Eviction Prevention Strategies

Congratulations, you got your client housed! Now, how do you keep them there? The Housing First model was initially developed to serve the individuals in our communities with some of the greatest barriers to success—chronic homelessness, serious and persistent mental illness, substance use disorders, and other disabilities. We know that programs maintaining a high fidelity Housing First practice typically report a housing retention rate of between 85-90%, but this work is not without its challenges. Unwanted guests, noise disturbances, damages, clutter, and unsanitary conditions are just some of the issues property managers, clinicians, and other support professionals contend with in supporting their clients to maintain successful tenancy. In this session, we’ll discuss setting expectations, communication, harm reduction in supportive housing, and strategies for addressing common tenancy challenges. Landlords, program participants, and support staff all share a common goal—keeping people housed! Join us to learn how to preserve your landlord relationships while supporting participant needs and preventing eviction.

Schedule

12:45-1:00 PM   | Virtual training room opens 
1:00-1:10 PM     | Welcome & introductions 
1:10-1:50 PM     | Common challenges in supportive housing 
1:50-2:00 PM     | Break 
2:00-2:25 PM     | The role of harm reduction 
2:25-2:50 PM     | Roles, responsibilities, & communication 
2:50-3:00 PM     | Break 
3:00-3:45 PM     | Developing mutual agreements to maintain housing 
3:45-4:00 PM     | Final thoughts, Q&A

Learning objectives
When attendees return to the workplace, they will be able to:

• Describe the role of harm reduction in supportive housing work
• Identify common tenancy challenges and practical strategies for mitigation
• Practice developing mutual agreements to maintain housing

Target Audience: Social service providers and helping professionals working in supportive housing, agency administrators, CoC leads, property management workers, and/or landlords interested in low barrier housing models.
Social Work Practice Level: This course is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, or advanced BSW/ MSW learners.
Course Delivery Format: Live webinar
Interactivity: This course will offer real-time polling, group discussion prompts, and 15 minutes of Q&A time.
Social Work Continuing Education Credit: 2.5 CE Credits*
Fees: $30 general registration; additional $5 for registration with social work CE credit

Registration includes access to the live event and recording, PDF of slides, and relevant training tip sheets/resources.

Session Facilitators:

Renée Frink-Boyd, CPS (she/her), is a Training Specialist with Pathways to Housing PA’s training and educational initiative, Housing First University. Renee first came to Pathways in 2015 and served as a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) on a non-fidelity Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, where she focused on building meaningful connections with program participants with chronic health conditions. Later, she joined the Pathways’ Center of Excellence as a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Care Manager, where she assisted individuals with accessing MAT and MOUD services. Renee received her Peer Specialist certification in 2013. Her 10+ years of experience in the field includes working as an Employee Specialist at the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities, and as a CPS at Philadelphia area agencies including Horizon House and JFK Behavioral Health. Renee is passionate about building supportive peer relationships with individuals experiencing homelessness and managing co-occurring disorders.
 

Wakida Williams, MS (she/her), is the Assistant Clinical Director at Pathways to Housing PA. She has over 10 years of experience leading Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams and holds a Master of Science in Administration of Human Services, as well as a Bachelor of Criminal Justice. Wakida first joined Pathways in 2013 and held the role of Assistant Team Leader before helping to launch a newly developed clinical team within the agency in 2015. As the Team Leader of Team 6, she spearheaded the creation of services tailored to the unique needs of participants ready to transition to a lower level of care. Team 6 focuses on helping participants to reach their highest level of potential by supporting advanced goals such as maintaining complete financial self-management, obtaining competitive employment, independently managing their behavioral health needs, navigating resource coordination, and transitioning to independent living. Six years later, Team 6 continues to thrive, leading to the development of our Alumni Association (AA), which Wakida oversees. In June 2021, Wakida and Pathways celebrated their first ever graduating class of ten participants and welcomed them into the Alumni Association. 

ACE approval statement: Housing First University: a program of Pathways to Housing PA, provider #1759, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 01/12/2022 - 01/12/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 2.5 clinical continuing education credits.

*Housing First University, a program of Pathways to Housing PA, can provide continuing education credits to licensed social workers in 48 of the 50 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces. Due to current regulations, CE credits cannot be offered to social workers in the states of New Jersey or New York. If you are not a Licensed Social Worker, please check with your board of accreditation to ensure this training meets your licensing needs.

To request an accessibility accommodation, please email: training@pthpa.org

For questions or comments, please contact: 
Ryan Villagran, LSW 
Continuing Education Director 
Housing First University, a program of Pathways to Housing PA
rvillagran@pthpa.org (215) 390-1500, ext. 1430