SSHA did extremely well in the recent Public Service Quality Fair (PSQF) awards, continuing a multi-year winning streak. We'll be showcasing the seven winning projects on September 24 at the Metro Convention Centre, along with two other projects that received exhibitor status at the show.
SSHA's awards represent 30% of the awards given to the City of Toronto this year - seven of the total 24 City projects recognized.
The special thing about our team's winning projects is that they are all Division-wide initiatives, and in most cases, represent cross-divisional and/or non-profit community collaboration as well.
The PSQF awards, now in their 10th year, celebrate service excellence in the federal, provincial, municipal, health-care and education sectors across the Province of Ontario. They recognize initiatives that reflect the National Quality Institute's (NQI) customer-service philosophy and excellence, using the specific public sector criteria developed by this leading authority on public and private sector excellence.
And the SSHA winners are .
Level 3: Award of Excellence
Revised Shelter, Support and Housing Administration Website
Toronto's SSHA Division has significantly improved its website to better meet the information and program needs of all stakeholders, including people in need of services, community agency staff, students and teachers, the media and the general public.
Streets to Homes
This program provides leadership, innovation, focused initiatives and system coordination to help people access and sustain housing. In just over two years, 1,300 people have moved directly from the street into housing, and 87% of those people remain housed.
Streets to Homes Employment Follow-up Initiative
Established by the Transitions to Work Pilot Project team in collaboration with Toronto Employment & Social Services and Streets to Homes to assess the employability needs of clients, provide assessment and employment counselling, and enhance the employment-related skills and knowledge of staff working with street homeless individuals.
Level 2: Award of Merit
Street Needs Assessment
In April 2006, volunteers and staff undertook the Street Needs Assessment by surveying homeless individuals living outdoors, staying in emergency shelters, hospitals, treatment facilities, and those in correctional facilities with no fixed address to better understand their service needs, so programs, policies and funding decisions can better meet their needs.
Level 1: Recognition of Commitment to Quality
Homeless Environmental Volunteers Project
This is a partnership between the Transition to Work Pilot Project and the Toronto Environmental Volunteers Program (TEV) with Policy, Planning, Finance and Administration. The project aims to make volunteering opportunities offered by the TEV accessible to residents of homeless shelters as a way to reconnect these individuals with the labour market.
Housing and Homeless Service Alignment
This initiative organized the funding of projects and services by defining the service sectors by their purpose: Drop-in Services, Housing Help Outside of Shelters, Housing Help Within Shelters, Supports to Daily Living, Street Outreach and Special Projects. It has established outcomes and funding processes for each sector, setting the stage for sector reviews.
Streets to Homes Follow-up Support Program
This program increases housing retention rates among newly housed individuals. It provides follow-up support services to formerly homeless individuals to better monitor their progress. The initiative has helped create a retention rate of 87%, well beyond the benchmarks of other jurisdictions.
Exhibitor Status
Mobile Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (MDot)
This is a collaboration among non-profit organizations, health care institutions and the City to improve the health and housing outcomes of homeless persons living outdoors whose mental health issues and addictions prevent them from choosing housing.
Post Incarceration Housing Support Services
The aim here is to house homeless individuals as they leave correctional facilities thereby reducing the likelihood of recidivism into incarceration and ensuring individuals are not homeless upon release.
