benefits and eligibility.
Assist in application for maximum benefits

10. Week 3
 Minimum of weekly contact. Services should
see condition of the unit
 Orient to Tenant Advisory Committee (TAC)
 TAC –
◦ Gives a voice to tenants so they may participate in
the process…not just recipients
◦ Coordinate events & activities, provide feedback on
tenant satisfaction and provide input on policy/rules
◦ Elected representatives with offices:
 President
 Vice-President
 Treasurer
 Secretary

11. Week 3 cont’d
 Problem identification and solutions
◦ (Soft Points for support)
◦ Lease/house rules violations
 Housekeeping
 Volume
 Increased substance use/abuse
 Decreased engagement with treatment
 Guests/overnight guests/homeless shelter syndrome
 Pets/No pets policies – ADA law and compliance
 Desire for privacy – Door & Lock
 Money management

12. Week 4
 Continue weekly contact and review of
housekeeping
 Preparation for rent and bill payment
◦ Money management
◦ Transition to new responsibilities
◦ Avoid late/non-payment of rent – the most time-
sensitive housing issue!
 Review initial behaviors and issues
 Receive information from PM
 Solidify/complete goal sheet and treatment
plan moving forward
 Harm Reduction

13. Week 5 – Moving forward
Everything is perfect now…right?!
Milestones such as 30 days housing retention
will be passed. Successful Permanent
Supportive Housing involves ongoing services
to support the individual tenants as they
encounter challenges. Our goal should be to
empower each tenant to navigate the housing
process so they can retain their housing as
long as they CHOOSE.

14. Property Management
 List of typical tasks for a resident manager
◦ Collect rent from the residents in accordance with company guidelines
◦ Deposit the rents collected
◦ Provide each resident with a receipt
◦ Post rents
◦ Inform supervisor of any residents delinquent in their payment of rent or damages
◦ Serve non-payment of rent notices
◦ Inspect interior common areas of development
◦ Walk grounds in and around development
◦ Ensure all service requests submitted by the residents are accomplished in a timely
manner
◦ Address resident complaints
◦ Support the social services program operating within the development
◦ conduct unit inspections
◦ Ensure vacant units are being cleaned and prepared for new residents in timely manner
◦ Conduct annual recertification’s
◦ Attend meetings, schedule vendors

15. Property Management and
Services working together
 Patience, understanding and communication
 Mission and goal – Not to generate revenue
but to keep special populations housed
 Work together to communicate rules,
guidelines, lease
 Each tenant has unique needs. Find the best
approach for each tenant
 Positive and realistic attitude and
expectations for tenants
 Interventions with tenants are generated
through meetings where the goal of housing
retention is the top priority.

16. Thank you
 The work to keep our populations housed
is challenging, never boring and critical to
help people transcend the weight of
homelessness and suffering. We are in the
business of participating in changing lives
and providing hope.