| Name | Arthur |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Murray |
| Home Address | 1989 N. Williamsburg Drive, Suite A Decatur, GA 30033 United States |
| Organization Name | Step Up on Second Street, Inc. |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | Arthur Murray, LCSW, Vice President, Southeast USA Region joined Step Up to in 2018. Mr. Murray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 20 years of experience managing social service programs. He received his Master of Social Work from Adelphi University, New York and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from State University of New York, College at Buffalo. Mr. Murray oversees Step Up operations in the Southeast states of Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. Each state has a variety of programs aimed at collaborating with Continuum of Care, State and City governments to house persons who experience homelessness and who are struggling with serious and persistent mental health and co-occurring disorders. Southeast projects include Outreach, Housing Navigation, Case Management, and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Services. |
| Organization Address | 1989 N. Williamsburg Drive, Suite A Decatur, GA 30033 United States |
| Website | https://www.stepup.org |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 404-235-9658 |
| Alternate Phone Number | 470-462-3330 |
| Email Address | amurray@stepup.org |
| Alternate Email Address | awmurray11@yahoo.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | For over 34 years, Step Up on Second Street, Inc. (Step Up) has used federal, state, and local funds supplemented by private gifts and foundation grants to serve individuals with serious mental health conditions, many of whom are experiencing chronic homelessness and are frequent users of emergency services, fire department and police department interventions, and have been in contact with the court systems. Step Up’s first housing co-development was built in 1994, creating the flagship location Step Up on Second in Santa Monica, California. Working with individuals experiencing a mental health condition since the early 1980’s in the Santa Monica area, the agency realized that many of these same individuals were experiencing homelessness. Step Up did not set out intentionally to become a housing developer, but when confronted with the lack of housing stock for its members (Step Up uses the term member to define the client), began actively embracing the role of creating housing and services partnerships focused on the goal of ending homelessness for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and a mental health condition. From 1994 to 2016, Step Up co-developed an additional eight (8) permanent supportive housing sites in the Western and Eastern Los Angeles region, gradually shifting its mission to finding streamlined ways of providing truly wrap around services and direct communication between mental health service providers and housing developers. In 2019, Step Up was invited by the John and Polly J. Sparks Foundation to start a Housing First team in Atlanta, Georgia. Step Up’s Southeast USA expansion is unique in that it represents three (3) states, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida with its programs all focused on providing PSH supports to house persons who experience chronic homelessness. In Nashville Tennessee Step Up operates small but growing Outreach, Rapid-Rehousing and Permanent Support Housing projects that have housed 29 persons; in Sanford Florida, Step Up partnered with Wendover Development to open Warley Park, a 81 unit affordable housing community in Seminole County that housed 157 individuals and families; and in the counties of metro Atlanta, Step Up operates eight (8) projects that have housed 347 persons in 197 scattered-site apartments and served over 450 persons who were once homeless since 2019. Step Up’s Service Model: Permanent Supportive Housing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) that utilizes the Housing First model offers individuals a stable place from which to address mental health conditions and a myriad of complex health conditions. In fact, for Step Up members the number one requested supportive service is housing. Each PSH unit is flexible, voluntary, and tenant-centered. Permanent supportive housing leads to stability, inclusion, and recovery. Housing is Healthcare. Scattered Sites Housing Step Up also houses individuals in individual apartments where landlords accept housing vouchers. These apartments qualify as permanent supportive housing as the staff provide field-based member-driven services and case management support at the members apartment to ensure long-term housing retention. Step Up’s housing team works with property management companies and landlords who are willing to engage with Step Up to rent to the population of persons who experience chronic homelessness. Once an individual is in housing, service teams provide supportive services to ensure success. These services include assisting in securing public benefits (Social Security income, food stamps, etc.), skill building, counseling, substance use recovery support, medication management, health and wellness and linking to community resources. Step Up’s skill in identifying and engaging willing landlords and building effective partnerships with these landlords ensures housing success for its members. The Housing First Teams function in the following ways: Initial Engagement and Assessment Step Up Street Outreach staff engage individuals who experience homelessness in the street and meet them where they are by employing a person-centered, harm reduction-informed perspective. Upon engagement outreach staff utilize core competencies such as trauma informed care and motivational interviewing to generate dialogue and accurately assess member’s situations and needs, as well as to complete the Coordinated Entry System’s (CES) Vulnerability Index (VI-SPDAT) and entering them into the County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Through consistent reengagement outreach personnel build trust and develop strategies with the members, a case file is opened that includes demographic and identification information, authorization for services, confidentiality, and other information needed to substantiate benefits. At the same time outreach personnel provide a full range of supportive services connecting members to their basic needs such as housing programs, medical and mental health care, substance abuse treatment, life skills, and other rehabilitative services. Personal outreach is the entryway to services that otherwise might not be available to individuals who experience homelessness. It serves as the crucial link between the streets and housing and other wrap around services including accessing medical and mental health services. By taking services to where individuals who experience homelessness live, Step Up reduces many of the barriers faced by individuals who experience homelessness such as lack of awareness of available services, lack of financial resources, lack of transportation, lack of documentation, language and cultural barriers, and fear or distrust of large institutions. Step Up’s goal is to successfully transition members from homelessness to permanent supportive housing, to independent living by providing in a milieu of supportive services and linking them to services. Upon initial engagement staff assist the member in developing a person-centered Individual Service Plan (ISP). The ISP is the written details of the supports, activities, and resources required for the individual to achieve personal goals. The ISP is developed to articulate decisions and agreements made during a person-centered process of planning and information gathering. The general welfare and personal preferences of the individual are the key consideration in the development of all plans and provide a road map for staff to initiate person-centered care coordination. While, Step Up Housing Specialists build relationships with property owners and landlords to help them understand the needs of the individuals being served; the Case Managers provide support services therefore also include an assigned Housing Navigator who helps individuals and families submit relevant paperwork to obtain housing vouchers, and helps them connect with the resources available to them to understand the housing system, find housing options, and achieve housing stability. Step Up’s workflow includes: • Outreach services to engage persons who experience homelessness and enter them into the CES • Housing navigation services to obtain needed identification documents; • Completion of housing voucher and application processes; • Personalized housing search, landlord engagement, recruitment, and enrollment; • Advocacy to resolve criminal background and credit challenges; • Assistant to pay application fees and deposits, past utility debt; • Staff support to sign their lease, order furniture, and move in. Once housed, Step Up’s Housing First teams including Case Managers and Certified Peer Specialists utilize a member driven person-centered philosophy to provide members with intensive ongoing PSH support. The Step Up team assumes responsibility for all follow up and care coordination providing many services directly and if structured differently by the contract, other services or treatment such as psychiatric treatment, medical, and dental can be brokered with community partner agencies. The Permanent Housing Support program includes a variety of Housing First interventions to improve housing retention and success in the new living space. According to their individualized needs, each person receives: • Learning the details of their lease and strategies to avoid lease violations; • Coaching on relationship-building, strategies and supportive interventions for developing positive relationships/avoiding conflicts with neighbors and property owner. • Assistance in dispute resolution and linkage to community resources to prevent eviction; • Recovery orientation and skills to work toward their personal recovery goals related to their ability to live independently; • Individual and household wellness, health and safety of the housing unit; • Relapse prevention strategies and plans; • Household financial stability and community integration; • Medication management and health and wellness care. Homeless Prevention Step Up’s use of Housing First and the service provision model has aided the agency to achieve a nationwide 97% housing retention rate for all members after 1 year. Strategic case management and team care coordination works to increasing daily quality of life during and after housing placement. These activities include increasing income, linkages to mainstream benefits (Medicaid, food stamps, general relief/cash aid), Social Security/SSDI advocacy and support, vocational services, transportation assistance, basic life skills development and training, food resources, mental health services, and healthcare services. Step Up offers supportive services to ensure the necessary programs are in place to preserve housing status, prevent relapses into homelessness, and continue advancements in well-being. This includes services to increase self-sufficiency, individualized life skills training may include money management, shopping best practices, budgeting, support in finding constructive use of time, choices for decreasing substance usage, engaging in mental health, wellness and peer support services. Of notable importance are the practices of preventing conflict with neighbors and property management staff and keeping an acceptable level of housekeeping. Step Up directs individuals to food pantries as well as providing emergency sustenance assistance when needed. If part of a tenant's plan for increasing well-being is seeking employment and/or increasing income, staff connect the member with employment agencies, which may provide job training and help with job searches, resume development, and training for interviews. Staffing agencies and other local businesses. Service Coordinator staff may also connect tenants to education services including: GED completion, specialized training programs through school district adult education skills and Occupation Centers, and local colleges. Project Staffing: Step Up believes in selecting the best talent available in the local area. The agency is committed to extensive training and supervision covering everything from Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI certified), Trauma Informed Care, Recovery Oriented Care, Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, Housing First, and Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) to effectively prepare staff for the work. With this concern in mind, the start-up time needed for the project must then include time to train the new staff in the Housing First model and other EBPs. Step Up’s success is based in part on its ongoing staff training to ensure staff have the most current evidenced-based practice knowledge in the field. This includes Housing First presented by Sam Tsemberis at new staff orientation and throughout their tenure. Other trainings are provided by Step Up’s Staff Development and Training Department. Launch: Step Up’s program and service model can be adapted to any new project. The agency has the ability to quickly recruit, hire and train new program staff who receive direction and support from seasoned Clinicians and Program Managers. As Step Up launches the program, it will have a comprehensive approach to the startup in Chattanooga. Step Up CEO and senior management will interface with political and civic leadership as well as the heads of other mental health and homeless agencies in Chattanooga, as it did in the year preceding the pandemic. As the organization has done in other communities, it will rely on local leadership for their support for its presence in the City. Step Up’s message and tone maintain a respect for the work of all local providers while positioning Step Up’s significant experience and success as a supplement to that work. Step Up also follows Good Neighbor practices which guides how it conducts itself in every community. Step Up will focus very seriously on the business of ending homelessness. To do that the organization will enlist its considerable list of staff with expertise overseeing interdisciplinary teams, its Staff Training and Development Department and local staff in Atlanta and Nashville to support the new team in Chattanooga. Step Up will also bring Sam Tsemberis, the creator of and world expert on Housing First, to Chattanooga, to guide the Chattanooga Step Up staff and conduct trainings on Housing First model. Step Up Proposal: In collaboration with the City of Chattanooga and local providers, Step Up proposes a multi-year plan to: • Year 1: hire staff and identify, provide housing navigation and permanent supportive housing support to house 100 individuals who experience homelessness • Year 2: to provide on-going housing supports to a 100 newly housed individuals and hire staff to house an additional 50 individuals who experience homelessness • Year 3: to provide on-going housing supports to 150 housed individuals and hire staff to house an additional 50 individuals who experience homelessness • Year 4: provide on-going supports to help 200 housed persons maintain housing retention. Budget Narrative In the first year of funding, Step Up proposes to provide Permeant Supportive Housing for 100 individuals by the 12th month of the funded award. The total budget for this 12-month period is $823,219.00. The year 1 cost per person is $8,232.00. This funding covers program staff including a Program Manager, two Housing Specialists, four Housing Case Managers and administrative support by the Regional Director; client support costs including transportation, move-in costs, furniture/appliances and hotel vouchers; and various operational costs to support the program including office rent/utilities, furniture, staff computers, supplies; and administrative costs. In the second year, Step Up proposes to provide Permeant Supportive Housing for an additional 50 individuals while supporting the original 100 individuals by the 24th month of the funded award. The total budget for this second 12-month period is $ 918,405.00. The year 2 cost per person is $6,123.00. This funding covers program staff including a Program Manager, two Housing Specialists, six Housing Case Managers and administrative support by the Regional Director; client support costs including transportation, move-in costs, furniture/appliances and hotel vouchers; and various operational costs to support the program including office rent/utilities, furniture, staff computers, supplies; and administrative costs. In the third year, Step Up proposes to provide Permeant Supportive Housing for an additional 50 individuals while supporting the original 150 individuals by the 36th month of the funded award. The total budget for this third 12-month period is $ 1,172,781.00. The year 3 cost per person is $5,864.00. This funding covers program staff including a Program Manager, two Housing Specialists, eight Housing Case Managers and administrative support by the Regional Director; client support costs including transportation, move-in costs, furniture/appliances and hotel vouchers; and various operational costs to support the program including office rent/utilities, furniture, staff computers, supplies; and administrative costs. Step Up has also provided a fourth-year budget to establish the base-cost for supporting all 200 individuals in Permeant Supportive Housing. The total budget for this fourth 12-month period is $1,095,655.00. The year 4 cost per person is $5,478.00. This funding covers program staff including a Program Manager, ten Housing Case Managers and administrative support by the Regional Director; client support costs including transportation and hotel vouchers; and various operational costs to support the program including office rent/utilities, furniture, staff computers, supplies; and administrative costs. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | Homelessness is a public health crisis. The Step Up project will meet the local needs of the Chattanooga community by reducing the economic impact of homelessness on the city, provide housing supports and house individuals who experience homelessness affected by the pandemic, and by supporting those households of individuals who are formerly homeless households to stabilize in housing and integrate into the community. |
| Where would your project take place? | The project will take place in the City of Chattanooga and areas within Hamilton County as designated by the funder. |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 823219 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | No |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | |
| If funded, when would your project start? | July 1, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | 36 months |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Step Up maintain systems to monitor and track participants progress in all projects. Step Up is able to produce high quality reports showing members progress in the permanent supported housing process. Expected Outcomes 1. Reduction of the homelessness of highly vulnerable, high system users 2. Increase in the individuals who are chronically homeless who have moved into permanent housing 3. Increase in the income and mainstream benefits of households served 4. Reduction of the length of time households spend in homelessness 5. Limited returns to homelessness within a year of being housed 6. Improve the social and emotional functioning of participants served Monitored Performance Measures 1. 80% of participants referred moved into permanent housing. 3. 97% of participants remain housed after 12 months. 4. 70% of participants maintain or increase income. 5. 70% obtain or maintain mainstream benefits. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | Step Up on Second Street, Inc. Staff Development and Training and HR Departments, and the Supervision policy ensures internal accountability of the staff. Additionally, Step Up management works closely with its funders to establish the frequency of reports and audit requirements of each project. Monthly/Quarterly reports and meetings with its funders ensure accountability and transparency. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Mayor Kelly has announced his intention to make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest these dollars into lasting solutions that will spark generational change in the Chattanooga community. In Step Up’s extensive experience providing permanent supported housing services, Step Up believes that the Housing First model presents the best solutions to communities with the goal of ending homelessness. In several randomized control studies participants randomly assigned to Housing First consistently show housing retention and stabilization rates between 80%-90% compared to 35%-45% for treatment-then-housing programs. In studies of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and with complex needs including mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and medical conditions, without stable housing, they cycle in and out of emergency departments, inpatient hospital stays, psychiatric centers, detoxification programs, and jails, resulting in high public costs and poor health outcomes for individuals including premature death. (Latimer, et al., 2019). Housing First programs have therefore proven to be cost-effective benefiting communities in many ways. Step Up has made significant effect in the communities where it works. For example, in Atlanta, GA, the Housing First teams have housed 347 persons in 197 scattered-site apartments and served over 450 individuals who experience homelessness since 2019. In Chattanooga, Step Up anticipates a reduction of individuals who experience homelessness who are high users of emergency rooms, inpatient units and jails. Step Up will collaborate with the community agencies and the COC to reduce of the length of time referred persons spend homeless and increase in the number of persons moved into permanent housing. Once housed, Step Up will assist persons to pursue vocational goals and apply for mainstream benefits to increase in the income reducing their reliance on community resources. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | The work of ending homelessness is a collaborative effort, therefore building relationships with agencies in the homeless services network and treatment providers already working in the community is an important step. Step Up also hire staff from the local community. Staff with experience in the community, with the target population, and with other service providers ensures that Step Up establishes a grassroots footprint. Step Up knows that each city is different so it assesses what is locally available and identifies the gaps that the organization will have to supplement or cover. Step Up has demonstrated skill in this area as in the past five (5) years it has expanded into three (3) southern California Counties, the cites of Atlanta and Savannah Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee, and Seminole County, Florida. This is the result of a strong leadership team at Step Up headquarters and the Southeast Vice-president in Atlanta, Georgia. |
| Name | David Tavlin |
| Contact Information | dtavlin@stepup.org |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | Step Up has taken an informed approach to address inequity to improve service delivery across all demographic groups and the organization has committed to improving the larger system outcomes which impact racial equity. Step Up has developed an AAIDE promise to foster and Advance an Accessible, Inclusive, Diverse and Equitable (AAIDE) culture. As part of this ongoing commitment to DEI, all Step Up staff were required to attend Cultural competency training once a year. During the employment onboarding, all staff receive training in Trauma Informed Care, which includes complex trauma as well as racial trauma and Culture Humility trainings. These trainings helped Step Up staff becoming better equipped with engaging and outreaching to participants. In 2020, Step Up undertook a comprehensive internal look at services provided to members with a view of practices about within the organization. Step Up created an agency wide DEI Committee that include all levels of staff with the key focus includes gathering all member and staff demographic data, offering staff trainings on relevant topics, providing safe spaces for discussion, and integrating DEI into the organizational strategic objectives at the Executive and Board level. Team meetings throughout the company have added the DEI topics as an agenda point to ensure that all Step Up programs advance equity, diversity, and inclusion. The core of this approach is the organization-wide commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). |