What a year! 2019 was a year of significant change and growth for the RTFH. We are excited to build on our accomplishments in 2020 across the region and continue to collaborate with our partners around our communities of practice, updated PIT mobile tech, coordinated plans to address homelessness and new investments in proven strategies. We added more expertise from those with lived experience in homelessness on our board and a Youth Action Board made up of all lived experiences. We recognized the critical importance of supporting this work and worked to add three new executive staff: Chief Operations Officer, Lehela Mattox, Director of Strategic Impact, Aimee Cox and Chief Programs Officer, Paul Armstrong. We are committed in 2020 to build on the momentum and successes of 2019 and with our board and stakeholders lead the efforts in improving the system wide efforts to address and alleviate homelessness.
As you contemplate your commitments for 2020, I hope you will consider volunteering for this year's #WeAllCount. It is very important that we accurately count our homeless community in order to secure the appropriate funds to best serve these clients based on their individual housing needs.
Tamera Kohler
Chief Executive Officer
2020 #WeAllCount
Calling out to Volunteers for Point-in-Time Count! Thursday January 23rd, 4am - 8am
Thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers that show up bright and early and ready to work every year for the Point-in-Time Count!
We are still in NEED of Volunteers and can use YOUR Help!
Lets Start the Year Off with a Strong Count Please register here: sandiego.pointintime.info
The purpose of #WeAllCount is to collect data on the needs of our people experiencing homelessness in our community. The count also provides an excellent opportunity to increase awareness of homelessness to spark action. A successful and accurate count is an essential component to driving our regional response and to ultimately help make homelessness rare, brief and a one-time occurrence in San Diego County.
We are in need of Outreach and Volunteers. Be sure to recruit your friends, family, and co-workers to count with you, to help ensure that we are able to account for all of our homeless neighbors for this year's count. If you are an Outreach Worker, we encourage you to sign-up and assist in the engagement of our un-sheltered neighbors. If you are interested in volunteering, please click the link above.
An Exciting Change for 2020!
This year The Regional Task Force on the Homeless is excited to be using the Counting Us App. The Counting Us App was designed by Simtech Solutions. It is a monitoring and evaluation tool developed with the primary purpose of supporting communities with the annual Point in Time (PIT) homeless census. For homeless engagement purposes you are encouraged to download the Counting Us App.
If you would like to make donations to the PIT survey efforts for our volunteers to distribute during the 2020 WeAllCount PIT in January, contact: abrea.ponce@rtfhsd.org or jennamarie.glenna@rtfhsd.org
A Look Back on RTFH 2019 Accomplishments
The dedicated staff at the RTFH along with the support of our many partners put their best foot forward in 2019.
Here are some of our accomplishments:
We were nationally and regionally recognized PITC methodology change to an engaged survey count to help better identify people experiencing homelessness in San Diego.
We had a smooth HMIS Transition and Launch to a more client-centered software.
We bought on National and International experts to provide training and guidance to service providers.
Implementation of Communities of Practice including the RRH Learning Collaborative, Outreach and Diversion training's.
We received 3 Awards from the Youth Will , the San Diego Hospital Association and Stella Housing Fair.
A successful first Housing Fair lease up event, a one day event leasing up to 62 units.
Switched to in Person HMIS & CES Work-flow Training, this provides in person proactive response to data quality.
A Shared Consent form for data integration with CIE was completed allowing data integration from HMIS that will help the coordination of care across systems.
The RTFH was recognized as a National, Regional and Local leader and knowledge expert.
Our CEO, Tamera Kohler, served on a 4 person steering committee overseeing the development of City of San Diego Action Plan.
We are finalizing an Outreach Policy Guidelines that was developed based on local input on a shared vision and approach for San Diego County.
We have secured 2 years contracts with all of our HUD TA's
Live Case Conferencing was implemented where housing resource providers and client advocates can come together to find the right housing resources for our clients.
Beginning in February 2019, the CES began meeting with organizations individually to walk through what it means to be an Access Site.
New Executive Staff Hires The RTFH would like to introduce our Leadership Team
Lahela Mattox, Chief Operations Officer
Lahela Mattox has more than two decades of experience in behavioral health, housing, and workforce development in both California and Hawaii. Since August 2018, Ms. Mattox has served with the State of California’s Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council (HCFC) and successfully executed the $500 million Homeless Emergency Aid Program. In July 2019, she was appointed as HCFC’s Director of Local Partnership Programs and designed the $650 million Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program. Ms. Mattox has expertise in working with partners at local, state, and federal agencies to develop resources and deploy technical assistance to local jurisdictions in addressing the homelessness crisis. Her previous government experience was with the Department of Health Care Services and Mental Health Services Division, where she served as the Chief of the Certification Unit and certified and licensed psychiatric facilities and programs throughout the state. She also partnered with the California Department of Social Services to implement AB403: Foster Care Continuum of Care Reform. Ms. Mattox is passionate about building partnerships and working collaboratively to build stronger communities and practices being impactful, intentional, and inclusive. Ms. Mattox holds an MA in Counseling from Chapman University and a BA in Psychology from Hawaii Pacific University.
Paul Armstrong Chief Program Officer
Paul Armstrong is a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Upon graduation from college, he joined the United States Navy where he served as a Supply Corps Officer. In preparation of becoming a Navy Chaplain, he transitioned from the Navy for a season and served as a senior pastor for a non-denominational church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He returned to the Navy as a Chaplain where he completed over twenty years of service. After his retirement from the Navy, he joined The Salvation Army's work in: homelessness, senior nutrition, and social services at seven community centers. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of New Mexico. He earned his Masters in Business Administration from Brenau University, Masters of Divinity from Bethel Seminary and his Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California.
Aimee Cox, Director of Strategic Impact
Aimee Cox is a dedicated public servant and change agent recognized for tackling challenging issues in Colorado’s Pikes Peak region. She began her career managing complex preservation and park development projects then moved into housing, community, and economic development for the City of Colorado Springs. She served a four-year term as Manitou Springs’ Mayor Pro Tem, where she helped implement an extensive downtown revitalization plan during the Great Recession. She was recruited as the first Colorado Springs City Council Administrator following a change in the form of government in 2011, and in 2013 was appointed by the Mayor to lead the Initiative to End Homelessness in Colorado Springs. Under her leadership, the City reorganized the administration of its HUD programs and partnered to build the community’s first low barrier shelter and day center. These changes helped allocate available resources towards building the first permanent supportive housing complex, and helped commit funds for 500 units of affordable housing. She was most recently the CEO of Community Health Partnership (CHP), where she oversaw access to care for more than 170,000 Medicaid Members and advanced health equity using collaborative methods. Under Aimee’s direction, CHP undertook the lead agency role for the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care, overseeing the planning, data system management (HMIS), and coordinated entry for regional homeless programs. Aimee has an MA in sociology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
The RTFH Board of Directors
The next regular Board meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday, January 16th, 2020. Please see the RTFH Events Calendar to locate updated dates, times, and locations.
HMIS Highlights
New Hire!
My name is Nathan, and I just joined the HMIS team as a Data
Analyst. I recently graduated from UCSD with a Bachelor's
degree in Cognitive Science, and prior to starting this position,
I was an intern at Becton Dickinson where I helped improve the user
experience of their learning management system. I've
done some volunteer work with Notch and Birthline, two
San Diego-based non-profit organizations that are focused on mothers with young children. I am very excited to begin this new opportunity at the RTFH!
You are receiving this because you opted for updates on the RTFH when you volunteered for the 2017 WeAllCount, or because you are a member of our Continuum of Care.
