The Coordinated Entry System

What is the Coordinated Entry System?

The Coordinated Entry System (CES) is a collaborative community response to anyone experiencing homelessness. It provides streamlined and equitable access to housing interventions for people experiencing homelessness in Memphis/Shelby County.

Regardless of where someone first seeks services, access is based on vulnerability, eligibility, and choice. The Memphis/Shelby County Coordinated Entry System has been developed to achieve this goal and to align with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. HUD guidelines address key components of Coordinated Entry, including how people access the system, the standardized assessment tools used, and how people are prioritized for different types of housing interventions.

The Coordinated Entry (CES) System uses a Housing First approach and has four process components: access, problem solving, prioritization, and referral. CES is a fully integrated crisis response system that prioritizes housing and supportive services for the most vulnerable people first, so nobody is left without necessary help.

Coordinated Entry is a systematic response to anyone experiencing homelessness within Memphis and Shelby County. Our Coordinated Entry System was created to identify, assist, house, and prevent homelessness in a swift and efficient manner.

Housing First

This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, budgeting properly, or attending to substance use issues. Additionally, Housing First is based on the understanding that client choice is valuable in housing selection and supportive service participation, and that exercising that choice is likely to make a client more successful in remaining housed and improving their life.

Housing First does not require people experiencing homelessness to address the all of their problems including behavioral health problems, or to graduate through a series of services programs before they can access housing. Housing First does not mandate participation in services either before obtaining housing or in order to retain housing.

Housing First is premised on the following principles:

Homelessness is first and foremost a housing crisis and can be addressed through the provision of safe and affordable housing.
All people experiencing homelessness, regardless of their housing history and duration of homelessness, can achieve housing stability in permanent housing. Some may need very little support for a brief period of time, while others may need more intensive and long-term supports.
Everyone is “housing ready.” Sobriety, compliance in treatment, or even criminal histories are not necessary to succeed in housing. Rather, homelessness programs and housing providers must be “consumer ready.”
Many people experience improvements in quality of life, in the areas of health, mental health, substance use, and employment, as a result of achieving housing. People experiencing homelessness have the right to self-determination and should be treated with dignity and respect.
The exact configuration of housing and services depends upon the needs and preferences of the population.

Coordinated Entry Director – Kirsten Hipkins, MSW

The CES Director oversees all operations of the CES, including its continuous evolution and quality improvement. The director provides community support through technical assistance and works to identify gaps and barriers experienced by those in the CES, addressing them to ensure the specific needs of the Memphis/Shelby County community regarding housing insecurities are met. They support the community of service providers and housing providers through technical assistance and ensure CES policies and procedures align with local and national CoC intentions. The director stays current on best practices and changes made locally and nationally as CAFTH strives to end homelessness in Memphis/Shelby County.

Coordinated Entry Administrator – Ashton Alexander

The CES Administrator is responsible for operating and facilitating Family and Youth Coordinated Entry. The administrator continually works on expanding the CES by engaging with various service providers to include a wide range of services and resources for those who interact with the CES. Additionally, the administrator serves as the point of contact for all service providers and housing providers in relation to the CES.

Coordinated Entry Coordinator – Pamela Saba

The CES Coordinator oversees the operation and facilitation of the Individual CES. This role involves continuous data analysis through the HMIS system to ensure CES meets HMIS standards. The coordinator is responsible for monitoring and executing all CES annual and supportive training(s)

Coordinated Entry Special Populations Coordinator

The CES Special Population Coordinator is responsible for the implementation and facilitation of the Special Populations CES. They operate exclusively in the Comparable Database (CDB) to ensure a safe and protected avenue for all protected populations to be housed fairly within the CES.

No Wrong Door (NWD) Approach

This approach allows for those persons to access the CES and be assessed for housing eligibility regardless of which agency they initially connect with. This DOES NOT mean an agency who enters persons into CES, who cannot provide services is obligated to do so.

Persons experiencing homelessness can be entered into the CES at any of the below agencies that have CES assessors. The below CES assessors are community service providers for a variety of populations. Below are CES assessors in the community in alphabetical order, please note the population the agency primarily provides services to.

Below are all the “DOORS” in the No Wrong Door Approach

Catholic Charities of West TN (CCWTN) 1325 Jefferson Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 901-722-4762	Hospitality HUB 590 Washington Ave, Memphis, TN 38105 (901) 730-1736
Case Management Inc (CMI) 3171 Directors Row, Memphis, TN 38131 (901)821-5600	MIFA 910 Vance Ave, Memphis, TN 38126 (901) 527-0208 Hotline for Homeless Families: (901) 529-4545
Friends for All (FFA) 1548 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 (901) 272-0855	OUTMemphis LGBTQ youth 892 Cooper St, Memphis, TN 38104 (901) 278-6422

NOTE: You can be entered into CES at any of the below agencies, ALTHOUGH if you are a family and you are entered into CES at an agency who only provides services to individuals you cannot ask for services but they may be able to direct you on the direction of a population specific service provider after entering you into CES.

CES Assessments & Processes

Phased Assessment Approach

Introducing a phased assessment approach was intended to ensure our community practices are trauma-informed. The assessment itself captures only a small amount of data.

The validity of the process relies on those completing the phased assessments to utilize the CES questionnaire as a conversation for the assessor to understand the person(s) circumstances as they relate to their homelessness.

The information in the questionnaire is essential to move forward. However, CES recognizes NO assessment paints an accurate picture of a human and their circumstances—those additional information points not directly assessed in the CES Questionnaire. Many families’ questionnaires are identical, but their circumstances surrounding their unhoused status differ.

Therefore, many questions are already and will continue to be asked during By-Name List meetings as we continue to understand better specific circumstances that would make them ‘more vulnerable’ (per Hud, as required). Thus, it is best to help and actively participate in the community collaborative effort to assist those experiencing homelessness.

Without doing our collective best to understand better the circumstances, patterns, and gaps in our community, we are just gathering information without considering the participants are human beings. They should be met with a trauma-informed soft touch.

CES Assessment: 1st Phase

YHDP Assessment – For youth ONLY (18-24) Including pregnant 7 parenting youth

CES Questionnaire – For everyone except youth

CES Assessment: 2nd Phase

Memphis Vulnerability Assessment (MVA)

When to do the 2nd Phase Assessment

***ONLY YHDP Navigators complete the MVA for youth***

When completing the CES Questionnaire, you immediately do the 2nd phase assessment if they:

can meet their Activities for Daily Living (ADLs)

AND

Are a Veteran

Are pregnant

Single parent with 3+ dependents under 6 years old

Have dependent(s) who have a documented disability

They are fleeing DV/IPV/Trafficking

If the participant answers NO to the Daily Activities question on the CES Questionnaire, no matter their circumstances, they do not receive a MVA.

If they answer YES to the Daily Activities question and is a veteran, pregnant, family with 3 or more dependents, families who have 2 or more dependents under the age of 10 or any of the dependents have disabilities.

All CES Questionnaire and MVA clients will be reviewed at routine CES meetings.

Coordinated Entry Training

If your agency would like to receive access to the Coordinated Entry System, please complete the following training video along with its corresponding quiz. Once the quiz has been completed with 100% accuracy, please reach out to Pamela Saba (pamelan@cafth.org) for next steps.

Coordinated Entry Training Video

Click here to take the quiz.

Memphis/SHelby County Cooridnated Entry System Policy & Procedure Manual

CES Policy & Procedure Manual Index

1. Introduction & Overview

1.1 HUD, CoC, CES

1.2 CAFTH CES Team

1.3 CES Contributor Roles & Responsibilities

2. CES Meetings

2.1 CES By-Name List Meetings

2.2 CES Housing Team Meetings

2.3 CES Meeting Attendance

3. CES Guiding Principles

3.1 Fair Access

3.2 Housing First Approach

3.3 Low Barrier

3.4 Racial Equity

3.5 Affirmative Marketing

3.6 Non-Discrimination

3.7 Grievance

3.8 CES Evaluation

3.9 Release of Information (ROI)

4. Databases for CES

4.1 Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS)

4.2 Comparable Database (CDB)

4.3 Data Privacy

4.4 Inactive CES Participants

4.5 Non-CDB users Identifying Special Populations person(s)

5. CES Trainings

5.1 New CES Contributor Training

5.2 Routine CES Trainings

6. CES Core Components

6.5 Client CES Eligibility Documentation

6.6 Supportive Documentation

6.7 CoC Housing Types & Components

7. CoC Housing Providers in CES

7.1 Notifications of Vacancies

7.2 Client Choice in Match Making

7.3 Client Population Change Following Match Making

7.4 Declining or Canceling Matches

7.5 CoC CES Program Transfer

7.6 Rehousing CES Clients

7.7 Eviction

7.8 CoC Housing Program Termination

APPENDIX

A. HMIS Release of Information (ROI)

B. HUD Homelessness Definitions

C. CES Contributor Confidentiality Agreement

D. CoC Housing Program Internal CES Transfer Form

E. Verification of Disability (VOD) form

F. Verification of Homelessness (VOH) Program/Facility

G. Verification of Homelessness (VOH) Third Party Unsheltered

H. Verification of Homelessness (VOH) Self-Certification

I. CoC Housing Program Termination Form

J. CES Grievance Form

K. RRH/PSH Transfer Request Form

CES Forms

Decision Tree: Who should be entered into the Coordinated Entry System?

Decision Tree: Determining if the MVA should be administered following the CES Enrollment

CES Checklist: Entering Persons 24 & Older into CES

CES Checklist: Encountering Homeless Youth Checklist

CES Questionnaire (1st Phase of Assessment)

Memphis Vulnerability Assessment (MVA)

CES Grievance Form

Verification of Forms

Verification of Disability

Verification of Homelessness Third Party Shelter/Facility

Verification of Homelessness Third Party Unsheltered

Verification of Homelessness Self Certification

HUDs Guidance: Chronic Homelessness Status (required for PSH)

VOH: Letter from Emergency Shelter Template

VOH: Letter from Agency/Service Provider Template

CES Housing Provider Forms

CoC Housing Program Internal CES Transfer Form

CoC Housing Program Termination Form

RRH/PSH Transfer Request Form

Youth References

Youth FAQ

Youth Navigator Cheat Sheet