The purpose of this article is to provide information about the RRH to PSH Housing Needs Assessment that is required during submission of a RRH to PSH transfer request, alongside the Chronic Homelessness Verification Packet. Please see the Coordinated Entry Transfer Workflows article for more information about how to submit a transfer request. All fields in the Transfer Assessment must be completed, and the Chronic Homelessness Verification Packet and/or RRH to PSH Housing Needs Assessment must be uploaded to HMIS for the transfer request to be processed. In addition, the Coordinated Entry Transfer Policy can be reviewed here.
The RRH to PSH Housing Needs Assessment assesses (1) whether the participant needs the level of services available in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and (2) the participant’s need for ongoing support to remain stably housed. The Assessment should be completed by the case manager, in collaboration with the participant, as a discussion about their housing needs and strengths, with the goal of identifying what support will help them remain stably housed. The assessment should be completed using objective information based on observed behaviors, documentation, and consistent patterns, not likelihood of future behaviors or single events.
This tool is intended to support case managers in determining whether a transfer to PSH is appropriate and necessary due to a participant needing intensive, long-term wraparound services and not just a subsidy.
Pages 3-4: Assessment
Header Information:
- Enter applicant name, HMIS #, Your name, Agency, Email
Assessment table:
- One score per row: For each criterion (each row in Sections 1– 5), read the Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 descriptions, and decide which one best matches the participant's experience in the program so far.
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Enter the stage number: In the “Scale (1–3)” column, write the number of the chosen stage:
- 1 = Stable/low barrier,
- 2 = At Risk/Moderate Barrier,
- 3 = Crisis/High Barrier).
- Do not mark more than one stage per row.
Page 5: Action Plan & Next Steps:
- Rank the four options (1–4): Based on the assessment scores and clinical observation, assign 1 = highest priority and 4 = lowest priority.
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Document participant preferences: Ask and check “Yes/No” for
- (a) wanting ongoing supportive services, and
- (b) willingness to accept an SRO/efficiency;
- If “No” to SRO, check all applicable reasons and briefly describe any “Other” reasons.
- Sign and date: Review choices with the participant, then sign and date the section as the staff completing the plan.
***For more guidance on how to complete the RRH to PSH Housing Needs Assessment and the Chronic Homelessness Verification Packet, please see detailed guidelines attached to this article. In addition, see the attached packet to complete when submitting a transfer request.
***The score a participant receives on the RRH to PSH Housing Needs Assessment does not have an impact on whether the transfer request will be approved.
If you have any questions, please email the Coordinated Entry team, CES@chicagococ.org.