WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Department of Labor has announced a new "Pathways to Employment" initiative to help evacuees and other survivors of the recent hurricanes find employment and training opportunities. Pathways to Employment provides targeted assistance to people based on individual needs, through the nationwide network of 3,500 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country.

"Our 'Pathways to Employment' initiative will provide individualized counseling and assistance to hurricane survivors to help them get back on their feet," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao in announcing the initiative. "This is a multi-prong approach. One, we are deploying experienced career counselors to evacuee centers and other relocation centers where there's a concentration of evacuees. Two, we're sending specially-trained experts who can help people with disabilities find employment opportunities and needed services. Three, we're providing 4,000 Job Corps scholarships to young people impacted by the hurricanes and need a fresh start."

Under the first part of the initiative, reintegration counselors will be deployed for up to six months in areas with high concentrations of evacuees. Counselors will expand the capacity of One-Stop Career Centers using local and educational opportunities to connect evacuees to employment and supportive services, as needed. Areas with large numbers of evacuees may receive funding for more than one counselor. A total of $15 million will go toward this effort. To assist individuals with disabilities, DOL will deploy additional Disability Program Navigators (DPNs) in hurricane-affected states. DPNs are trained individuals experienced in working with persons with disabilities to make employment connections through the One-Stop system and connect to needed benefits and services through the government or community organizations.

DOL's national Job Corps program is also expediting enrollment and transfers of young people affected by the hurricanes. Job Corps will provide education, room and board for up to 4,000 economically disadvantaged young people ages 16 through 24.

WASHINGTON, DC. The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services will convene the Third National Conference Addressing Homelessness for People with Mental Illnesses and/or Substance Use Disorders on October 26-28 in Washington, DC. The theme of the 2005 conference, which is free, is "Preparing People for Change: Knowledge and Choice." The theme focuses on increasing the knowledge of consumers so they may readily share in treatment decisions, as well as increasing the sensitivity of service providers to the unique needs of people who are homeless.

The goal of the conference is to engage care providers and consumers in an open and ongoing dialogue about individually tailored and effective services for the homeless community. Co-sponsors of the conference are the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, also part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of HHS.

Highlights of the conference will be plenary presentations by SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie and CMHS Director Kathryn Power, as well as keynote remarks on October 27 by United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano. Full day training sessions will be available on October 26 and 28. On-line registration for the conference is available at http://www.nrchmi.samhsa.gov

The Homeless Programs Branch of CMHS invites clinicians, service providers, administrators, and policymakers from all disciplines to attend an array of over 65 workshops and training sessions presented by national experts on key issues impacting the education, empowerment, and sustained recovery of individuals who are homeless. Topics will include housing, consumer involvement, peer-run services, evidence-based practices, cost analysis, outreach and engagement, and cross-discipline issues for individuals and families who are homeless and have mental illness and/or substance use disorders.

WASHINGTON, DC. United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt this week detailed the steps taken by HHS in the month since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast to reach those affected with streamlined initiatives and unprecedented resources. Because many victims of the hurricane no longer have the records or legal documents to help prove their eligibility for benefits from various government programs, HHS has given states the flexibility to enroll evacuees without requiring documents such as tax returns or proof of residency. This action permits evacuees to apply for the full range of federal benefits administered by the states, including HHS programs that provide services through Medicaid, family assistance through Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), child care support, foster care assistance, mental health services and substance abuse treatment services.

"Based on preliminary reports, we estimate that more than 40 percent of hurricane evacuees who have been displaced from their homes are getting help from HHS," Secretary Leavitt said. "Working with our partners at the state and local level, we have streamlined the process for all evacuees who may need access to the range of benefits we can provide to get back on their feet."

In the days following Katrina's landfall, HHS provided waivers to a number of states, including Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and Idaho, to make it easier for eligible evacuees to receive services through the state's Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), and to make states whole for their generosity. HHS also extended uncompensated care pools to Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and Idaho to help compensate physicians, hospitals and other health care providers who provide needed medical treatment to evacuees who do not currently have health insurance and are ineligible for Medicaid or SCHIP. $2.3 million was provided in accelerated grants to establish 26 new health center sites in states impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

$15 million in emergency funding was put in place to assist Head Start and Early Head Start grantees in providing services to children and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. $600,000 in emergency grants to Louisiana, Alabama, Texas and Mississippi insured that mental health assessment and crisis counseling are available in areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina, and $750,000 in disaster relief funds to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi reestablished the service capacity of state and local entities that deliver services to the aging and elderly. Free vaccines through the federally-run Vaccines for Children program to all children from birth to 18 years old displaced by Hurricane Katrina, regardless of whether they are staying at shelters, hotels, or with family and friends and regardless of previous health insurance coverage status.

A new volunteer health care worker disaster response hotline and Web site received more than 30,000 applications. As a result, HHS has been able to credential more than 3,800 health care professionals who are now ready to be sent to help, if needed, as temporary federal employees. In addition, in order to respond to the health care needs in affected states, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the nation's seven uniformed services, carried out the largest mobilization in its 207-year history. More than 1,400 officers from more than 40 states came together over the last month to work with state, local and private agencies in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. One month after Katrina hit, the Corps still has 700 officers providing relief services along the Gulf Coast and in areas with evacuees. In addition to the Commissioned Corps, the PHS for the first time deployed the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), a cadre of civilian volunteers across the country who are trained and ready to help with emergencies and ongoing public health activities. President Bush created the MRC in 2002 as a way to strengthen local public health infrastructures and improve emergency preparedness at the community level. More than 6,500 members of the MRC have been activated to help with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. Federal, state, and local officials gathered with private sector and philanthropic partners this week in Salt Lake City to measure results in implementation of Utah's 10-Year Business Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano joined Utah Governor and Mrs. Jon Huntsman, Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Carroon, Utah Department of Community and Culture Director Yvette Donosso Diaz, Utah Division of Housing and Community Development Director Gordon Walker, State Homeless Coordinating Committee Member Lloyd Pendleton, other local officials and partners for events in Salt Lake City (see related e-news story).

Governor Huntsman, addressing "Working our Way Back: Utah's Statewide Homeless Summit," stated, "We care, we are with you. For us this is a singularly important issue. I am passionate about ending homelessness." The Governor noted that Utah's response to Hurricane Katrina evacuees had lessons to offer: "I understand this year there will be about 14,000 people in Utah who will experience homelessness. This segment of our population needs additional help, much like the evacuees from the Katrina disaster who became homeless from a sudden onset disaster. The government and private sector came together to provide assistance; this was especially effective here in Utah where we served over 500 evacuees."

Noting that the Second Statewide Homelessness Summit was convened in conjunction with groundbreaking for new permanent housing for persons experiencing chronic homelessness, Director Mangano stated, "Yesterday a number of us lifted shovels of dirt to commemorate the inaugural commitment to the creation of permanent supportive housing in a Housing First strategy here in Utah. Federal, state, county, city officials were all there along with their resources. As was the private sector in all elements - business, faith, providers. All to one objective, one goal, one mission to end homelessness for those who are the most vulnerable, most disabled, most likely to live and die on our streets."

Utah Lt. Governor Gary Herbert, who gave attendees a progress report, reminded those gathered for the Summit that the state's vision is that every person has access to safe, decent, affordable housing with the needed resources and support for self-sufficiency and well being, and that Utah actively shares the direction of federal policy in seeking to end chronic homelessness. He pointed to accomplishments during the last year, including the Ten-Year Plan for the State developed and approved in March by the Homeless Coordinating Committee, and organization of Local Homeless Coordinating Committees throughout the State that are chaired by political leaders - a mayor or county commissioner.

The State also set a goal that each Local Homeless Coordinating Committee will develop a pilot program focusing on persons experiencing chronic homelessness in their area. The first pilot began August 11 in Salt Lake with the placement of 17 chronically homeless individuals in existing housing inventory using the "housing first" model with supportive services. This is providing an opportunity to gain experience with the model in preparation for the 200 units that will be available in 2007. A Homeless Management Information System has been implemented with 42 agencies presently on the system. This will allow for more effective counting of the homeless and tracking of results. Research is underway to identify the cost of chronically homelessness on the community resources, including emergency room use, arrests by police, etc. These data will help tell a more complete account of the total community costs and define effective programs.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. 100 new Housing First placements for persons experiencing chronic homelessness will result from this week's groundbreaking in Salt Lake City for the Sunrise Apartments supportive housing development. Housing Assistance Management Enterprise (HAME), a non- profit subsidiary of the Salt Lake Housing Authority, will develop the 2.7 acre site in a collaborative effort with partners including The Crusade for the Homeless, George S. and Delores Doré Eccles Foundation, Salt Lake City Corporation, Salt Lake County, the Housing Authority of the County of Salt Lake, the State of Utah, HUD, Fannie Mae, American Express Centurion Bank, UBS Bank, other banks, local businesses, advocates, The Road Home, Volunteers of America, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Valley Mental Health, churches and others.

"The Housing Authority of Salt Lake City and Housing Assistance Management Enterprise are showing the way -the Utah 'Beehive' way of teamwork and perseverance- to get the job done. In constellating a partnership that includes all - from the federal government in Washington to the homeless person in Salt Lake - you are demonstrating to your state and to our nation how the individual miracles of the past can become the commonplace solutions of the future," stated United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who was invited to keynote the event.

Director Mangano joined Salt Lake Housing Authority Vice Chair Buzz Welch, Housing Authority Executive Director Rosemary Kappes, Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency Chair Eric Jergensen, and VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Director James R. Floyd for the event. HUD Salt Lake City Field Office Director Dwight Peterson, HUD staff Pauline Zvonkovic, and Council Regional Coordinator John O'Brien also took part.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA. As reported here last week, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Commission Chair Horace Sibley recently convened the Regional Commission on Homelessness to hear reports from federal, state, and local partners on progress in implementing Atlanta's regional Blueprint to End Homelessness. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano addressed the meeting. This e-story features research results from one of Atlanta's new initiatives.

The City's Forensic Assertive Community Treatment Team (FACT) initiative presented the Commission with new annual data on the effectiveness of efforts to engage persons with mental illness and cost- benefit analysis showing more than $1,114,000 savings to the criminal justice, psychiatric hospital and shelter systems. The City of Atlanta and Fulton County Jail staff, which for some time had noticed the steady rise in the number of individuals with serious mental illness, co-occurring substance abuse disorders and homelessness cycling in and out of these facilities, worked with Georgia Rehabilitation Outreach which secured funding the Metro Regional Office of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD).

According to the 2003 homeless census survey, approximately 14,800 homeless individuals are in Fulton County, of whom 4,884 (33%) were seriously mentally ill. In 2003 an estimated 3,000 individuals with serious persistent mental illness and/or co- occurring substance abuse were incarcerated in Atlanta. Upon release, these individuals are not equipped to negotiate the often complicated processes for support services or matriculate to mental health centers and end up in a cycle of homelessness and recidivism.

Specific findings from the tracking of those referred into the program indicated the following: The number of jail days decreased by 78%. This represents more than $400,600 savings to the criminal justice system. State hospital admissions and days decreased by 79% and 89% respectively. This represents a savings of $1,245,012 to the state hospital system. 71% of the consumers were homeless at the time of enrollment. 62% were placed in housing. Based on these and other findings, in FY 2006 -2007, Georgia Rehabilitation Outreach plans to establish a second FACT Team to meet the growing demand for this service blend.

Through the United Way of Atlanta, the Regional Commission on Homelessness provided rental assistance to consumers with no income or income inadequate to pay for housing. An advisory committee, comprised of representatives of the City of Atlanta Jail, Fulton County Jail, Regional Commission on Homelessness, State Office of MHDDAD and citizens of the community, was formed at the start of the project and met quarterly to help monitor and analyze performance as well as help troubleshoot problems within the collaboration.

In other recent Atlanta Blueprint developments, the City announced that increased tax revenue from a successful City redevelopment program will allow now Atlanta to contribute $20 million to its implementation efforts to end chronic homelessness. The Atlanta City Council authorized the diversion of funds from the Westside Tax Allocation District, one of five special zones. Commission Chair Horace Sibley said the funds, which are in addition to $17 million in private resources raised for the Blueprint, shows its commitment to the goal and "virtually assures that we'll end chronic homelessness on schedule."

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news continues its focus on expressions of leadership by jurisdictional leaders who have established state interagency councils on homelessness or 10-year plans to end chronic homelessness. This week's feature is excerpts from the remarks of Governor Jon Huntsman and Lt. Governor Gary Herbert at the Utah Statewide Homeless Summit.

Governor Huntsman:

. . . I understand this year there will be about 14,000 people in Utah who will experience homelessness. This segment of our population needs additional help, much like the evacuees from the Katrina disaster who became homeless from a sudden onset disaster. The government and private sector came together to provide assistance; this was especially effective here in Utah where we served over 500 evacuees.

. . . The telling of the Katrina disaster was much easier because of the extensive visibility. With that visibility, contributions flowed to meet the need. The needs resulting from a slow onset disaster that affects the ongoing homeless population needs to be told more effectively. As this is told effectively, I believe the needed resources can be mobilized to move the homeless into housing with supportive services. The telling of this story will be one of the efforts of the State's Homeless Coordinating Committee and Local Homeless Coordinating Committees throughout the state. This is one of the reasons it is important to have political leaders involved in this process.

. . . I thank you political leaders for your interest in this effort and your support to the homeless service providers. They need your support as they provide a great service to an important group of citizens you represent. Some mayors and county commissioners are chairing the Local Homeless Coordinating Committees. This is important in developing local solutions in a more holistic approach to prevent and end homelessness. Thank you for your willingness to undertake this effort.

Lt. Governor Herbert:

. . . We have service providers, funders/investors, political leaders, and other interested individuals in attendance today. We thank you for your service to the homeless and your interest in helping those who are homeless to move out of homelessness.

. . . As a state, all of us are affected by those who are homeless. We invite all to be part of this effort in the coming years. We all have something we can contribute, and as each of us give, we will be personally rewarded. It will take all of us working in a collaborative effort to bring about the goal of ending chronic homelessness and significantly reducing over all homelessness.

Pictured here are Governor Huntsman, Utah Housing Director Gordon Walker, and Council Director Mangano.

WASHINGTON, DC. On Thursday, October 20, 2005 the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, supported by a range of federal agencies, will host the next in a series of regional conferences to help faith-based and community organizations learn more about President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative and support the work of effective social service programs. The October 20 Milwaukee conference will provide participants with information about the Federal funding process, available funding opportunities, and the requirements that come with the receipt of Federal funds. The conference will also provide an opportunity to inform State and local officials about equal treatment regulations and other central elements of the Faith-Based and Community Initiative. White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Director and Assistant to the President Jim Towey is pictured here at the September 13 full Council meeting.

The planned conferences will be supported by the Departments of Justice, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Commerce, and Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, and the Agency for International Development. Midwest Airlines Center will be the site of the October 20 conference, which is free but requires pre- registration by October 14.