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HomeMy WebLinkAboutShelter Coalition Meeting - notes 072424Shelter Coalition Meeting - NOTES July 27, 2024 @ 11 AM Zoom and Streaming at the Recovery Cafe Present: Greg Brotherton chair of the housing fund board David Ehnebuske - citizen interested in the process being done right Joanne Ritmueller - board at Bayside working with Melanie and Elizabeth to look at food/dinners over the year Elizabeth Stephens - shelter manager Melanie Jackson - Pastor at New Life Church helping with meal planning Gary Keister - Bayside Housing Pastor Sean Janssen - Pastor Grace Lutheran Church Debbi Tesch - Peninsula Housing Authority Ben Thomas - City Council Derrick - Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Barbara Morey - Housing Advocate Ben Casserd - Jefferson Interfaith Action Coalition/Winter Welcoming Center Judy Shepard - finance manager for the county Keppie - Department of Emergency Management Eden Blooms- graduate student at UW studying housing intervention Viola Ware - OlyCAP (housing director) started June 3 Julia Cochrane - Winter Welcoming Center/Housing Advocate (and scribe of these notes.) Maggie - Advocate - lived experience Alan - lived experience Michael Johnson - Houseless for 10 years / Advocate / Caregiver Bob Saring - American Legion Buelah Kingsolver - Executive Director of Dovehouse Doug Edelstein - Advocate ROI (Release of Information) issue Currently there is a single page document requesting a Consent for Release of information to about 15 different organizations including the American Legion. The American Legion (AL) is required to be able to stay at the shelter by the American Legion to notify their bartenders when someone has been trespassed (evicted) from the shelter. “The legion said they need to know who is creating a disturbance” The other organizations are service providers and it is voluntary for a quest to authorize this. No time limit - will stay in effect as long as the person is a guest at the shelter. Viola - these should be two separate documents, with the American Legion saying clearly that the landlord of the shelter will be notified in event of involuntary discharge from the shelter. ROI’s typically last for 30 days or a specific time period. Who is getting the info has to be specific. Bob - AL - for person on duty upstairs. Julia - asking that the employee sign a confidentiality statement and has HIPPA or similar training. HIPPA training available free on-line - https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/training/index.html Maggie - there is a hostile relationship between the AL and shelter clients, because of noise till 3 AM from events, and lights on at 5 AM. (Noise Ordinance)  Food Update Elizabeth Stevens (Bayside - shelter manager) is meeting with people to create teams and are working on a schedule. Meals must be prepared at shelter - starting September.  Melanie - We’re working on a schedule for people and organizations who are interested in providing a meal to sign up. We need to make sure everyone who signs up is aware of what needs to be done to provide food safely. Someone in the group has to have a food handler’s permit. Meals prepared there and a sack lunch to take away. This will start in Sept rather than Oct. Next meeting in two weeks will create the structure. And give a report on what money is available, etc.  Julia - QUUF is a “donor kitchen”. As may be other churches and organizations.  Greg - will there be a way for individuals who want to volunteer to hook in? Yes - more in two weeks.  Referrals Process Open for general intake starting yesterday - must have a form of ID.  Viola - has a list of what's acceptable and could take a copy of expired ID. Viola It’s one of the biggest barriers for people of this population I haven’t run into an incident where we needed to have an ID for police. Beulah - are they taking referrals from partner organizations. HMIS opt out - and a lot of Dove House’s clients do not have ID.  Julia - what about undocumented? Eden - Found examples of shelters that give people X amount of days and the shelter has someone who can help them get an ID by that date. Elizabeth - If a person wants to walk in - 7 to 8 PM for new intakes.  Ben - will people who have been evicted / trespassed in the past, be able to get a fresh start - a 2nd chance?  Criminal Trespass stands for a year.  Gary - I think we need to be really appreciative of the Legion Shelter for all these years We want to work as closely with them to be good. The whole reason for Bayside’s existence is to lift people up over the 100,000 bed nights less than 1% have been exited. Buelah- I just wanted to follow up with what Gary was saying. Running an emergency shelter is hard. I want to appreciate the Legion. It’s important that we have problems and we work together. You have to trust a little bit. Sometimes we get into all the things that aren’t working and we forget to say it’s hard work. Bob - I want to say on behalf of the legion thank you to Gary and Buelah. I can’t speak for each individual of the American Legion. The legion has 450 members who collectively voted on the contract for the Shelter. They all have their own opinions on everything. As I’ve said in every contract negotiation we’ve had for years and years, if the American Legion didn’t want the shelter there, it wouldn’t be there. For 15 years, 16 years now, we’ve been accepting it. I’m sure we have some members that are less than enthusiastic. And we have to have money coming in. If we don’t operate, you’re not going to operate downstairs. It’s a dance we have to do, and we’re doing our best.  Next Meeting: Tuesday August 6th at 11 AM. (and every 2 weeks ongoing) On line at: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85456821702  Meeting ID: 854 5682 1702 Passcode: 588190 One tap mobile +12532050468,,85456821702# US +12532158782,,85456821702# US (Tacoma) Or: Streaming at the Recovery Cafe in their conference room.  Julia Cochrane willowtree@olypen.com PO Box 1654 Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 821-1926 cell http://tinyurl.com/4mtex2tx  for donations to the Winter Welcoming Center https://www.jeffersoninterfaithaction.org/wwc Territories of the nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm̕  (Klallam), & t͡ʃə́mqəm (Chemakum) peoples