REACH

• Nick Bayard, Executive Director - nbayard@reachtacoma.org
• Launched REACH 10 years ago – serving ages 16-24 at Goodwill Milgard building – have first 2 floors.  Semi-independent, but do a lot of collaboration. 
• 12-20 agencies co-locate (OK, I’m trying co-locate this time, I kind of think it is more readable with the hyphen in there –ed.).
• They can get General Education Development (GED), substance use treatment, some housing resources
• In 2013, the need for housing was screaming.  Launched Housing for Success – a Rapid Rehousing program.  We accept referral from Coordinated Entry into apartments, host homes, or group homes. 
• Were part of the 100 day challenge to get folks housed quickly and creatively.  From that, the ACT program was born, including prevention.  We are designed to help folks in crisis, but want to figure out how to  intervene before that.  The system is designed to hit rock bottom before they get support
• We offer mentorship, GED, legal aid, case management, walk in computer lab to look for a job, help getting into college, ResCare – federally funded job placements.  Lots of different agencies come in from time to time. 
• Questions - Housed for Success, any plans to expand it?  Nick – working on housing navigation.  We pull from the priority pool, get referrals based on vulnerability.  There is no waitlist – it is all based on vulnerability.  Clients are also offered diversion.  The ACT team is being deputized to get diversion.  MaryBeth – started sending folks to ACT instead of coordinated entry.  Nick – if everything works well, going to ACT or through Coordinated Entry both work. 
• We are trying to use diversion dollars instead of using the priority pool.  – in the Priority Pool, they may never get a referral. 
• Questions - why do an intake and then they won’t be helped?  Nick – for Rapid Rehousing, we accept referrals from the coordinated entry system.
• MaryBeth – will there be an ask for more funding since there is a bigger need – will you try to expand ACT?  Nick – there will be asks. 
• Theresa – have you considered the Center for Dialog and Resolution (CDR - https://centerforresolution.org/ ) as a place to host some work on Diversion – they do work around getting parents and youth to get to work together better. Nick – we purchased 10 mediation sessions from them early on, and only one worked out.  We need to figure out better coordination for that.  Scheduling 6 weeks out didn’t work. 
• Question – in the 90s I moved here, I worked with lots of homeless people, we went to find them and the drugs were really bad, and one thing that worked well was the case management.  We advocated for homelessness.  When  folks go to DSHS to apply for services, they don’t know how to do the paperwork.  We went to DSHS with them.  We worked with the landlords.  We checked in with them every day to ensure they were in housing.  We took them to western state.  One of the key things to homelessness is the case management.  When they lose their paperwork, we help to maintain that.  We worked with the police – we provided.  We really need intense case management.  Nick – I agree.  James – we all do a lot of case management like that.