What is Happening with the Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assessment Tool in Minnesota?
Over the past year, there has been a lot of discussion statewide about the Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assistance Tool. Should we continue with the current tool? Should we choose a different tool? Should we consider developing our own tool in Minnesota? To address these questions and recommend what we do in the future, the Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assistance Tool Work Group was formed.
What is the Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assistance Tool Work Group?
The Minnesota Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assessment Tool Work Group consists of representatives from Continuums of Care, state homeless programs, the Minnesota Tribal Collaborative, Coordinated Entry priority list managers, and the HMIS systems administrator.
What is the Work Group Doing?
This group is focused on what a Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assistance Tool should look like for Minnesota moving forward.
Beginning in 2019, this group will be working with a technical assistance provider under contract with Minnesota Housing. After an evaluation, the technical assistance provider and the Minnesota Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assessment Tool Work Group will make a recommendation in the summer of 2019 that will either:
- Recommend keeping the current assessment tool as is;
- Recommend moving forward with the existing tool assessment with some recommended improvements on implementation; or
- Recommend replacing the current assessment tool with an already existing assessment tool (one that is successfully being used elsewhere) or recommend developing a new assessment tool
Why does this Work Group Exist?
Minnesota Coordinated Entry stakeholders identified that it is essential that the Coordinated Entry assessment process:
- Promote accurate referralss;
- Implement client centric approaches; and
- Is trauma informed and culturally competent
The workgroup and the technical assistance provider will use these key factors when evaluating Minnesota’s current CE prioritization assistance tool and suggesting potential alternatives moving forward.
What is the Work Group's Timeline?
The Minnesota Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assessment Tool Workgroup will make a recommendation in the summer of 2019. Implementation of any changes to the Coordinated Entry Prioritization Assistance Tool would be a significant project, likely to begin in the fall of 2019.
