Wednesday, November 13 at Portland State University

Fall 2024 Provider Conference

The purpose of the provider conference is to be a broad-based, semi-regular gathering for service providers (including but not limited to contracted providers) to engage with each other and JOHS about areas of mutual interest, including but not limited to news, budget, data standards and programming.

The vision is to make a more collaborative, equitable and effective homeless services system.

Conference sessions

Budget Overview/Listening Session with JOHS Leadership

Presenting Organization(s): Joint Office of Homeless Services

Notes: pending

Join JOHS Director Dan Field, Deputy Director Anna Plumb and Finance Manager Sr Antoinette Payne for an overview of budget projections for our Homelessness Response System, as well as an update of the work underway at the Joint Office. This will be followed by a live question and answer period.

This session is open to everyone.

Recording link: https://youtu.be/6Djedj5O_34

Homeless Mobile Outreach for Long Term Care

[this session was offered twice]

Presenting Organization(s): Multnomah County Department of County Human Services

Click here for Presentation Slides

Notes: Pending

This session will provide an overview of the Homeless Mobile Intake team, which is a joint partnership with the Dept. of County Human Services and the Joint Office of Homeless Services. This culturally responsive team outreaches to people experiencing street level homelessness and engages and assesses people where they are living. Attendees will learn more about homelessness in the aging population, the team, and engage around appropriate referrals/collaborative support.

This session is open to everyone, but the presenters think it will be most interesting to roles related to: Direct Service or Client Facing, and Volunteer/Community Relations.

This session was not recorded

Severe Weather Emergency Sheltering Operations

Presenting Organization(s): Multnomah County Department of County Human Services

Click here for Presentation Slides

Notes: Pending

During dangerous weather emergencies, Multnomah County opens life-saving Disaster Resource Centers (DRCs) to offer shelter, safety, resources and connection. Join a discussion with The Department of County Human Services Emergency Management team about severe weather DRCs and how we can help our communities be prepared. During this interactive workshop, your input will be invited about specific topics related to our severe weather sheltering operations.

This session is open to everyone.

Recording Link: https://youtu.be/_21X9cs54FU

Reasonable Accommodation Workshop

[this session was offered twice]

Presenting Organization(s): Northwest Pilot Project

Click here for Presentation Slides

Notes: Pending

It is more relevant than ever to write a good reasonable accommodation letter on the basis of a disability to seek exceptions in screening criteria and/or other policies that ensure a client can quietly enjoy their place of dwelling. This session is a workshop on reasonable accommodations for direct service staff that advocate for clients to be placed into housing. We will review relevant authorities in Fair Housing and then spend most of the time walking through examples of how to navigate the reasonable accommodations process on behalf of clients/applicants. This will be an interactive workshop.

This session is open to everyone, but the presenters thing it will be most interesting to roles related to: Direct Service or Client Facing, Policy or Advocacy, Executive Team or Leadership, and Board of Directors

Recording Link: https://youtu.be/AH7c1poV8Ks

Workforce Stabilization: Learnings and Next Steps

Presenting Organization(s): Joint Office of Homeless Services

Click here for Presentation Slides

Notes: Pending

This session will feature conversation and collaboration between JOHS staff and provider leadership, HR, and management on our current priorities and next steps in Workforce Support and Stabilization. The Workforce Stabilization grants awarded in March were our first opportunity to directly address the workforce needs providers have been communicating to us for quite some time – and we know this was only the first step. As we head into year 2 of the grants, we want to hear from you about where we are at now and what would be most helpful to focus on this year, as well as other next steps. In this session, JOHS staff will review the results of the Workforce Equity Analysis (a required component of the 2024 SHS Annual Report) and other recent workforce studies in the social services sector, and then discuss strategies that the JOHS can and should implement to support workforce stabilization in the homelessness system of care. Providers who register for this session are asked to fill out this short questionnaire in advance of the session. Any responses shared will be anonymized.

This session is open to everyone, but the presenters think it will be most interesting to roles related to: Human Resources (HR), Finance, Administrative, Management, and Executive Team or Leadership

Recording Link: https://youtu.be/oH2FvgVTO38

1115 Medicaid Waiver: Health Related Social Needs Benefits

Presenting Organization(s): Joint Office of Homeless Services, HealthShare, Trillium

Click here for Presentation Slides

Notes: Pending

Learn more about new Health Related Social Needs benefits funded by Medicaid through the 1115 Waiver. Healthshare, Trillium and the JOHS will present an overview of these benefits, referral pathways, and how the counties are partnering with healthcare providers and CCOs to support this benefit. A brief presentation will be followed by ample Q&A time to ensure clear understanding. Guided questions will also be used to understand barriers to housing providers involvement in this benefit with an eye to designing better Technical Assistance.

This session is open to everyone, but the presenters think it will be most interesting to roles related to: Direct Service or Client Facing, Policy or Advocacy, Executive Team or Leadership, and Board of Directors

Recording Link: https://youtu.be/WLSvGu7OSwM

Making it “Count” – Getting Ready for the 2025 Tri-County Point in Time Count

Presenting Organization(s): Joint Office of Homeless Services, Portland State University’s Homeless Research and Action Collaborative

Click here for Presentation Slides

Notes: Pending

The 2025 Point in Time Count will be on the night of January 22nd, 2025 – and counting will begin on January 23rd. Although the PIT Count is primarily a HUD requirement, we hope to make it “count” for something beyond that. In this session, the JOHS and Portland State University’s Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative will:

Present on the 2025 Tri-County PIT Count + announced details
Review overall processes for the upcoming count
Share insights from the 2023 Tri-County PIT Count
Host a conversation with providers about their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions
Answer questions from the providers in attendance

Using a facilitated conversational format, providers will be invited to share their reactions, perspectives, and input – and have this information included for consideration by the Tri-County PIT Count Planning Team – as we look ahead to the 2025 PIT Count.

This session is open to everyone, but the presenters think it will be most interesting to people in roles related to: Policy or Advocacy, Volunteer or Community Relations, Data Management/Technical Support, Administrative, Management, Executive Team or Leadership

Recording Link: https://youtu.be/VXWppVtL7aI

Session Purpose

Sessions intend to meet one or more of the following:

For the Fall 2024 Provider Conference Sessions

Goals and Expectations

Co-Learning

The proposed session brings forward ideas, concepts, practices, lessons learned, and/or challenges faced by the homeless response system.

Co-Building

The proposed session encourages active participation and contribution from all partners in the development and implementation of initiatives to reduce homelessness.

Co-Nnecting

The session primarily is designed to bring people together and build connections, relationships, understanding across organizations and across areas of difference.

Session Content Expectations

Proposals should consider the following:

Intersectional Equity

Conference content promotes equity by addressing outcomes and processes that recognize and undo structural oppression(s).
Content should explicitly acknowledge and address the disproportionate experience of homelessness/housing insecurity among marginalized communities, particularly Black, African American or African communities; Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander communities; American Indian, Alaska Native or Indigenous communities; Latina/Latino/Latinx/Latine communities; Asian or Asian American communities; Adults over the age of 55; LGBTQIA2S+ communities; and people with disabilities. An intersectional approach to equity should be emphasized.
Proposals should demonstrate a commitment to centering the voices and experiences of marginalized communities in all aspects of programming, including representation among speakers, panelists, and workshop facilitators.

Collaboration

Conference content promotes collaboration by fostering connections between homeless services providers, community organizations, government agencies, and the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS).
Proposals should outline concrete strategies for facilitating meaningful dialogue, information sharing, and resource collaboration among the diverse expertise, perspectives, and resources within the homeless services community.
Emphasis should be placed on identifying and disseminating best practices, sharing lessons learned, and collectively addressing challenges faced by the homelessness response system.
Collaboration should extend beyond the conference itself to ongoing partnerships and networks aimed at building collective accountability and promoting sustainable solutions.

Presentation Formats

In order to minimize power differential between presenter and audience, all conference sessions should be designed to apply the above expectations. The recommended formats listed here have great latitude in how they can be applied.

Listening and/or Problem Solving

Session facilitators listen to the concerns/ideas of attendees that are related to the subject matter. Facilitators work alongside attendees to engage with solution focused responses to identified problems or challenges.

Panel Discussion

Facilitators lead a group or panel that includes at minimum JOHS staff and provider staff (ideally from both established providers, new/emerging providers and culturally specific providers) to provide content, perspectives and/or insights related to the subject matter. The panel may dialogue with each other and/or with attendees. Must at minimum include a Q&A.

Collaborative Presentation

JOHS and a provider organize a joint presentation on a topic to share the different perspectives on the subject matter. Collaborative presentations can include dialogue between JOHS and the provider, as well as between the collaborative presenters and attendees. Must at minimum include a Q&A.

Passive Presentation

JOHS and/or providers can table, create fliers, posters or other visual communication to share information or perspectives on a topic. The passive presentations should be available throughout the conference and not tied to a particular time period. While these are described as ‘passive’, these visual sessions should include interactive components, such as periods of staffed question and answer, or collecting written responses.

Fall 2024 Provider Conference

The vision is to make a more collaborative, equitable and effective homeless services system.

Conference sessions

Budget Overview/Listening Session with JOHS Leadership

Homeless Mobile Outreach for Long Term Care

Severe Weather Emergency Sheltering Operations

Reasonable Accommodation Workshop

Workforce Stabilization: Learnings and Next Steps

1115 Medicaid Waiver: Health Related Social Needs Benefits

Making it “Count” – Getting Ready for the 2025 Tri-County Point in Time Count

Session Purpose

Sessions intend to meet one or more of the following:

Goals and Expectations

The proposed session brings forward ideas, concepts, practices, lessons learned, and/or challenges faced by the homeless response system.

The proposed session encourages active participation and contribution from all partners in the development and implementation of initiatives to reduce homelessness.

The session primarily is designed to bring people together and build connections, relationships, understanding across organizations and across areas of difference.

Session Content Expectations

Proposals should consider the following:

Conference content promotes equity by addressing outcomes and processes that recognize and undo structural oppression(s).

Proposals should demonstrate a commitment to centering the voices and experiences of marginalized communities in all aspects of programming, including representation among speakers, panelists, and workshop facilitators.

Conference content promotes collaboration by fostering connections between homeless services providers, community organizations, government agencies, and the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS).

Proposals should outline concrete strategies for facilitating meaningful dialogue, information sharing, and resource collaboration among the diverse expertise, perspectives, and resources within the homeless services community.

Emphasis should be placed on identifying and disseminating best practices, sharing lessons learned, and collectively addressing challenges faced by the homelessness response system.

Collaboration should extend beyond the conference itself to ongoing partnerships and networks aimed at building collective accountability and promoting sustainable solutions.

Presentation Formats

In order to minimize power differential between presenter and audience, all conference sessions should be designed to apply the above expectations. The recommended formats listed here have great latitude in how they can be applied.

Session facilitators listen to the concerns/ideas of attendees that are related to the subject matter. Facilitators work alongside attendees to engage with solution focused responses to identified problems or challenges.

JOHS and a provider organize a joint presentation on a topic to share the different perspectives on the subject matter. Collaborative presentations can include dialogue between JOHS and the provider, as well as between the collaborative presenters and attendees. Must at minimum include a Q&A.