SPA 2 Virtual Report Back

Virtual Report Back

Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Services and Housing

SPA 2

Housekeeping

Opening remarks

Alisa Orduna Lead Consultant

Anna Bialik Lead Consultant

AGENDA

Project background & context

Overview of 2-Day Design workshop

Design presentations

Next steps & close

Community Engagement Process

Discovery Phase & Community Engagement

Summary Report & LA County Ongoing Report Back

2-Day Community Workshops

Virtual SPA Report Back

North & South County Workshop

Countywide Community Engagement Report Back

Community driven designs & recommendations

Community Engagement Process

Discovery Phase & Community Engagement

Summary Report & LA County Ongoing Report Back

2-Day Community Workshops

Virtual SPA Report Back

North & South County Workshop

Countywide Community Engagement Report Back

we are here

Design Areas

Strategies to Reduce Disparities

Foundations for Success

Feedback & Ongoing Co-design

Collaboration& Partnerships

Systems & System Performance

Design Area

Design Question

the design question the group responded to will be here

Short Design Description

the short description of the design will go here

Design Idea & Components

the details of the design they put together will go here

Challenges & Assumptions

the critical assumptions we make to allow this to work

core challenges the design responds to

Short Design Description

the short description of the design will stay up for clarifying questions and feedback

Strategies to Reduce Disparities

Design Question

How can we best ensure that a wide range of community voices and perspectives are included in the design and implementation of strategies to address racial equity? What would representation look like within the new department?

Short Design Description

Create an internal Strategic Initiatives-Population specific unit within the Department of Homeless Services and Housing that will develop and test new strategies with the goal of reducing disproportionality among groups experiencing homelessness and meeting equity subgoals recommended by ECHRA and approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Design Idea & Components

Design Idea & Components

Responsibilities of Strategic Initiatives Team:

• Design and test strategies to improve equity & equity metrics

• Coordinate with community groups (existing and future) for ongoing feedback on:

• Methods of community engagement

• Coordinate with Data and evaluation team for equity data

• Work with Contracts & Grants to identify providers who can provide culturally responsive programming, identify training needs

• Coordinate with ARDI

• AI/AN team will work on and monitor tribal consultation

Challenges & Critical Assumptions

Core challenges it solves

Critical assumptions for success

• Lack of representation within our homeless system
• Community voices are not seen as credentialed or capable of leadership
• How do we create pathways for them to be within the whole structure?
• Tokenized input instead of real influence – community invited to “share,” but voices don’t shape decisions.
• Same providers of service not including AiAn at these tables.
• Lack of accountability
• Leadership
• Short-term politics vs. long-term needs. Political cycles favor quick wins instead of actual changes/needs
• Lack of trust – past failures make communities skeptical
• New generations need to be involved in the change process
• Building a structure that works collectively
• Speaking to the right people

• Commitment
• Coordination with ARDI
• Leveraging subject matter experts
• Reorganizing Existing staff or creating new roles
• Community hiring
• 12-month timeline

Short Design Description

Create an internal Strategic Initiatives-Population specific unit within the Department of Homeless Services and Housing that will develop and test new strategies with the goal of reducing disproportionality among groups experiencing homelessness and meeting equity subgoals recommended by ECHRA and approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Foundations for Success

Design Question

What specific actions can the Department take to ensure that all service providers, regardless of size, have the support they need to deliver effective homelessness services?

Short Design Description

The Hope Hub: Create a free centralized training portal/hub for homeless service providers in LA County. This portal/hub will:

1. Make available trainings that occur both virtually and in-person
2. Increase organizational capacity of homeless service providers in LA County
3. Leverage county and community training resources to lessen the burden on organizations to train their staff
4. Might also be used as a community resource accessible to residents

Design Idea & Components

Design Idea & Components

Challenges & Critical Assumptions

Core challenges it solves

Critical assumptions for success

• Cost of trainings drains organizational budgets both in staff time and funding for trainings
• County mandates trainings for providers that it does not make available which creates tension between the County and providers
• There is a need for standardized, high-quality training that creates clear expectations for staff in their work
• It is difficult to have system-wide accountability when there is no standardized training

This design will benefit homeless service providers and their staff, the County (quality training = good services), program participants, and residents.

• Creation of a dedicated team/staff at the new HSH that can support this effort
• Initial and ongoing funding
• Legally feasible
• There are existing trainings and even a County Learning Management System (LMS) platform to leverage

Short Design Description

The Hope Hub: Create a free centralized training portal/hub for homeless service providers in LA County. This portal/hub will:

1. Make available trainings that occur both virtually and in-person
2. Increase organizational capacity of homeless service providers in LA County
3. Leverage county and community training resources to lessen the burden on organizations to train their staff
4. Might also be used as a community resource accessible to residents

Feedback & Ongoing Co-design

Design Question

How can the new department receive and move to resolve concerns/complaints/recommendations from people seeking services?

Short Design Description

Develop rapid response SPA-based customer service teams that receive grievances and inquiries from:

• people navigating HSH programs and services AND
• providers who face barriers/bottlenecks in supporting the navigation of participants through HSH programs and services.

Design Idea & Components

HEAR LA . . . the development of a constituent service platform that will provide information and case management triage to address basic fundamentals experienced by people experiencing homelessness and navigating the service delivery system. Components:

• Composition of SPA-based customer service teams: teams should include expertise in the core systems, adult, family, and TAY; employ peer ambassadors; and be familiar with diverse homeless services & programs within HSH and across the County departments.

• Adaptable technology: Submissions should be easy and low-barrier, utilizing integrated technologies including via website, text line, public kiosks, and phone and routed to the appropriate SPA team within minutes.

• Customer Service Policies: Leveraging industry expertise with input from providers and people experiencing homelessness, develop comprehensive policies that include a call-decision tree, response times, written scripts, servicing difficult constituents.

• Uniform Training: All teams should receive annual training in trauma-informed communication, cultural humility, motivational interviewing, empathetic listening, de-escalation, and psychological safety.

Challenges & Critical Assumptions

Core challenges it solves

Critical assumptions for success

• Lack of a centralized place to access information on homelessness programs, mitigate barriers, and provide feedback on the user experience
• Lack of information about initiatives and programs and how these programs meet their expectations causes grievances,
• A streamlined system to respond to constituents would be in place to offer a 24 hour to 72 hour response time.
• Providers have a one-stop shop to access information on programs and service delivery.

• Buy in from providers and departments
• Will work collaboratively with LA HOP, 211, County ERC - not supplant.
• Reflected in contracts with providers
• Job classification for peer specialists are created
• Cultural change from punitive/shaming to collaborative learning and problem-solving.
• HSH will have agreements with other departments to share information with the teams on non-HSH homeless programs.
• HSH will create agreements with external SME including subpopulation advocates and legal services.

Short Design Description

Develop rapid response SPA-based customer service teams that receive grievances and inquiries from:

• people navigating HSH programs and services AND
• providers who face barriers/bottlenecks in supporting the navigation of participants through HSH programs and services.

Collaboration & Partnerships

Design Question

How can the new department support regional coordination and strategies that leverage investments across the service landscape, reduce duplication of efforts, and maximize participant movement through services?

Short Design Description

Communication Infrastructure This design promotes info/resource sharing via (1) a public facing component for community members to search for resources (2) a Provider facing component where providers can find and share information for the benefit of participants (3) SPA Reps taking gathered info from database and conferencing upward to leadership (county to state) so decisions on Homeless Services (ex: decisions on funding & allocations of resources are made with accurate data and information (for context and elevation of PLE experiences).

Design Idea & Components

Public Facing/Provider Facing Database

• Designed to promote transparency, collaboration, and data-driven action by making information accessible and meaningful to both the public and service providers.

The SPA Lead:

• Is a strategic thinker
• Is responsible for analyzing the dual facing data platform and assessing the organizational landscape within a region,
• Supports the cultivation of those relationships and promotes transparency across organizations.
• Will hold quarterly in-person engagements with direct service providers, leadership, and people with lived experience.
• Will serve as key touchpoints to communicate data-driven insights and co-develop responsive strategies.

Challenges & Critical Assumptions

Core challenges it solves

Critical assumptions for success

• Transparency for Participants
• Collaboration and Partnership Building
• Addressing Barriers to Matching
• Addressing Barriers to Participant Progress
• Ongoing, Cyclical Communication with Leadership

• County Buy In
• County can provide funding
• County can find a vendor
• The system will be effective only if both contracted and non-contracted providers actively participate. Non-contracted providers may require incentives to encourage their engagement and agreement to collaborate.

Short Design Description

Communication Infrastructure This design promotes info/resource sharing via (1) a public facing component for community members to search for resources. (2) a Provider facing component where providers can find and share information for the benefit of participants. (3) SPA Reps taking gathered info from database and conferencing upward to leadership (county to state) so decisions on Homeless Services (ex: decisions on funding & allocations of resources are made with accurate data and information (for context and elevation of PLE experiences).

Systems & System Performance

Design Question

What does a transparent and simple rehousing system from outreach to permanent housing look like in the new department?

Design Idea & Components

Community Oversight Committee Board (COB) Summary A key governance feature of the new department is the creation of a Community Oversight Committee Board (COB)— a formal advisory body that plays a meaningful role in shaping department planning, performance, and accountability.The COB will include diverse representation from:

• Families experiencing homelessness
• Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Immigrant and refugee communities
• Formerly incarcerated individuals
• People with disabilities
• Underserved racial and ethnic groups

To ensure accessibility and effectiveness, members will receive orientation, training, and stipends for their participation. The COB will collaborate closely with department leadership to:

• Provide input on budgets, policies, and outcomes
• Guide public communication and outreach strategies
• Act as a community feedback loop, strengthening transparency and trust between the department and the public

Challenges & Critical Assumptions

Core challenges it solves

Critical assumptions for success

• Budget authority clarity
• Designing the annual budgeting process
• Annual review & leadership structure
• Quarterly strategic planning & communication (esp. in Year 1)
• Annual training & sharing (starting Year 2)

• Engagement is fully funded by the new department (including full-time positions).
• A separate contract and/or staff is required for this effort.
• New department staffing should include:
• Director/lead
• Admin, data, strategy
• Lived experience/community voice roles

Short Design Description

The department will establish a Community Oversight Committee Board (COB) made up of community members most impacted by homelessness, including families, TAY, immigrants, and formerly incarcerated individuals. The COB will work in partnership with departmental management — including strategy, finance, and HR leaders — to guide accountability, transparency, and community-driven decision-making.

Next Steps & Close

Community Engagement Process

Discovery Phase & Community Engagement

Summary Report & LA County Ongoing Report Back

2-Day Community Workshops

Virtual SPA Report Back

County-wide Workshop

Countywide Community Engagement Report Back

what's next

Thank You