Kittitas County Second Chance Program

Overview of Project In our original application, HopeSource proposed to serve 180 individuals incarcerated in the Kittitas County Jail in rural Central Washington. The purpose of the program is to decrease recidivism by providing pre-release and post release services to eligible applicants. Pre-release the HopeSource case manager was to administer assessments including Level of Service/Risk, Need, Responsivity (LS/RNR), Offender Screening Tool (OST), National Re-Entry Resource Center (NRRC), Housing Needs and Risks, and the Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT). Post-release for inmates who remained in Kittitas County and who qualified as eligible under the Second Chance program, the HopeSource case manager was to provide 6-12 months support for rapid re-housing, family reunification, stability planning for permanent housing, education, employment, and connection to nutrition, transportation, physical and mental health, disability, and substance use providers. Post-release, for inmates whose intent was to return to King, Pierce, or Yakima counties the HopeSource case manager was to connect them with resources for follow up in that county. HopeSource feels strongly that there is incalculable value to the individual, to their family, and to their community in working with all inmates pre-release to assist them in understanding their risk factors for recidivism, to understand their strengths and supports in the community, to understand their life situation, to attempt to connect them to family, and to pave their way back into their home communities by providing information and contact with those support systems that address their barriers such a mental and physical health, substance use treatment, domestic violence counselors, disability, LGBTQ, BIPOC, and faith based resources. Ultimately, the inmate leaves with a sense of support and that there are those who believe in them. Determining Factors Requiring Modification of Program for the GAM At the time of the proposal the judicial system in Kittitas County treated arrests of individuals from out of county and from the local Kittitas County in the same manner regarding booking, sentencing, incarceration, and release. In early 2020, after the award of the Second Chance grant to HopeSource, the Kittitas County Judicial System determined to incarcerate only those arrested for misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies who lived in counties other than Kittitas County. Those arrested who had local Kittitas County addresses were incarcerated for felonies, but for misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors they were administratively booked pending hearings on their cases and released to addresses in Kittitas County rather than being incarcerated. Data collected from the Kittitas County Jail (KCJ) indicated for the six month period March 15-October 15, 2020 there were 230 inmates that were booked and incarcerated, the majority of whom planned to return to King, Pierce, or Yakima counties, and 407 arrests that were administratively booked and released, but not incarcerated, to addresses in Kittitas County. From March 15-October 15, 2021 there were 436 inmates that were booked and incarcerated, the majority of whom planned to return to King, Pierce, or Yakima counties, and 157 arrests that were administratively booked and released, but not incarcerated, to addresses in Kittitas County. The policy change made by the Kittitas County Judicial System reduced significantly the potential number of clients (from Kittitas County) that could be served by the Second Chance Program and it is expected that the factors causing the decrease will not resolve themselves through 2022. Further decreasing arrests and convictions of those who potentially could be served by the Second Chance Program was the passage of the State of Washington of HB1310 regarding the ability of law enforcement to confront lawbreakers. Local law enforcement reports a decrease in arrests since passage of HB1310 of 12% while crime itself increased 2.6%. The HopeSource Second Chance program manager and case manager began work in 2021 with the Kittitas County Jail creating the necessary forms and processes to implement the grant and actively interviewed all inmates interested in case management pre-and-post-release providing inmates returning to King, Pierce, and Yakima counties with contact information for housing, case management, mental and physical health resources, disability, and substance use resources in the county they intended to return to. The case manager created a software system with the Kittitas County Jail which allowed inmates to indicate they wanted to discuss resources once released and was available weekly to meet with those interested. The pre-release assessments that will be used for all eligible candidates for the Second Chance program were administered and the results reviewed with all currently incarcerated individuals whether they intended to return to other counties or not as a Beta Test for the assessments. Although HopeSource was not able to formally take on clients in the Second Chance program at this point in the process, any inmate from Kittitas County who reached out for assistance upon release was successfully connected with HopeSource housing and emergency services through other grant funded programs. Inmates returning to other counties were provided travel vouchers when needed to return to their home community through other HopeSource grant funded programs. Modifications Required to the Program 120 clients from King, Pierce, and Yakima Counties Pre-and-Post Release: The HopeSource case manager will provide pre-release assessments and post-release referrals for 120 incarcerated individuals from King, Pierce, and Yakima Counties. Pre-release efforts will include information on the results of the risk assessment profiles administered by the case manager and how that will impact them as they re-enter a community. Post-release, the case manager will provide the client with connections to rapid re-housing, family reunification, stability planning for permanent housing, education, employment, and to nutrition, transportation, physical and mental health, disability, and substance use providers in their area of return. Warm handoff referral contact will be initiated with the Community Action Agency (HopeSource is an active member of the statewide Community Action Agency) in their area for follow up case management. Communication on the tools, skills, and connections provided for successful reentry will continue with the Community Action Agency and the client monthly for 6-12 months post-release. As a member of the Washington State Community Action Agency (i.e.partnership), HopeSource has quarterly and as needed contact with all 32 community action agencies in the State to facilitate the warm handoff and monitoring of referred clients. All community action member agencies operate the same types of case managed programs as HopeSource. The long-standing relationships with these agencies will accelerate the ability to create Memorandums of Understanding and Release of Information forms and processes. All community action agencies are required by their contracts to utilize a Coordinated Entry System in their county. The systems may vary in type and operation but exist for the same purpose of quickly and easily allowing those in need to access their services. Specific to this grant Community Action Agencies in King County include, Byrd Barr Place, El Centro de la Raza, Hopelink, Multi-Services Center South King County, Neighborhood House, and Solid Ground; in Pierce County agencies include Metropolitan Development Council and Pierce County Human Services; in Yakima County there is the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington and the Northwest Community Action Center. A qualified case management contact from one or more of these agencies that will deliver services to referred clients will be confirmed and the monitoring process with that contact will include monthly phone calls or virtual calls, email exchanges, and service plans created by the case manager contact for the referred client will be reviewed for progress monthly for six months. 60 clients residing in Kittitas County Pre-and-Post-Release HopeSource will provide support pre-and-post release for 60 residents of Kittitas County who are incarcerated and who remain in Kittitas County, thus maintaining the original total target number to be served by the grant of 180. Pre-release will include administration by the case manager of the risk assessments and review with the client of the results of their assessment profiles and how that will impact them as they re-enter the community. Each inmate will be entered into the Coordinated Entry System at pre-release for ease of access by mental and physical health, substance use, and disability entities/organizations/agencies that have Memorandums of Understanding to employ or utilize the system. The Coordinated Entry (CE) System in Kittitas County was created by and is managed by HopeSource for initial intakes and identification of needs. The system can be accessed by any phone including cell phones, computers, and the HopeSource website. Each inquiry is contacted by a HopeSource CE specialist within 24 hours of entry into the system for follow up and referral. The Second Chance case manager will support the client for 6-12 months post-release with rapid re-housing, family reunification, stability planning for permanent housing, education, employment, and connection to nutrition, transportation, physical and mental health, disability, and substance use providers. The manager of Hope University, a division of HopeSource, will provide basic life skills training and coaching in budgeting, credit and debt, saving money, how to be a good tenant, and access to transportation. Monitoring Process HopeSource will utilize the provided and required Office of Justice Programs reporting tools as models to use in monitoring and tracking client success. Models reviewed will include, but are not limited to, the BJA Performance Measurement Tool (PMT), OJP Performance Management Platform (PMP), and the OJP Grants Management System (GMS). Clients referred to a community action agency in King, Pierce, or Yakima counties will track progress in housing and employment and referrals made to other service providers including physical and mental health, disability, and substance use providers. All community action agencies are required to track progress against goals for each client and to report the results to the HMIS system (Homeless Management Information System) which HopeSource has access to through the Washington Community Action Agency. Summary The basic modifications requested are: 1. The Second Chance program will target 120 incarcerated individuals who, upon release from the Kittitas County Jail, will transition to the adjoining counties of King, Pierce, and Yakima with connections to resources in those counties including warm handoffs to one or more of the Community Action Agencies in that county. Clients referred are expected to be provided follow up services for 6-12 months post-release by HopeSource staff. 2. The Second Chance program will target 60 incarcerated individuals who will remain in Kittitas County post-release with case managed support for rapid re-housing, family reunification, stability planning for permanent housing, education, employment, and connection to nutrition, transportation, physical and mental health, disability, and substance use providers. 3. Services, support, and referrals will remain essentially the same in both those referred to King, Pierce, and Yakima County community action agencies, and for clients who remain in Kittitas County post-release. Performance against goals will be tracked in the same manner for both groups.