In response to the growing need for supports for Clients experiencing homelessness, the Yukon Government (“YG”) Department of Health and Social Services (“HSS”) is participating in the Coordinated Access program (“CA”). CA is a standardized approach to assessing a homeless Client or family’s needs and providing the services and supports they may require to achieve housing stability. The CA program is
funded in part by the Canadian Federal Government through the Reaching Home program. All organizations, non-profits, governments, and societies that receive funding through the Reaching Home program are required to participate in the CA program and are required to be a member of the Coordinated Housing Access Team (“CHAT”) and participate in the CHAT Table. The CA program streamlines access to housing and supports for homeless Clients and families, through a “no wrong door” model of care. Clients in need of housing can present at any CA Partner Agency and can begin the intake process to receive services or supports. In most cases, the Client will be a client of the CA Partner Agency with whom they completed their consent for the By-Name-List (“BNL”).
The CA program in Yukon is overseen by Safe at Home (“SAH”), a Society under the Yukon Societies Act. YG HSS does not oversee or manage the CA program but is a participant. SAH manages the BNL, which is a key component of the CA Program. The BNL is a centralized list of Clients in need of housing within the Yukon. Clients who have consented to being placed on the BNL will have their cases discussed at the CHAT Table, with the goal of finding the best housing option for their specific situation. Placement on the BNL is contingent on the Client completing the Vulnerability Index - Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (“VI-SPDAT”). The VI-SPDAT is a triage tool that helps identify who should be recommended for each housing and support intervention, and the urgency of their needs.
Participating HSS program areas conduct the VI-SPDAT with their clients only and communicates the result (the VI-SPDAT number) to Safe at Home for placement on the BNL. HSS areas can be referral sites, which includes the completion of the VI-SPDAT. HSS does not share the responses provided by the Client or a copy of the VI-SPDAT questionnaire outside of the Department. If the other Partner Agencies want their Client to complete a VI-SPDAT assessment they will forward the request to Safe At Home to complete with the Client.
Currently, there is no electronic information system related to the CA Program, however, SAH is planning to utilize the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS). HIFIS is a federally provided client information management system. It should be noted that though the program is funded by the federal government, and they have provided guidance and obligations to the receiving organization, there is no transfer of personally identifiable data to the federal government for the purposes of the Coordinated Access program. SAH will have to meet the management information system’s stringent privacy and security protections. Data sharing is contingent upon written client consent, and must comply with local, provincial, and federal legal requirements.
