The Coordinated Entry System

What is the Coordinated Entry System?

The Coordinated Entry System (CES) is a collaborative community response to anyone experiencing homelessness. It provides streamlined and equitable access to housing interventions for people experiencing homelessness in Memphis/Shelby County.

Regardless of where someone first seeks services, access is based on vulnerability, eligibility, and choice. The Memphis/Shelby County Coordinated Entry System has been developed to achieve this goal and to align with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. HUD guidelines address key components of Coordinated Entry, including how people access the system, the standardized assessment tools used, and how people are prioritized for different types of housing interventions.

The Coordinated Entry (CES) System uses a Housing First approach and has four process components: access, problem solving, prioritization, and referral. CES is a fully integrated crisis response system that prioritizes housing and supportive services for the most vulnerable people first, so nobody is left without necessary help.

Coordinated Entry is a systematic response to anyone experiencing homelessness within Memphis and Shelby County. Our Coordinated Entry System was created to identify, assist, house, and prevent homelessness in a swift and efficient manner.

Housing First

**COMING SOON**

CES Core Components

HUD requires four core components for all Coordinated Entry Systems. Access serves as the initial point of engagement for those facing housing crises. Following access, then an assessment is administered, where CoC providers evaluate housing needs, preferences, and vulnerability progressively. Prioritization is then determined, ensuring those with the highest need receive priority access to community resources. Finally, Matchmaking connects individuals to available CoC housing resources based on established prioritization guidelines.

ACCESS: No Wrong Door Approach

The Memphis/Shelby County Coordinated Entry System (CES) uses a “No Wrong Door Approach” for those experiencing homelessness as access to the CES. This approach allows for those persons to access the CES and be assessed for housing eligibility regardless of which agency they initially connect with. This DOES NOT mean an agency who enters persons into CES, who cannot provide services is obligated to do so.

ASSESSMENT: Phased Assessment

The Memphis/Shelby County CES completes assessments in phases. HUDs Coordinated Entry Core Components guidance suggests collecting information through assessments in phases to capture information as needed and limit how frequently the person being assessed must repeat any intrusive or potentially traumatizing information. Therefore, the CES has a phased assessment process. There are two phases to the assessment process:

PRIORITIZATION

Once assessed, the person is then able to be prioritized in CES. The assessment is the first factor taken into consideration with prioritization. The assessment helps determine the type of housing that is best suited for the assessed.

The person’s vulnerability or need is determined by analyzing the information obtained from the assessment and case conferencing in routine CES meetings. These meetings capture vulnerability factors that may not be captured in the assessment alone. In addition to the vulnerability assessment score, additional vulnerability considerations include items such as length of time homeless, number of times homeless, number and severity of mental and/or medical problems, age, etc.

MATCHMAKING

After prioritization processes, the CES team connects the prioritized person(s) to the available CoC housing solutions that are most appropriate for their needs. Once the appropriate match is identified, they are then matched. Therefore, individuals are matched to CoC housing solutions based on their vulnerability level. All housing matchmaking is voluntary and is always the client’s choice.

No Wrong Door (NWD) Approach

This approach allows for those persons to access the CES and be assessed for housing eligibility regardless of which agency they initially connect with. This DOES NOT mean an agency who enters persons into CES, who cannot provide services is obligated to do so.

Persons experiencing homelessness can be entered into the CES at any of the below agencies that have CES assessors. The below CES assessors are community service providers for a variety of populations. Below are CES assessors in the community in alphabetical order, please note the population the agency primarily provides services to.

Below are all the “DOORS” in the No Wrong Door Approach

Catholic Charities of West TN (CCWTN) Individuals, Youth & Veterans 1325 Jefferson Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 901-722-4762	Hospitality HUB Individuals 590 Washington Ave, Memphis, TN 38105 (901) 730-1736
Case Management Inc (CMI) Individuals 3171 Directors Row, Memphis, TN 38131 (901)821-5600	MIFA Families 910 Vance Ave, Memphis, TN 38126 (901) 527-0208 Hotline for Homeless Families: (901) 529-4545
Friends for All (FFA) Individuals 1548 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 (901) 272-0855	OUTMemphis LGBTQ youth 892 Cooper St, Memphis, TN 38104 (901) 278-6422

NOTE: You can be entered into CES at any of the below agencies, ALTHOUGH if you are a family and you are entered into CES at an agency who only provides services to individuals you cannot ask for services but they may be able to direct you on the direction of a population specific service provider after entering you into CES.

NEW Assessment COMING

Why our CES uses a Phased Assessment Approach

Introducing a phased assessment approach was intended to ensure our community practices are trauma-informed. The assessment itself captures only a small amount of data.

The validity of the process relies on those completing the phased assessments to utilize the CES questionnaire as a conversation for the assessor to understand the person(s) circumstances as they relate to their homelessness.

The information in the questionnaire is essential to move forward. However, CES recognizes NO assessment paints an accurate picture of a human and their circumstances—those additional information points not directly assessed in the CES Questionnaire. Many families’ questionnaires are identical, but their circumstances surrounding their unhoused status differ.

Therefore, many questions are already and will continue to be asked regarding families in CES as we continue to understand better specific circumstances that would make them ‘more vulnerable’ (per Hud, as required). Thus, it is best to help and actively participate in the community collaborative effort to assist those experiencing homelessness.

Without doing our collective best to understand better the circumstances, patterns, and gaps in our community, we are just gathering information without considering the participants are human beings. They should be met with a trauma-informed soft touch.

CES Assessment: 1st Phase

YHDP Assessment
This initial assessment is for YOUTH ONLY (18-24)
This also includes pregnant and parenting youth.
CES Questionnaire
This initial questionnaire is for EVERYONE EXCEPT YOUTH

CES Assessment: 2nd Phase
Vulnerability Assessment: VI-SPDAT
Individual Vulnerability Assessment
Family Vulnerability Assessment (w/ dependent child(ren))
Youth Vulnerability Assessment (18-24 y/o)

Coordinated Entry Training

If your agency would like to receive access to the Coordinated Entry System, please complete the following training video along with its corresponding quiz. Once the quiz has been completed with 100% accuracy, please reach out to Curtis Watson (curtis@cafth.org) for next steps.

Coming soon!