Those who are most in need are the highest users of the emergency room, emergency medical transport, and police services.  When people are housed, use of emergency services is reduced.  Taking care of the neediest is kind and saves money.

Coordinated Entry makes sure that public money goes to the neediest.  It is a very detailed process, but here is a summary of how it works in Juneau:

When someone enters our shelter system, they may do a vulnerability assessment.  They will be asked about topics such as mental and physical health, substance use, abuse or trauma, and how long they have been homeless. There are a lot of questions, and it may take multiple visits to complete. You can find the assessment on our “Resources for Navigators” page.  Look for “VI-SPDAT” under “Operations.”

Resources for Navigators

Agencies that do the vulnerability assessment include:

A computer program uses the data to create a score for each person.  The higher the score, the needier a person is.  The score also shows what sort of housing might work for a person.  A person with a score of:

• 0-3 may get one-time rental assistance, food assistance, or other basic supports.
• 4-7 may get time-limited rental assistance, vouchers, and some case management.
• 8+ could get long term housing with heavy support, such as 24-hour mental and physical health aid.

The list can change as people come and go and as their conditions change.  For instance, a person may have the highest score one week, but the third highest score the next week if new people are more vulnerable.  Or, someone may have a relatively low score, but if they hit a rough patch their score will go up.

When there is a housing opening, the highest scoring individual will get that housing.  People are not required to take housing if it is offered.

There are some good reasons not to house a person, even if they have the highest score.  If someone beats up neighbors, or sets things on fire, they would not be a good match for an apartment.

If a person is skipped, we will make a plan to get them housed.  Plans may include mental health supports, basic living skills support (such as cleanliness or cooking), or better access.