Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition

At the September 1, 2010 meeting of the BoS NOFA committee, nominations for one co-chair were opened and continue to be open until Monday, September 13, 2010 at 5 pm. To nominate  someone from a Balance of State agency, please e-mail Diane Etzel-Wise at dew@kshomeless.com with the person’s name and contact information AFTER you have confirmed with your nominee her / his willingness to serve.  By September 14, 2010 midnight, an electronic ballot will be mailed out to all on the BoS stakeholders contact list. All interested BoS Stakeholders must e-mail their marked ballot / choice for BoS Co-chair back to Diane at dew@kshomeless.com by September 20, 2010 midnight. 

for more information on the co-chair responsibilities, please leave a message for LaTonia at 785.354.4990 or e-mail her at lwright@kshomeless.com by Friday, September 10, 2010 at noon.

please see the draft survey tool here

link to HUD document

Draft of methodology Sept 1, 2010

Click for easy link to info and documents.

View our Summit 2010 pages here!!!

Greetings Kansas Balance of State Stakeholders:

What is this?

View the documents that will be reviewed and discussed at the next Balance of State (BoS) NOFA meeting scheduled for Wednesday August 18, 2010, 1pm-3pm, at the SRS Learning Center, 2600 SW East Circle, Topeka, Kansas.

Why is it important?

During the meeting there will be a review of current BoS projects, a review of 2010 project applications and the updating of Exhibit 1 sections by the group in preparation for the 2010 Continuum of Care (CoC) application. (Look here for Exhibit One from 2009)

Continuum of Care funds are provided by HUD to assist communities address issues of homelessness. We must show that we are working productively as a collaborative body to end homelessness in the rural/frontier regions of Kansas or risk the loss of future homeless funding from HUD.

What should I do?

For those unsure of this process:                                                                                                                                                                                     

Review the attached documents and attend the meeting in person or by phone to learn more about the Kansas Balance of State CoC and assist to brainstorm about strategic planning efforts that will help to complete Exhibit 1 for the 2010 funding application on August 18.

For those who are more familiar with this process or want to be actively involved:    

Review the attached documents and attend the meeting in person or by phone prepared to discuss and/or provide feedback on August 18.

Comments/feedback may be provided via email if you are unable to attend in person or by phone during the scheduled meeting time.

Please submit all feedback/comments/questions to LaTonia Wright, Balance of State Coordinator at lwright@kshomeless.com.

Conference Call in Number 712-432-0075

Participant Code

Your assistance is greatly appreciated. We look forward to working with you toward efforts to end homelessness across Kansas.

Miss LaTonia Wright

Balance of State Coordinator

501 SE Jefferson, Suite 30

Topeka, KS 66607

lwright@kshomeless.com

785-354-4990 phone

785-354-1448 fax

SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) program was developed by Policy Research Associates (PRA) to address the common barrier that homeless people who have disabilities have as they try to gain benefit entitlements such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance.    PRA reports that the national success rate on initial applications for SSI and SSDI for all applicants is 37% but only 11% of the homeless population is estimated to receive SSI.  SOAR is a training program for direct service workers who, once trained, understand Disability Determination Services and Social Security Administration’s requirements and the need for appropriate documentation, decreasing the time to issue determinations and reducing the need for appeals.    

The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services’ Division of Disability and Behavioral Health Services-Mental Health in partnership with the Division of Human Services of Sedgwick County, COMCARE of Sedgwick County and Wyandot Center for Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. are holding SSI/SSDSI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) direct service worker trainings to increase access to SSI/SSDI for people with disabilities, especially persons who are homeless. The trainings are free. The trainings will be from 8:30-4:30 each day and they will be:

• August 23-24, 2010 – Area Mental Health Center, 3000 N. 14th Street, Dodge City, KS
• September 27-28, 2010 - North Central Chapter of the American Red Cross, 145 S. Broadway Boulevard, Salina, KS
• October 20-21, 2010 – Ramada Inn, 3603 Vine St. (I-70 at Exit 159), Hays, KS
• October 25-26, 2010 – Sedgwick County Division of Human Services, 635 Main St., Wichita, KS
• February 3-4, 2011 – Wyandot Center for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Inc., 1301 N. 47th St., Kansas City, KS 66101
• April 7-8, 2011 – Manhattan, KS (location to be determined)

Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition will notify you of other SOAR trainings scheduled throughout the year. View the 2010-2011 trainings here!!

Please email or fax SOAR Across Kansas FY 11 Registration form to Diana Marsh at 785-296-6142 or diana.marsh@srs.ks.gov  three weeks prior to the training you wish to attend. Registration is required.

Please review and comment on the newly written HMIS Data Quality Assurance Plan (BHOC) – 2010-07-19 for the Balance of State HMIS users.  e-mail feedback to LaTonia at lwright@kshomeless.com by August 2, 2010. Thank you!

The South Central Region Quarterly Continuum of Care Meeting will be held on March 11, 2010 in Newton Kansas from 12-2:00 p.m.  The meeting will be held in the West Meeting Room at the Harvey County Court House .  Thank you to Jan Jones for hosting this meeting.  The meeting agenda is attached below.  Please invite a colleague to attend the meeting .

SC Region Continuum of Care Quarterly Meeting