Pioneer Human Services  - http://pioneerhumanservices.org/

• Joseph Nagel, Director of Service Enriched Housing, Nagel@p-h-s.com  -  11 years with Pioneer. 
• Pioneer created first halfway house for folks coming out of incarceration.
• Social enterprise – serve folks in the workforce.  Pioneer owns and operates manufacturing plants (read about social enterpises at https://socialenterprise.us/about/social-enterprise/ -ed.). 
• Work in our housing and treatment departments – give folks skills to get housing and move on with their lives. 
• 50 sets of program. 
• 750 units of housing – serving folks out of the prison system
• Full service treatment provider. 
  • Detox
  • Crisis stabilization
  • Co-occurring disorder treatment. 
• In 2018 served around 10,000 folks in Washington State. 
  • 68% had criminal history. 
  • 75% received substance abuse treatment.
  • 60% mental health. 
  • 41% have minors in the household. 
  • 38% have less than a high school diploma.
• 85% of folks in job training retain employment after 90 days.
• Average wage is around $13.50
• 60% of grads secured employment
• 63% of enterprise workforce were mission employees. 
• Amanda Johnston – Regional Program manager for Housing South – 3 apartments in Tacoma – also manages permanent housing in Auburn (Auburn motto: “More than you Imagined”.-ed.) and Burien (Burien slogan: “Room for Life” –ed.). 
• Located on 9^th and Market and St. Helens.  There are 52 units integrated into permanent housing.  Have a 2 year cap on permanent housing (Permanent - lasting or meant to last indefinitely.-The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1969 –ed.).  Moving one building to permanent – no cap on duration of stay. 
• Mostly studios and 1 bedrooms.  Follow the THA income rates - $620-$766 for studios, $720-$885 for single family. 
• House singles and families. 
• Have 3 building that combine into 1 campus with a courtyard for families to integrate – playground present too.
• Serve individuals with significant barriers to housing – often have criminal histories or monitored by the Department of Corrections (DOC). 
• Have low folks income who are on social security.  Many had been experiencing homelessness.  Just housed someone yesterday who had never had their own apartment. 
• Serve folks with substance use disorders.
• Is clean and sober, but they don’t need to be in recovery.  
• Serve folks with Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement.  Often their clients only barrier to unification with their children is securing housing. 
• Serve just about everybody.  In King County, serve sex offenders, but manufacturing and arson are enrolled on a case by case basis.  In Tacoma all properties are family, so sex offenders are on a case by case basis.
• Low income, affordable housing – structured as a supportive environment.  We have some rules for Residential Recovery Services (RRS) agreements – for apartments with the 2-year cap on residency.  Housing is structured with case manager on site.  There is a locked entry.  No overnight guests allowed. 
• Use Washington State Housing Finance Commission (http://www.wshfc.org/ -ed.) income guidelines.  Set at 50% and based on how many people are in the units.  If folks are over income they can be tough to house, but we try.  t
• Do use bonds. 
• Permanent housing has 2 year limit. 
• Landlord tenant laws – each tenant has own lease and we follow the landlord tenant laws (http://www.atg.wa.gov/landlord-tenant -ed.).
• Working with Tiki housing situation – have housed 2-3 folks from there.  Working with City council.  Do have some openings – we’d love to house Tiki residents in them. 
• We also have supportive services – huge part of the program.  These wrap around the client and their needs.  Many have high barriers and low income.  Many have evictions, low credit, no rental history, no long term employment.  We house them and wrap around with holistic case management to integrate into permanent housing. 
• Work with lots of mental health in the community – South Sound, Greater Lakes Mental Health, etc. 
• Reunification is a priority – work really closely with Pioneer Counseling Service.  Can get folks into treatment program.
• Girls beyond bars is our girl scout program (info at http://www.girlscoutsosw.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-program/ways-to-participate/gsbb.html -ed.).  This is a Girl Scout program for folks that have a tie with the criminal justice system – selves or parents.  Serves girls aged 5-18. 
• Go into all the prisons in the area to do resource fairs and workshops. 
• How to get in to Pioneer Housing?
  • Have orientation every Tuesday at 11am and every Thursday at 3pm at 313 S 9^th Street, Tacoma Washington.  Orientation is on a walk in basis.  If we have openings, will do immediate appointments and will also work around clients’ schedules.
  • Get community referrals – trying to integrate more with coordinated entry.
  • Do background checks – since we work with folks with criminal histories.  But we don’t discriminate.  Look for sex offense, arson and meth manufacturing. 
  • Deposits – started about 1 year ago – started because a lot of tenants in the move from transitional to permanent have higher expectations of the housing.  Deposit process allows for better units.
  • Do Urine analysis on day of orientation.  Don’t expect clean, but have to have clean for 30 days prior to entry.
  • Have landlord Residential Recover Services (RSS) agreement – being clean and sober is put into the lease.
  • Use month-to-month leases. 
• Gina Monroe – SCD Clinician. 
• Clinic is at 758 Saint Helens Avenue, Tacoma, WA
• Do walk in assessments daily. 
• Worked at the Tacoma Clinic for about 6 months.
• Have a contract with Pierce County – offer walk in assessment at the Court Resource Center (CRC).  2-3 slots in the calendar.  At the CRC Monday-Thursday, not Friday.  There is always a clinician at the CRC to do referrals for detox, outpatient programs, and inpatient programs. 
• Also do DUI assessments.  Try to refer that day and get them in services the very next day.
• Outpatient treatment services happen at clinic – the Court Resource Center location only does assessments.
• Have night and day treatment groups – very flexible group since schedules for clients often shift.
• State certified.
• Culture of the Tacoma clinic is a relaxed environment – focus on accountability of clients.  Celebrate successes.  Use trauma informed care. 
• Kalena – walk in clinic at the CRC, are there barriers?  Gina  - Our agency only accepts Medicaid (or out of pocket).  If folks are just released, can reinstate medical coverage immediately over the phone, and can do the assessment immediately.  If probation officer can vouch for someone, can serve right away as well.  Do need an ID, though.  If no Medicaid, have to go to DSHS (although at some point the CRC will have DSHS staff on site to do enrollment).
• Question – is supervision or probation required for assessment at CRC?   Gina – no, we take anyone, just using the CRC as office space.  Can help anyone.
• Pioneer is trying to be more community engaged. 
• J-street Youth Program – do folks know about program. 
  • Modelled on Juvenile program in Snohomish County – supportive services to homeless youth from Snohomish county. 24x7 staff. 16 beds, work with social workers at DSHS to get referrals into that program. (info at http://pioneerhumanservices.org/youth-programs#0 )
• Al - Are you guys on the listserv? Gina -  Yes. 
• James- Crisis Resource Center – it is at 901 Tacoma Avenue, Tacoma, WA.  Use the door that says “day reporting” – has metal detector.  Friendly once you get past that front door.  Clothing bank on 3^rd floor is open to anyone – job interview attire is available.
  • Workforce is there, Coordinated Entry, lots of other providers.  Take a look at what all is there. 
  • Resource center is open to all.
  • Part of the Trueblood grant – if they qualify for that, they get extra resources.  But all are still welcome.