Coordinated Entry

Regional Access Points (RAPs) are an entry point to CE.

These entry points are resource centers where households experiencing homelessness can get help finding housing and other resources. Individuals and families experiencing homelessness may call ahead to schedule an appointment.

To schedule an appointment for a CE Housing Triage Tool, households must contact a Regional Access Point directly.

Regional Access Points have limited walk-in hours available. Walk-ins are first come first served.

Households experiencing homelessness in King County are able to access any RAP, not just the one they are located nearest.

CEA uses a Housing Triage Tool to get more information about the needs of each household experiencing homelessness. This tool is saved in HMIS, and is able to be completed by partner agency staff with appropriate access. Questions about CEA Assessor access? Please reach out to info@kcrha.org

COVID Prioritization

Coordinated Entry for All is currently prioritizing households based on COVID-19 guidance issued by HUD and Washington State Department of Commerce. CE policies have the potential to protect those most vulnerable to the virus’ severe effects by speeding up connections to permanent housing for people at high risk of COVID-19 complications. In response, the Coordinated Entry Policy Advisory Committee approved the COVID Prioritization Policy to be in place during the COVID pandemic. Beginning October 12th, 2020 in order to quickly house people experiencing homelessness who are at high risk for developing serious and life-threatening health complications from COVID-19, Coordinated Entry for All will prioritize households for each Priority Pool who are most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, for all housing openings, using factors determined by Seattle King County Public Health.

For a detailed explanation of COVID Prioritization, please see the COVID Prioritization Presentation

Interim Prioritization Overview

• Prior to 2019, households were prioritized for housing resources based on a formula that weighted a household’s VI-SPDAT score, how long they reported experiencing homelessness, and the length of time since the VI-SPDAT has been entered and saved in HMIS.
• The results produced by using the VI-SPDAT score as the primary factor in prioritization showed significant racial disparities: As of late 2017, for families and single adults, each point increase in assessment score was associated with an increase in the percent of White family heads of households.
• We know the VI-SPDAT is a screening tool that alone does not adequately capture the realities of a household’s vulnerability. Our community is moving towards creating a new, locally developed tool that addresses racial equity as a factor in household prioritization—but in the meantime, we are committed to disrupting racial inequity with the tools and data we currently have.

To that end, an Interim Prioritization workgroup was formed to create new formulas that utilize data already contained in the Housing Triage Tool, as well as length of time homeless and answers to supplemental questions. Supplemental questions are listed in the Housing Triage Tool form in HMIS, and include living history, disabling conditions and criminal background information.

Case Conferencing is the Coordinated Entry System’s process for managing the group of currently prioritized households known as the Priority Pool.

Case Conferencing is facilitated by Coordinated Entry for All staff and attended by service providers across the region who assist prioritized households with service matching, documentation preparation, connection to housing programs post-referral, and other supportive activities. In addition, housing providers who are receiving Coordinated Entry referrals are encouraged to attend weekly Case Conferencing meetings to inform, coordinate, and collaborate with the Coordinated Entry System’s Case Conferencing attendees and CEA staff.

Each week, as households are referred to housing resources, newly prioritized households will be brought into the Priority Pool based on the Coordinated Entry System Prioritization Methodology. Households who disengage with the homeless response system are moved to a Disengaged List; when they re-engage they are immediately returned to the Priority Pool for housing resources referral.

In the event that a housing resource referral is unsuccessful the household will continue to be prioritized. Households can refuse available housing resources based on preference or need without negative repercussion to their prioritized status.

CEA refers households experiencing homelessness to a variety of resources, including Rapid Rehousing, Transitional Housing, Permanent Housing, and Permanent Supportive Housing. 

Coordinated Entry for All (CEA) Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) is part of the Continuum of Care structure, and is responsible for:

• Understanding the daily operations of CEA;
• Working with the Coordinating Entity to identify any policy implications in changes to daily operations;
• Approving policy and procedure recommendations from the Coordinated Entity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of CEA;
• Conducting racial equity analysis when designing policy or when evaluating performance;
• Holding accountability and providing active support to the Coordinating Entity for fulfilling CEA vision;
• Advising the Coordinated Entity based on CEA performance data including the 120 day review and stakeholder input;
• Providing vision and overarching structure recommendations to the All Home Coordinating Board and supports approved solutions to moving forward.  

Decisions and authority held at CEA PAC:

• Make and approve policy decisions that impact daily operations and decision making, but do not change the core vision of CEA affirmed by the All Home Coordinating Board;
• Create and/or recommend workgroups and/or focused “sprints” when CEA issues arise; and
• Develop recommendations and/or propose changes to Coordinating Board when issues of access, prioritization or structure arise.

CEA Forms and Resources

• Quick Guide: Posting Units & Processing Referrals in HMIS
• CEA Mobility Request Form
• Homelessness Waiver
• CEA Data Use Agreement
• Coordinated Entry for All 2019 Evaluation Plan

Manuals

• Seattle-King County Diversion Guidelines
• CEA Assessor Manual 
• CEA Policies and Procedures V.7
• CEA Young Adults Housing Navigation Manual
• CE RAP and Path to Home Manual

Assessors

• Housing Triage Tool
• HMIS Client Consent to Data Collection and ROI
• VA ROI

HMIS Training

Housing Assessor Training

Bitfocus HMIS Forms and Guides

Three 2022 trainings for new and existing Housing Assessors to connect with Coordinated Entry for All (CEA) staff and the HMIS System support team. We will be offering a short demo of the CE Housing Assessor workflow, space for questions, and time to network, and time to share tips and problem-solve with each other.

Trainings:

• Click here to see upcoming trainings
• Housing Assessor Online Training Video

Housing Assessors are a key part of the Coordinated Entry system, and are responsible for:

• Operating as the initial contact for the CEA and communicating eligibility for CEA
• Exploring resources such as diversion, employment, and education.
• Administering the CEA Housing Triage Tool
• Communicating with households about next steps and types of resources available
• Participating in case conferencing.
• Notifying households about other services, resources, and programs they may be eligible for outside of CEA, including housing through YFHPI (also known as BSK), applicable prevention services, BHRD, Section 8, emergency housing, King County affiliated D.D. housing, and other community-based resources (employment services, behavioral health, domestic violence services, etc.)

Catholic Community Services – Seattle

100 23rd Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98144

206-328-5900

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. By appointment only. Drop-in clients often cannot be accommodated.

Please note: Due to demand it’s possible that not all households that seek a walk-in evaluation will be able to be accommodated at the time of walk-in.

Multi-Service Center- Federal Way

1200 S. 336th St., Federal Way, WA 98003

253-874-6718, then select Option 4 for the MSC Regional Access Point.

Beginning July 10, 2019, this phone line will be answered weekly on Wednesdays from 2-5 PM. Outside of that time, please leave a voicemail with your name, or an alias if you’d prefer to protect your identity, and a safe contact number or email address.

Alternatively, inquiries may be submitted via email to RAP@mschelps.org. Voicemails and emails will generally be returned within 3 business days, with some exceptions 

Walk-In Hours: In efforts to address slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, walk-in hours are temporarily suspended, and CEA assessments will temporarily be conducted over the phone. Diversion services will continue without interruption. Call 253-874-6718 for more information.

YWCA Renton

1010 S. 2nd St., Renton, WA 98057

425-523-1377

Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday hours by appointment only.

Walk-In Hours have been temporarily suspended as a preventative measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about King County COVID-19 Response.

Solid Ground – North Seattle

1501 N. 45^th Street Seattle, WA 98103
(206)694-6833
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

In efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, you can call (206)694-6833 to be assessed for diversion or Coordinated Entry over the phone and not present in person at this Regional Access Point. Please be patient as call volume may be heavy.

Catholic Community Services – Bellevue 

(Note:The office is in the First Congregational Church building on the 2nd floor.)

11061 N.E. 2nd St. Bellevue, WA 98004
(206) 328-5900

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. By appointment only. 

Population: All populations 

Please note: Drop-in clients cannot be accommodated at this site. 

The Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs Information and Assistance Call Center is the “Command Center” for Veterans and Neighbors to call to connect homeless Veterans to services. Outreach workers may be “dispatched” by the Call Center and will make contact within 24-hours to Veterans unable to travel. Established outreach methods include:

• Phone
  • WDVA Veterans Information and Assistance Call Center at 206-454-2799; and 2-1-1 Community Information Line. 
• Site based
  • WA State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) office: 2106 2^nd Avenue, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98121
  • VA Puget Sound Community Outreach and Housing Services (CHOS) Renton Walk-in Clinic: 419 S 2^nd Street, Suite 2, Renton, WA 98057
•  Community-based mobile outreach
  • Supportive Services for Veteran Families,
  • VA-Puget Sound CHOS, and
  • King County Veteran and Human Services outreach contracts [El Centro de la Raza, Evergreen Treatment Services (ETS) REACH, Sound Mental Health Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (SMH PATH), Therapeutic Health Services (THS), VA-Puget Sound, Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation (VCC), and WDVA].

YMCA Young Adult Services Drop in Center

2100 24th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144

Drop in:

Monday:1:30-2:30 pm (by appointment only), 2:30-3:30 pm (walk-in)

Wednesday: 2:30-3:30 pm (by appointment only), 3:30 – 4:30 pm (walk-in)

• CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluations are schedule one week in advance. Call 206-749-7550 to schedule an appointment.
• Drop-in CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluations must be claimed by participants in person, the day of

Therapeutic Health Services

1901 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, Seattle, WA 98144

Interested in Housing Navigation? Call: 206-322-7676, ext 6252 or email: latriced@ths-wa.org to schedule an appointment for a CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluation.

YouthCare’s James W. Ray Orion Center

1828 Yale Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

Drop In: Monday: 2-6p

Interested in Housing Navigation? Call 206-622-5555 to schedule an appointment for a CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluation.

New Horizons

2709 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121

Drop in: Mondays & Thursdays from 6-9pm (6pm by appointment, 7-9 walk/drop in)

Interested in Housing Navigation? Call  206-374-0866 to schedule an appointment for a CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluation.

*First hour by appointment only.

Y Social Impact Center

915 H Street SE, Auburn, WA 98002

Interested in Housing Navigation? Call 253-939-2202 to schedule an appointment for a CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluation.

Friends of Youth Redmond

16225 NE 87th Street, #1, Redmond, WA 98052

Drop in: Tuesdays from 10:00am – 12:00pm 

Interested in Housing Navigation? Call 425-298-4846 to schedule an appointment for a CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluation.

Teen Feed

4740 B University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

• Mon-Fri from 7-8pm, or Wednesdays during InReach from 2-4pm.

University District Youth Center

4516 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105

• Tuesdays & Thursdays: 12 pm-3pm

Interested in Housing Navigation? Call 206-522-4366 to schedule an appointment for a CEA Housing Triage Tool evaluation.