Ex-Offenders and Housing

1. Ex-Offenders and Housing Donna Harrison Community Placement Coordinator Virginia Department of Corrections 2010 South Hampton Roads Regional Conference on Ending Homelessness March 16, 2010

2. Community Release Unit *Types of Releases *More than 14,000 offenders were released last year (2009). *Growing number of GTRD/no parole law cases being released *Increase in number of homeless offenders being released *Increased need for specialized caseloads

3. Who are the homeless ex-offenders? • Females/males • Young adults/elderly • Healthy/physically disabled • Substance Abusers • Mentally ill • Developmentally Disabled • Non-violent/violent • Sex offenders

4. Why are ex-offenders homeless? • No family support • Financial burden for family • Lack of housing for ex-offenders directly from incarceration • Lack of alternative housing for violent/sex offenders

5. Why are ex-offenders homeless? • Limited financial resources to help pay for cost of housing • Offenders do not qualify for many housing assistance programs or low income housing • Limited housing resources for medically and/or mentally disabled offenders

6. Additional Barriers for medically and/or mentally disabled offenders • Decrease in assisted living facilities • Shrinking number of Medicaid/AG beds in assisted living facilities • Nursing homes moving towards rehab care from hospital to home; lack of long term beds or long waiting lists • Criminal history

7. Community Placement Coordinators Our goal: To assist institutional and community corrections staff with transition planning for homeless medically and/or mentally disabled offenders. Our primary focus is addressing the unmet needs of disabled offenders who qualify for ALF or nursing home placement.

8. Community Placement Coordinators • Ensure identification documents have been requested • Ensure durable medical equipment is available at release and special transportation is arranged • Monitor and provide technical assistance for pre-release benefit application process (SSI & Medicaid) • Make arrangements for screenings (UAI) to be conducted to determine the level of care needed for ALF or NH placement • Work with medical and mental health staff, and counselors at the DOC facility to ensure medical/mental health information is relayed, follow-up appointments are made, and release medications provided • Secure placement of disabled offenders into ALF or nursing homes

9. What is DOC doing? • DOC Reentry Planning policy • Institutional Counselor-primary coordinator for reentry planning; other transitional staff assist with planning • Release planning begins at reception • Pre-release benefit application process • Identity and employment documents process • Medical and mental health release preparation

10. What is DOC doing? • Education/vocational training • Treatment programs • Special transition housing units • Transition planning programs • Developing programs that focus on reintegrating families

11. What is DOC doing? • Separated units in DOC facilities based on special needs populations • Agreements with other state agencies to apply for identity documents and state and federal benefits pre-release • Jail re-entry programs • Specialized caseloads in CRU • Developing relationships with ALF’s & NH’s for future referrals and collaboration

12. Community Collaboration *Shelter Plus program *Partnering with DSS, CSB, shelters, and private mental health providers *Private housing providers partnerships with Probation & Parole Districts

13. With supportive housing in place….. • Communities are safer • Decrease in recidivism • Better coordination of medical and/or mental health care • Decrease in use of emergency services-hospital/ER visits

14. Successes/Positives • Serve as mentors or leaders in re-entry and transitional housing programs, and substance abuse treatment programs • Network with employers • Utilize job skills • Apply education Give back to the community by being successful, active citizens and maintaining a healthy lifestyle