2017 CDBG Third Year Action Plan

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' Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are: being discharged from publicly ' funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); or, receiving ' assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs. ' Discharge planning within the community continues to be extremely difficult.While the hospitals and community mental health centers have coordinated plans with the emergency shelter facilities,they are still less than ideal for an individual just released from their care.Additionally, county and state correctional facilities are not coordinating their releases; it is not uncommon to have an individual arrive at a facility with paperwork ordering them into residence when there is no available bed. With the ' support of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the CoC has been working with the State Department of Correction and the Department of Child Services to improve the coordination of discharge policies. ' The St.Joseph County CoC developed the following discharge coordination policies for foster care, ' health care, and mental health systems of care. Foster Care: The Indiana Division of Child Services case managers are responsible for creating ' individualized plans for each youth being discharged from foster care. They are responsible for case planning, and reunification conferences with providers including foster parents, birth parents, children (when age appropriate), and Court Appointed Special Advocates. Youth aging out of foster care receive ' independent living services that cover areas such as financial independence, educational needs, vocational needs, mental health and substance abuse treatment. The Division of Child Services has a ' written protocol and partners with appropriate community providers to ensure that youth discharged from foster care are not discharged into the streets. ' Health Care: Memorial Hospital and Health Care Systems and St.Joseph Regional Medical Center are the two major health care centers in the community. Both have written protocols concerning the Discharge Planning and Process in place. Discharge planning begins at the time of admission. The protocols state ' that the social worker/case manager shall provide assistance when identified or requested. ' Mental Health: Oaklawn Psychiatric Center has numerous written policies, protocols, and Memorandums of Understanding involving discharge of homeless or potentially homeless individuals. When an individual is considered potentially homeless, the protocol instructs the social worker to ' contact the Center for the Homeless and/or other shelters to determine whether the individual is banned, timed-out or needs to go to the grievance board. Annual Action Plan 55 2017 OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.07/31/2015)