Policy Development/Adoption

Palm Beach County Community Services Department, Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program is working to reduce the number of overdose fatalities through a comprehensive county-wide initiative, with a special emphasis on transitional/recovery housing options. A unique focus is the development of a recovery-oriented system of care, including recovery residences, recovery community organizations, and recovery community centers, throughout the county.

RTI will support Delaware state grantee in designing a program for several local law enforcement agencies that meets the needs of each agency and facilitates state and local collaboration.

RTI and TASC will provide support as Delaware state grant administration meets with several local law enforcement agencies to ascertain the best use of statewide funding to meet local needs.
2/3 update: Planning has begun re: finding a date and time to meet for said workshop.
3/10 update: RTI, MCS, and DE met to discuss the workshop plan and materials for said workshop. Ruthie and DE collaborated on an agenda for the meeting. Ruthie looked over DE's materials.

Information provided to the CA SAA office regarding Mental and Behavioral Health best practices across the nation. on 8/27/20 the CA SAA office reached out to seek assistance on Behavioral Health best practices and to learn what other SAA's across the county were doing in this space. NCJA outreached to our partners with NGA and NACo to for any best practices that they could pass along. Additionally NCJA did research on other SAA practices and nationwide trends. A memo was put together for the CA SAA and sent over on 9/11/20.

Ongoing discussion of MA's victim notification/engagement protocol.

Jacqueline Altamirano Marin and Erica Crew conducted regular meetings with an essential partner of ACHA's-- the Department of Human Services (DHS). This involved gathering information on the reentry landscape of the county and potential partnerships. For example, on October 23, 2020 Vera participated in a stakeholder interview with another local housing provider: Action Housing. Ahead of the ACHA stakeholder meeting, the team conducted an interview with a representative from Neighborhood Legal Services on November 18, 2020.

On October 13, 2020 Jacqueline Altamirano Marin and Erica Crew facilitated and organized a meeting alongside the Burlington Housing Authority to solicit feedback from community stakeholders on BHA's proposed policy changes. Reentry stakeholders from the area attended and provided feedback on the details of the policy and process that BHA is working towards.

On November 19, 2020 Jacqueline Altamirano Marin presented Vera's policy recommendations to the Winnebago County Housing Authority board. The changes to their eligibility rules are to expand access for people in reentry and the board was receptive to the recommendations and the support of WCHA executive staff. Vera provided real-time answers to logistic concerns and followed up further with research to assist in their decision making and understanding of the issue.

On December 10, Vera and the Detroit Housing Commission (DHC) presented on the Opening Doors Initiative at the Returning Citizens Task Force December meeting. The taskforce is hosted by Detroit councilmember at large Janee Ayers. The meeting had over 50 participants in attendance through Zoom and Facebook live. Participants discussed the importance of reentry housing solutions, learned about the Opening Doors initiative, and asked questions about DHC's admissions policies for people with conviction histories.

On December, 2020 Jacqueline Altamirano Marin and Erica Crew co-facilitate a 90-minute Zoom meeting with reentry service providers, resident leaders, homeless services agencies, and other community stakeholders with ACHA. Vera designed the meeting as an opportunity for the sites to articulate the goals of the Opening Doors Initiative and site-specific goals to the larger community. Both ACHA and Vera presented and the group participated in small group discussions on the importance of reentry housing and next steps for the initiative.