A Coordinated Access System (CAS) is a way for communities to design, streamline, and bring consistency to the process by which people experiencing homelessness access housing and services.

A strong CAS uses a By-Name List and a Housing First Approach along with a standardized and coordinated process for access, assessment, prioritization and referral for housing and other services across all the agencies and organizations in a local area.

Included below is further information on Coordinated Access Systems, the Coordinated Access System Scorecard, and examples from many communities across North America.

Coordinated Access System Information and Overview

A variety of resources are included below to provide you with an overview and further information about Coordinated Access Systems:

• Reaching Home – Coordinated Access Directives (April 2019) – see Policies and Procedures Checklist
• Guidebook – HUD’s Coordinated Entry Core Elements (June 2017)
• Overview Documents – OrgCode’s Thoughts on Progressive Engagement and Coordinated Access (Sept 2017)
• Presentation – OrgCode’s Conference Presentation on By-Name Lists and Coordinated Access (CAEH17)
• Video – a short 3 minute OrgCode video explaining the difference between a By-Name List, Coordinated Access List and Prioritization List (and how they work together).

Blogs:

• Basics of Coordinated Entry from OrgCode (November 2017)
• Three Aspects of Coordinated Entry from OrgCode (February 2019)
• What is a Coordinated Access System? from CAEH (June 2018)
• The Lowdown on Common Assessment Tools from CAEH (June 2018)
  • Backgrounder – Information on Common Assessment Tools – answering the questions: what are they, when are they used, and what makes a good tool.
  • Backgrounder – Homelessness-Specific Common Assessment Tools Currently Used Broadly Across Canada  – all the information we could gather on the VI-SPDAT/SPDAT, the VAT and the YAP to help you make an informed decision about what tool(s) will best meet your community’s needs.

Webinars:

• Coordinated Access Systems with OrgCode 20KHomes webinar (January 2017)
• System’s Planning Collective: How Communities Can Use Coordinated Access for System Planning (May 2018) (includes presentations from Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat)

The Coordinated Access System (CAS) Scorecard is a 23 question self-assessment tool to assist you to review and make improvements in your Coordinated Access System to support your community’s efforts to reach and sustain functional zero on chronic homelessness. Scorecard materials are included below:

CAS Scorecard Guide 

Explains what the CAS Scorecard is, makes suggestions for how to use it, and walks you through the questions (including a further description, tips and sample resources).

You can also watch this CAS Scorecard Recorded Webinar (2 hours) or access the PowerPoint PDF (for a quick review and to access embedded links).  Includes an introduction followed by Medicine Hat and Kingston walking through how they were able to answer “yes” to each question.

CAS  Scorecard Worksheet 

Printable version of all Scorecard questions.  Review the CAS Scorecard with your community – document your progress and plan your next steps.  Here are some Scorecard Group Exercise ideas.

On-line CAS Scorecard Form 

Built for Zero Canada communities are asked to complete this Scorecard Form every quarter until they can answer “yes” to all 23 questions. 

Coordinated Access System (sometimes called coordinated entry) materials from a variety of Canadian and US communities are included below:

• HUD Exchange Coordinated Entry Community Samples Toolkit provides a wide array of examples of coordinated access documents that have been created by communities from across the US. 
• NAEH Coordinated Entry Toolkit provides access to all key US coordinated access guidance documents and examples of coordinated access documents from communities across the US (different examples than HUD Exchange above).
• Pictures of Coordinated Access Systems
• Prioritization Examples
• Case Conferencing Overview and Examples

Canadian Community Coordinated Access System Examples

Calgary Coordinated Access Materials:

• Calgary’s Coordinated Access and Assessment Manual

Guelph-Wellington’s Coordinated Access System (DOOR) Materials:

• Guelph-Wellington Coordinated Entry Guide (Feb 2019) (including lots of sample documents)
• Prioritization Meeting Tool
• Door Agency Checklist
• By-Name List Update Form
• Guelph-Wellington Bright Spot Blog (May 2019)

Hamilton’s Coordinated Access Materials:

• Hamilton BNL Briefing Note
• Hamilton Common Intake Form
• Hamilton Common Assessment Policy
• Hamilton Coordinated Access Action Bulletins – March & May & June & August (2018)

Kawartha-Haliburton Coordinated Access Materials:

• Kawartha-Haliburton Coordinated Entry System Process Guide (including lots of sample documents)
• Coordinated Entry System – Video (4 min – animated)
• Coordinated Entry System – One Page Flyer
• Coordinated Entry System – Diagram
• Coordinated Entry System – 7 Steps
• Coordinated Entry System – Process Map
• Kawartha-Haliburton Bright Spot Blog (Feb 2019)

Kingston’s Coordinated Access Materials:

• CAS Intake Protocol
• Common Consent and CAS Intake Interview
• Assessment Policy for HF and RRH
• Eligibility and Prioritization Policy for HF and RRH
• CAS Scorecard Recorded Webinar (2 hours) (PowerPoint PDF) (Feb 2019) – featuring Kingston’s CAS.

Peterborough Materials:

• All materials in google drive at www.bit.ly/PTBO_homelessness including:
  • Coordinated Access System Process Guide
  • HCRT Terms of Reference
  • VI-SPDAT Forms
  • Intake Forms (single adult, youth and family)
  • Update Form
  • Discharge Form
• Peterborough Coordinated Access Newsletter (April 2019)

Simcoe County

• SCATEH – Coordinated Access Newsletter (May 2019)

Waterloo’s Coordinated Access (PATHS) Materials:

• Waterloo PATHS Framework
• PATHS Housing Support Application Form
• PATHS Team Service Navigators Access and Referral Protocol
• Waterloo Inactive Policy
• PATHS Prioritization Protocol
• PATHS Vacancy Matching Form
• PATHS Rent Assistance Eligibility and Administration Protocol
• PATHS Flex Fund Protocol

Windsor’s Coordinated Access (BNPL) Materials:

• Windsor By-Name Priority List Process Guide 
• BNPL MOU Template
• BNPL Oath of Confidentiality
• BNPL Consent Form
• BNPL Addition and Update Guide
• BNPL Addition and Update Form
• BNPL Addition and Update Form Acronyms
• BNPL Referral Checklist