2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 MINUTES
SHELTER MONITORING COMMITTEE
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
25 Van Ness Ave., Basement, Suite 70
San Francisco, CA 94102
Members present:
Chair Diana Valentine
Vice Chair Damian Ochoa
Secretary Quintin Mecke
Committee Member Judi Iranyi
Committee Member Greg Kats
Committee Member David Nakanishi
Committee Member Liz Olson
Committee Member Maxine Pauson
Committee Member Hank Wilson
Members absent:
Committee Member Erica Correa
Committee Member Bianca Henry
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL/AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS
Committee Chair Diana Valentine called the meeting to order at 10:07 AM. Staff person Bernice Casey said that the materials for New Business items D & E and Old Business items D were not prepared. Chair Valentine removed the three items from the agenda.
Vice Chair Damian Ochoa asked the status of the Mission Statement.
Chair Valentine said that the sub-committee had not met. Chair Valentine asked that the staff person bring in a set of ground rules for the next meeting.
No public comment.
I. PUBLIC COMMENT
Leonard Brown, a former member of the Committee, said that he would be leaving San Francisco and urged the Committee to critically look at the monies, goods, and services that have been siphoned out by service providers. Mr. Brown said that there has been an erosion of life support systems [for homeless people]. He said that 39 Fell was full of travesties, where individuals are mistreated who have gone to receive services. He said that the Committee should review goods and budgets [of service providers].
Chair Valentine thanked Mr. Brown for his time on the Committee.
II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
Committee Member Hank Wilson corrected his comments that were captured in the Minutes. Vice Chair Ochoa asked that a misspelling be corrected.
Action: Approved Amended November 1, 2006 Committee Meeting Minutes
m/s/c (Wilson/Iranyi/Unanimous)
III. COMMITTEE MEMBERS QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
Committee Member Wilson asked that a presentation regarding security guards be scheduled for a future Committee meeting citing concerns he had heard.
Chair Valentine asked what companies were used.
Committee Member Greg Kats asked if there were specific questions.
Committee Member Wilson said that he had specific questions.
Committee Member David Nakanishi said that it was unclear of what the Committee was asking.
Committee Member Nakanishi said that the pertinent questions should concentrate around the security of the sites.
Chair Valentine asked Ms. Casey to investigate the situation and arrange to have a speaker at the next meeting.
Vice Chair Ochoa suggested that the concerns about security guards addressed through a sub-committee.
Ms. Casey reminded the Committee that any work done through a sub-committee had to be agendized and minutes taken. Ms. Casey said that she would follow up on the issue.
Vice Chair Ochoa provided an overview of the Adult Protective Service Training that he attended on November 9, 2006.
Secretary Quintin Mecke gave a report on the Shelter Grievance Policy training he attended in November. Secretary Mecke said that the training was provided by Family Shelter Program Manager Cindy Ward. The training was geared towards shelter staff. Some of the shelter staff present had a different idea of the policy and brought up a discussion of site specific rules. Ms Ward handled the questions very well and reviewed the policy, citing both severe and non-severe cases which can result in a denial of service (DOS). The training discussed the period of recourse a client has after being issued a DOS. Secretary Mecke suggested that these training continue to happen. He ended by saying that the conversation at the training focused on staff rules and not client rights.
Committee Member Nakanishi asked if the training was mandatory and if the Human Services Agency (HSA) kept track of who received training.
Committee Member Kats said that HSA tracks who attends the training internally. There is mandatory training as a result of the Shelter Grievance Policy.
Committee Member Maxine Pauson asked if staff could work [in a shelter] without receiving any training.
Committee Member Kats said that HSA attempts to train individuals as soon as possible. He said that there was internal training available at each site through peers and supervisors.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that there was not a uniform policy between resource centers and shelters, citing what was considered "inappropriate behavior" may vary from site to site.
Committee Member Kats said that he was working on the first draft of a grievance policy for resource centers.
Chair Valentine asked when the draft would be available.
Committee Member Kats said that it should be ready by early January.
Chair Valentine asked that an update be provided at the next meeting.
Committee Member Nakanishi asked what the Coalition on Homelessness had been working on rights for clients [based on previous presentations by Ms. Casey and her attendance at the Coalitions' Right to Roof meetings].
Committee Member Kats said that all shelters are required to have a grievance policy and DOS rules posted. There should also be a complaint form on-hand. Committee Member Kats said that when sites are monitored by HSA and that program monitors look for those things.
Chair Valentine said that the Coalition is working on a Bill of Rights for clients and staff. She said that the resource centers have not had a grievance policy. Chair Valentine said that the issue of power dynamics and sensitivity training should also be incorporated into trainings. Chair Valentine stated that she believed there was a lack of accountability by the City when it does not hold a shelter responsible when staff violates clients' rights.
Secretary Mecke asked what the policy was if someone received a DOS at the training and was told that there was no policy unless the individual was a senior or disabled.
Committee Member Kats said that in the future CHANGES would be available through the Mobile Assistance Program (MAP).
Committee Member Wilson said that there was clear policy written out on what happens when a senior or a disabled person is DOS'd from shelter.
Committee Member Kats said he would check and see if there was something written and, if so, reiterate it to shelter directors.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that the bulletin boards [on sites with DOS and grievance information] should be covered in plastic as a common excuse he had heard when going from site was that the information kept disappearing off the board.
Committee Member Judi Iranyi said that some shelters were located at churches and as such had no information posted.
Committee Member Nakanishi asked if HSA was reviewing each sites' grievance policy and looking for gaps.
Chair Valentine asked Ms. Casey to follow up on the types of training HSA offered to shelter staff.
Committee Member Nakanishi asked if the Committee could tally what type of trainings staff had received at each site.
Committee Member Iranyi said that she would be out of the country next month and would miss the January Committee meetings.
Committee Member Pauson asked about the vouchers for families that came out of the Homeless Redesign Committee.
Committee Member Iranyi said that she had tried to get them for clients in the past and had been told they don't exist.
Committee Member Pauson asked what was happening with families in the shelter during school. She had been told that the length of stay [for families] could be extended [if a child was in school].
Chair Valentine asked Ms. Casey to follow up.
Ms. Casey reviewed her staff report citing client complaints, site visits, and the hygiene report.
Public Comment
Kim Clark, a member of the public, said that the problems which start with staff are based on the lack of education. She said that she had spoken to Miguel Bustos, with the Mayor's Office, about the lack of education staff receives and the need for basic monitoring.
Leonard Brown said that staff do not do their jobs in a professional manner. He said he was staying at a shelter where a survey was passed out but clients were afraid to be honest for fear of reprisal. He said that the Committee could find out what clients really thought.
Ali Schalgeter, of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, suggested following up with Cindy Ward about the family redesign questions.
IV. NEW BUSINESS
A. Local 3 Union Natalie Naylor
Ms. Naylor said that she represented workers at Next Door, 39 Fell, MAP, A Women's Place, Hospitality House, Sanctuary, and Multi Service South. As of July 1, 2006, only a few workers made under $11, janitors and shelter monitors that worked for less a year, and shelter monitors would make $11.30. She said that each member was also eligible for $250 refundable education tuition.
Ms. Naylor said that training was a big issue with employees. She said that Hospitality House offers a training every Monday. She said that employees are asking for more first-aid and CPR training, new employee orientation. At Episcopal Community Services' shop steward stressed the need for de-escalation training, that it provides a set of tools to deal with issues before the become escalated.
Committee Member Nakanishi asked Ms. Casey to place Ms. Naylor on her distribution list when Ms. Casey circulated trainings.
Ms. Naylor said there was a fine line between providing services like training and protecting employee safety. She said that one shop steward had worked for over 7 months before being provided de-escalation training.
Secretary Mecke asked if there were other issues that shelter staff would like to see addressed. He asked if the staff felt there were being supported effectively and safely.
Ms. Naylor said that staff didn't feel supported in their wages or in training.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that he had been a shop steward in the past and if the union provided training that it might help members.
Ms. Naylor said that there was a focus on the most efficient career ladder enhancement. She cited the CHEFS program.
Committee Member Wilson asked if employees were able to seek substance abuse treatment and still keep their job.
Ms. Naylor said that some employees did utilize the program and were able to keep their job. She said that the work of the union was in part to support the labor movement. 78% of all service providers are formerly homeless themselves. She said that there had been an increase in retention at ECS since wages had risen.
Secretary Mecke said that it seemed union members had difficulty feeling supported and clients as well felt a lack of support. He said that at the current staff levels, the ratio of staff to client was stretched thin.
Ms. Naylor said that a Health and Safety Committee had been formed at MSC South to discuss such issues and were currently discussing female staff on a men's floor.
Committee Member Wilson asked if there was outreach to non-union members.
Ms. Naylor said that outreach was done.
Chair Valentine asked if there was disparity between relief workers and regular staff. She asked if Ms. Naylor could provide the number of employees she represents, the sites which utilized the $250 educational stipend, and what types of support the employees were looking for.
Public Comment
Leonard Brown said that there should be more staff on the floor. He said that there was one monitor for 120 men and that staff have to use their personal cell phone.
Kim Clark said that training was big thing right now. She suggested that it be treated almost like school and have graduated levels.
Ms. Naylor said that employees were paid part-time to do homework, which included training opportunities.
B. Data Review Bernice Casey
Ms. Casey reviewed the data report she had developed based on the Human Services Agency's response to the Committee's September 29, 2006 letter, including sleeping unit counts and current winter and interfaith shelter sleeping units.
Committee Member Kats said that the term winter shelter does not mean it ceases to be used in winter.
Secretary Mecke thanked Ms. Casey for her work. He said that the report would be a useful tool and should be part of a larger needs assessment that should be conducted annually.
Committee Member Wilson asked for a further breakdown of case management beds.
Ms. Casey said that the breakdown of beds differed between fiscal years because that is the way the information was provided by HSA.
Committee Member Wilson said that a new analysis needs to be done for beds that become available at 10:00 PM and are vacated at 5:30 AM. The City should be looking at duration of stay. He said that the Providence Shelter was having people leave early in the morning.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that City should be able to run a breakdown of the beds.
Chair Valentine said that the City was responsible for collecting this type of data and it should be going to the Mayor's Office and the Board of Supervisors. She said it was useful and appropriate and asked that it be included in the quarterly report.
Ms. Casey reviewed the winter bed sections and explained that approximately 130 beds had been added to the shelter system for the winter.
Chair Valentine said that information provided by the City had been inconsistent.
Committee Member Iranyi said that 50 mats had been provided for families and the City had said shelter for 50 families had been provided.
Committee Member Kats said that the request had been for winter shelter sleeping units not new units. He said that the Committee had not requested a specific format for the information to be presented.
Chair Valentine asked where the numbers in the media [regarding winter shelters] had come from.
Vice Chair Ochoa suggested that the Committee draft a letter to Acting Director Joyce Crum requesting a representative attend the meeting who can answer the questions the Committee has that it was unfair to put Committee Member Kats in that position.
Committee Member Pauson asked for clarification on the vacancy report.
Ms. Casey said that she had requested a vacancy rate report from HSA, which should have shown the number of vacancies in the shelter system.
Committee Member Wilson suggested gathering data about the spectrum of vacancy over the month to get a reflection of the reality of different parties at the end of the month.
Committee Member Pauson said that there is family turnover and sometimes shelter beds are empty when there is a family waiting for shelter.
Committee Member Liz Olson said that there seemed to be a lack of women's beds.
Ms. Casey said that a further gender analysis needs to be done.
Committee Member Kats said that the 45 beds at Women's World were not lost.
Committee Member Wilson said that there was a loss of those 45 beds.
Public Comment
Ali Schalgeter from the Local Homeless Coordinating Board thanked the Committee for putting together the data report.
Committee Member Kats stated that HSA had received multiple requests for the same information by the Committee, the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, and the Ten Year Plan Implementation Council.
Ms. Casey said that she was unaware of multiple requests and asked Committee Member Kats to provide examples.
C. Confidentiality Diana Valentine
The Committee reviewed draft letters to the HSA and the Department of Public Health (DPH) requesting copies of policies adopted by the both agencies which ensure that client confidentiality is protected.
Committee Member Nakanishi said that information was distributed DPH to HSA. He said that Maria X. Martinez, DPH's privacy officer and the DPH Deputy City Attorney had been consulted and that a new policy was being developed that would include pre-made messages to be distributed to services providers when a health concern is raised.
Action: Approved draft letter
m/s/c (Wilson/Ochoa/Unanimous)
Public Comment
A member of the public asked for details about the incident.
Committee Member Nakanishi explained that the health status of two homeless clients had been released to shelter directors.
Committee Member Kats said that clients' information is in the system.
A member of the public asked how long information stays in the system.
Committee Member Kats said the information was maintained indefinitely.
Committee Member Nakanishi said that Committee Members did not need to respond to public comment.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that the conversation had become one on one and asked the member of the public to follow up with staff is she had other questions.
D. Response to San Francisco Chronicle Diana Valentine
Item postponed.
E. Elections Department Diana Valentine
Item postponed.
V. Old Business Action
A. Annual Report Bernice Casey
Staff person Bernice Casey reviewed the 2005-2006 annual report for the Shelter Monitoring Committee and Local Homeless Coordinating Board.
Action: Approved annual report
m/s/c (Wilson/Ochoa/Unanimous)
Vice Chair Ochoa asked that the report reflect current members.
Secretary Mecke noted that future reports should focus on the lack of the standard of care in the shelter system. He noted that quality of care bar differs at each site. Secretary Mecke said that Committee should try very hard to track mechanisms that have been changed and document how clients have experienced those changes.
B. St. Boniface Diana Valentine
Ms. Casey reviewed the memo regarding St. Boniface.
Committee Member Kats said that there had been a community meeting on November 7 and that he had not been notified of the meeting.
St. Boniface Interim Executive Director John Weeks said that they had held two community meetings on November 7 at the 366 Clementina site.
Committee Member Wilson disclosed that he was now working with St. Boniface. He said they had posted information in the neighborhood regarding the community meeting. He noted that some of the community concerns had to do with sidewalk obstruction.
Mr. Weeks said the community meetings provided a venue to clarify any preconceptions. There was a rumor that there were 400 to 500 beds at the shelter.
Committee Member Wilson said he believed that Committee Member Kats had been notified.
Committee Member Nakanishi said that Committee Members should make past reports available to the public where St. Boniface was referred to the "best practices model."
Committee Member Quintin Mecke said that he was working with St. Boniface on public safety.
Vice Chair Ochoa asked if there was a timeline of when the contract would be finalized.
Mr. Weeks said that they had met on November 20, 2006, with HSA and Dolores Street. The model presented by HSA was completely different that what they [St. Boniface and Dolores Street] had been working on.
Committee Member Iranyi said that Dolores Street had been told they would not be part of the site.
Chair Valentine said that the contract was potentially changing and that bed count had been moved to 65 beds, down from 105.
Secretary Mecke said he understands that contract negotiations could not always be made public and that he was trying to be respectful of Committee Member Kats' role.
Vice Chair Ochoa suggested co-writing a letter with the chairs of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board to Acting Director Joyce Crum.
Committee Member Wilson said there were currently gaps in services and that St. Boniface was working towards common ground.
Mr. Weeks said there were clients sitting on the streets and he hoped the [contract] process would be expedited.
Committee Member Wilson said that St. Boniface was available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to work on this [the contract].
Public Comment
Ali Schlageter said that all three bodies had been working together to coordinate their questions to HSA. She thanked Secretary Mecke for his report before the Board. She said the Board was willing to work with the Committee to hurdle any barriers in getting information.
C. Follow up to CAAP Letter Diana Valentine 15 min
Ms. Casey reviewed the correspondence between the Committee and the County Adult Assistance Program regarding shelter, food, and utilities, noting a lack of response from HSA.
Secretary Mecke said that all future requests for information should be navigated by the coordinators of all 3 bodies. He said that the Committee does need to have access to information because the inspectors are on the frontline and clients are asking him these questions.
Ms. Casey said that the Committee could resubmit the requests through a Sunshine Request but advised the Committee to work with HSA.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that perhaps HSA should meet with the officers of the Committee to review the questions.
Secretary Mecke said that some of the questions were policy questions and the answered provided by HSA don't make sense to clients.
Public Comment
Kim Clark said that Next Door did not allow clients to plug in cell phones at the site due to the power system.
Committee Member Pauson said that the Committee should contact PG&E and get the actual facts of how much wattage is needed to charge a cell phone.
Vice Chair Ochoa said that the lack of a uniform policy [regarding cell phones] complicates the issue.
D. Policies and Procedures Bernice Casey
This item was tabled until the January 2007 Committee Meeting.
VI. REPORTS
A. Shelter Status Greg Kats
Committee Member Kats said that three new CHANGES location have been established, Glide, Hospitality House, and 150 Otis. He also said MAP vans would be equipped with CHANGES.
B. Health David Nakanishi
Committee Member Nakanish said that the Next Door respite floor would reopen in January. He said that the respite staff would be separate from Tom Waddell and would not utilize shelter staff.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 1:32 PM.
To obtain copies of the agenda, minutes, or any explanatory documents, please contact Bernice Casey at 415.255.3653 or Bernice.casey@sfdph.org 72 hours before the meeting.
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