Resources & Tools

For Your Agency

Transitioning to Housing Stabilization Services funding for your agency means a variety of administrative changes. Your HSS TA team has created some tools that can make tracking information and making those changes, less of a burden on your agency. Feel free to download and adapt for your agency as needed. And if different tools or changes to these are needed, please be in touch.

Agencies are at different stages in this transition, and our provider toolkit has organized those stages as follows:

Getting Started

Start here if your agency is just beginning to think about Housing Stabilization Services and if it’s right for your agency. In this phase, you will determine whether and how you want to move forward with Housing Stabilization Services and begin preparations to position your agency for success.

Getting Started Learning Session: Helps new providers identify a starting point for implementing Housing Stabilization Services.
Housing Stabilization Services Provider Resources for Getting Started: Links to materials and tools for new providers to review and bookmark.
Housing Stabilization Services Provider Toolkit: Breaks the Housing Stabilization Services implementation process into four phases: Explore, Prepare, Implement and Sustain.
Housing Stabilization Services Transition/Sustaining or Consultation: Helps agencies understand which Housing Stabilization Services type is right for you.
HSS and Housing Support Gantt Chart for Implementation Timeline Planning: Spreadsheet with month-by-month deliverables for developing a Housing Stabilization Services program.

Provider Enrollment

For agencies that have committed to starting a Housing Stabilization Services program and have a general idea of how it will operate. This phase will help your agency ensure it has the infrastructure, staffing, systems and general capacity in place to implement Housing Stabilization Services.

Housing Stabilization Services Provider Enrollment Guide: Step-by-step instructions for applying through DHS to be a Housing Stabilization Services provider.
Provider Enrollment Learning Session: Tips to help you get organized to start the process and provider enrollment process highlights and tools.

Individual Eligibility

Housing Stabilization Services Client Eligibility Flowchart for Agencies: Step-by-step guide to identifying a target population, verifying MA eligibility, gathering documentation and submitting the Housing Stabilization Services eligibility application.
Client Eligibility Learning Session: Guide to developing a system to identify agency clients who are potentially eligible and tips for preparing documentation for eligibility review correctly.
Housing Stabilization Services Potential Eligibility By-Name Tracking Sheet: Track health insurance status, Housing Stabilization Services documentation needs and potential eligibility for clients.

Housing Consultation

Housing Consultation Learning Session: Best practices for completing the Housing Focused Person-Centered Plan.
Directory of Providers to Partner with for Housing Consultation: List of Housing Stabilization Services providers that have indicated that they are interested in providing housing consultation for other providers.

Documentation and Case Noting

Documentation Learning Session: Covers individual service plans; case note requirements, best practices and examples; indirect/direct/remote services.
Housing Stabilization Services Guide for Billable Activities: Helps supportive housing providers correctly translate the services and supports provided to their clients into billable claims. Covers direct/indirect/remote services, tracking units and examples of Housing Stabilization Services activities.
Housing Matters Stabilization Tracking Template: Sample spreadsheet template for tracking billable time.
Housing Matters Documentation Training: Examples and best practices for case noting.

Billing

Billing Housing Stabilization Services Guide for Providers: FAQ covering fee-for-service v. MCO billing, clearinghouses, electronic health records, third-party billing and troubleshooting billing issues.
Health Care Partnerships—MCOs Learning Sessions: Overview of Minnesota’s Managed Care Organizations.
UMPI NPI FAQ: Tips for billing Housing Stabilization Services when using an UMPI.

Serving Clients

Minnesota Public Assistance Program Overview: brief descriptions and links to application forms for Housing Support, General Assistance (GA), Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA), food assistance (SNAP), Emergency Assistance (EA), Minnesota Health Care Programs, and Social Security/SSI.
Health Care Partnerships Learning Session Part 2: Covers Behavioral Health Homes, health care homes, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, Integrated Health Partnerships, Area Agencies on Aging, and Adult Mental Health Initiatives.

Building Staff Capacity and Staff Training

Staffing Learning Session: Tips and tools for hiring and training staff, strategies to support staff through organizational change and best practices on individual service planning for providing Housing Stabilization Services.
Housing Stabilization Services Worker Job Description: Includes performance expectations, purpose, essential duties, mandatory and preferred qualifications, and work environment.
Housing Training Plans Learning Session: Tips and examples for developing a staff training plan to increase housing knowledge; list of resources and training opportunities; first steps for connecting with the housing system.
Mandatory Housing Stabilization Services Provider Trainings: Links and instructions for trainings required by DHS for Housing Stabilization Services staff.

Agency Planning and Budgeting

CSH Services Budget Tool and Companion Guide: A tool to support agencies, communities, and project planners in estimating the total cost of care for providing quality supportive housing services that are evidence based and can achieve positive outcomes for individuals, families, communities and systems. (Worksheet Tool)
Simple HSS Budget Forecasting Tool: Simplified version of a budgeting tool, meant to visualize how much revenue Housing Stabilization Services could generate for your agency, as well as how much billable time each staff person will need to work in order to break even to cover the costs of their pay.
Service Provision Learning Session: Ideas for structuring staffing and budgeting, understanding how to incorporate Housing Stabilization Services into existing services, and review of guidelines for documenting services.
Housing Stabilization Services and Supportive Housing Best Practices Guide: Helps providers understand some of the issues to consider when combining HSS with other funding sources.

Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures Medicaid Academy Slides: Defining policies and procedures and why you need them; example policies and procedures components; guide to developing policies and procedures.

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance Medicaid Academy Slides: Covers CSH Dimensions of Quality and developing a quality improvement and compliance plan.

For Planners

Housing Stabilization Services is an important new tool to expand supportive housing services in your community. These tools will help planners and systems leads to ensure that Housing Stabilization Services is set up in a manner that make sense for your community as a whole.

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February 2022

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