Strategies To End Homelessness
2368 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45206
The Central Access Point (CAP) Helpline for the Homeless
Grant Application:
The Central Access Point (CAP) Helpline for the Homeless is the centralized emergency shelter intake helpline (513-381-SAFE) operated by Strategies to End Homelessness 363 days a year. It is the one number anyone experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in Hamilton County needs to call to get information about services, check for space in emergency shelters, and other homelessness system programs, and/or be placed in a shelter or homelessness prevention program. The CAP Helpline was one of the first centralized emergency shelter access systems in the nation.
Our trained Intake Specialists determine if the caller needs shelter immediately or if they can be referred to services that prevent homelessness. They then make placements directly into shelters and other housing or shelter diversion programs. CAP Helpline Intake Specialists place callers directly into 15 different programs and refer callers to other programs in the community if these programs do not address their needs.
Goals/Objectives:
The original goals for the CAP Helpline were to assist approximately 2,045 children and 675 young adults during the project period. Additionally, the targets for the CAP Helpline outcomes, generally, were to: 1) Screen 100% of callers for eligibility to receive services or resources; 2) Place at least 30% of callers into a program; 3) Ease access to resources by reducing call wait times by 50% to 6 minutes 30 seconds on average.
Grant Evaluation Report:
The CAP Helpline met or exceeded all three of its outcome goals during the grant period, even in the midst of an unprecedented increase in calls.
All outcome measurements of the CAP Helpline are shared regularly with partner organizations. The CAP Helpline staff facilitate an annual Improvement and Collaboration meeting with partner agencies to get feedback and discuss ideas for improvements. Last year at this meeting, Street Outreach Workers identified barriers accessing the CAP Helpline when working with people experiencing street homelessness. The barriers they identified were hold wait times, access to a phone, and Street Outreach Workers meeting with clients earlier in the day than the CAP Helpline opens. After hearing this, our CAP Helpline staff identified and implemented a solution. They extended the hours of the CAP Helpline exclusively for Street Outreach Workers who are working with people experiencing street homelessness.
In the Spring of 2023, the CAP Helpline staff started sending out surveys to CAP Helpline callers who were placed into a program. The CAP Helpline Intake Specialists attempt to record an email address for every caller and two weeks after a household is placed into a program, they send a survey link to each household. Right now, they are in the phase of trying to establish a baseline response rate of placed households. The long-term goals are to increase the response rate and to utilize the feedback to improve the program.
Results:
During the program period the CAP Helpline served 2,169 children and 745 young adults. This represents an increase from the numbers served in 2021. This is in line with the increase in the total number of calls the CAP Helpline has experienced during the last several years. In 2020 the CAP Helpline answered a total of 17,710 calls for assistance. Over two years that increased to 36,487 calls in 2022. This represents a 105% increase from the number of calls in 2020. Additionally, through the first half of 2023, the CAP Helpline has answered 20,795 calls for assistance. The Helpline is on-track to answer more than 41,000 calls by the end of this year. This would be a 131% increase in calls from 2020. The increase in calls to the CAP Helpline indicates that large numbers of people are at high risk of homelessness in the future.
Outcomes for the period include: 100% of callers were screened for eligibility to receive services. The target for this outcome is 100%, something the CAP Helpline has achieved for many years over. 41% of unduplicated callers were placed into a program – the target is 30%. Finally, the target for call wait times is less than 6 and a half minutes. For the period, the average wait time was 5 minutes 43 seconds, exceeding that target as well.
Pertaining to long-term objectives, in July of 2022 we made a strategic investment in an improved digital call center platform, which enables us to better monitor wait times and caller queues. Additionally, the platform added automated call-backs, real-time displays, and other features. This improved technology means that calling the CAP Helpline a less stressful, simple, and a faster experience for our callers.
Website:
http://www.strategiestoendhomelessness.org/ Amount: $35,000
Date: July 2022
