Oregon Balance of State HIV/AIDS Housing & Services Systems ...

44 Oregon HIV/AIDS Housing and Services Systems Integration Plan
Homelessness. However, the HIV/AIDS housing and services and homelessness systems are not
well-coordinated.
7. Lack of Shared Data and Coordinated Planning Between HIV/AIDS and Homeless
Systems
Limited data is available on the overlap between the challenges of homelessness and HIV/AIDS in
Oregon, and few HIV/AIDS agencies participate in homeless services or housing planning
processes. Although research shows a strong correlation between HIV and housing instability, and
HOPWA has recently required grantees to track homelessness among clients, information systems
are not yet well integrated on the client or systems levels. This makes it difficult for OHOP to
compare data from its epidemiological and programmatic sources against services being used
through homeless services providers. Better data integration would allow OHOP to better document
its resource leveraging and help prevent duplication of services for clients served by multiple
systems, and could also prevent some clients from falling through the cracks and not receiving
referrals for needed services.
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) uses a customized Homeless Management
Information System (HMIS) called OPUS to collect data for its homelessness services and Low
Income Energy Assistance Programs (LIEAP) in the balance of state. The OHOP program has not
historically used an HMIS program, but is planning to begin using ServicePoint, the HMIS system
used in the Portland area. Since OHOP does administer an allocation of state LIEAP funds, staff are
able to access OPUS for the limited purposes of that program, although there is limited funding to
expand OHOP’s use of and integration with OPUS at this time.
8. Incomplete Integration of HIV/AIDS Issues into Continua of Care
Steering Committee members identified the need to provide better information about people living
with HIV/AIDS for the sections of Continuum of Care applications that address subpopulations.
The inclusion of this population in Continuum of Care planning should also be more meaningful,
and include participation in meetings.
The underutilization of Shelter Plus Care (S+C) was another issue noted by the Steering Committee.
There is currently only one Shelter Plus Care project in Oregon’s balance of state, in the
Eugene/Springfield/Lane County Continuum of Care. Some Continua of Care in Oregon are
reluctant to apply for “bonus” projects (such as S+C projects) beyond pro-rata need, because of the
potential burden on sponsor agencies of administrative costs and service match requirements. Those
concerns must be addressed in order to ensure that Oregon’s communities leverage the maximum of
Continuum of Care funding opportunities. For example, the project in Lane County previously
accepted client referrals from only one provider, but recently has begun working with OHOP to take
referrals to fill unused program slots.
Addictions and Mental Health
9. Addictions and Mental Health Services Gap
The Steering Committee saw a significant gap in services for addictions and mental health services
among people living with HIV/AIDS in Oregon’s balance of state. Oregon’s new competitive
HOPWA Special Project of National Significance (SPNS) grant (the Oregon Housing and
Behavioral Health Initiative, or OHBHI) was recognized as an important source of support for
services and an effort to better integrate HIV/AIDS housing and services with behavioral health