Coordinated Access

The information and resources here are intended to answer questions and support your community to develop and sustain a strong Coordinated Access system on your journey to ending homelessness.

Keep checking back here as we will be regularly updating materials and adding further resources.

Coordinated Access Information and Overview

Coordinated Access is a way for communities to bring consistency to the process by which people experiencing or at risk of homelessness access housing and related services within a geographic area. Core components of a strong Coordinated Access system include a Housing First approach; real-time data about the supply of and demand for housing resources; and a streamlined service delivery approach with access points to service, a standardized workflow for triage and assessment; prioritization; and vacancy matching and referral. (Reaching Home Definition)

Included below a variety of resources to provide you with an overview and further information about Coordinated Access:

Reaching Home:

General Information:

Common Assessment Tools
  • Next Generation Assessment Tool Series (NAEH) – in the Next Generation Assessment Tools Series, the Alliance will share information on assessment tools and provide ideas for how to move new ideas and tools forward. 
  • Toronto’s STARS Common Assessment Tool – for the last number of years, Toronto has worked closely with Indigenous and other community partners, people with lived expertise, and front line workers to develop and test a local common assessment tool. 
    • The three part tool includes: STARS Intake and Triage and a STARS Housing Checklist and a STARS Supports Assessment (coming soon)
    • Training modules for the first two components can be found here (see SMIS Training for Improving Housing Outcomes)
    • To learn more about Toronto’s work with their Common Assessment Tool and how it fits in their Coordinated Access System:
  • SPDAT (Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) – available through OrgCode, the SPDAT is designed to help program participants and support staff like case managers better understand current strengths and challenges and guide prioritizing which things they want to work on together. Not to be confused with the VI-SPDAT (an entirely different instrument for a different purpose), the SPDAT has been around since 2009. It is used from initial engagement with the system of care through to reducing or exiting people from supports once stabilized in housing. It can be used as part of the assessment process when first engaging with programs and services, but is predominately intended as a case management tool which leads to improved supports and better planning for work on overall health and wellness, day to day living skills, reducing risk factors, and stabilizing in housing. Version 5, released in 2020, is available through on-demand online training, split into 10 distinct videos.  
  • MAP (Matching to Appropriate Placement) – developed in Montana, the MAP assessment and MAP Guide are available free of charge to any community that would like to use them. The MAP assessment, MAP Guide and further information is available on this site.
  • Austin Prioritization Index – website explaining the what, why, and how of this new tool but does not provide access to the tool itself.
  • Allocating Homelessness Services After the Withdrawal of the VI-SPDAT (Mar 2022) – an article in the American Journal of Public Health by Marybeth Shinn, PhD, and Molly K. Richard, MS that explores assessment principle considerations used across sectors.  
  • These are Not the Droids You’re Looking For (Blog, Community Solutions, 2016) – communities should be weighing many factors and constantly analyzing their own data to inform and refine their prioritization strategies.
  • CAEH Information on Assessment
Coordinated Access Scorecard 3.0

The Coordinated Access (CA) Scorecard 3.0 is the updated 18 question self-assessment tool that assists you to develop and make improvements in your Coordinated Access system. This Scorecard includes three levels of quality: 1) Reaching Home, 2) Basic Quality, and 3) Advanced Quality.

For more information, see the Coordinated Access Scorecard 3.0 launch webinar or PowerPoint PDF. Read more about the Scorecard in the Guide below.

Coordinated Access Scorecard Guide

The CA Scorecard Guide 3.0 explains what the CA Scorecard is, makes suggestions for how to use it, and walks you through the questions (including a further description, tips and sample resources).

CA Scorecard 3.0

The CA Scorecard 3.0 is part of the Scorecards & Tools Google Worksheet (view only – you can make a copy for your community).

The Scorecards & Tools Google Worksheet includes the following seven tabs:

  • Tab #1: Instructions
  • Tab #2: About Your Community
  • Tab #3: By-Name List Scorecard 3.0
  • Tab #4: Coordinated Access Scorecard 3.0
  • Tab #5: Provider Participation Tool
  • Tab #6: Provider Participation Tool – Instructions and Results
  • Tab #7: Work Plan

Each question in the CA Scorecard 3.0 has links to the appropriate supporting information in the CA Scorecard Guide. Review the CA Scorecard with your community – document your progress and plan your next steps. Here are some ideas for Scorecard Group Exercises.

Coordinated Access Tools and Community Examples

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

us Toolkits and Community Examples:
CAEH Tools:
Action Oriented Case Conferencing
Canadian Community Coordinated Access Examples:

Brantford Materials

  • BNL/CA Materials Folder – includes many policies, procedures and videos e.g., Brantford System of Care Client Profile (Intake) and Diversion Screening Form; Procedures for Managing Users on HIFIS – including consent form with scripts and job aid, how to create user accounts, how to handle FOI requests, HIFIS Training checklist; Procedures for Managing the By-Name List – including workflow, policies, HIFIS, prioritization matrix, Inactivity Procedure, Timely and Accurate Data Procedure, How to Develop and Document a Housing Plan; and more.

Chatham-Kent – CK Cares Coordinated Access Materials:

Dufferin Region Materials:

Durham Region Materials:

Fort McMurray Materials:

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

Halton Region’s Coordinated Access Materials:

Kawartha-Haliburton’s Coordinated Access Materials:

Medicine Hat Materials:

Moncton Materials:

Niagara Region Materials:

Peterborough Materials:

Red Deer Materials:

  • Red Deer Coordinated Access webpage including:
    • 2020-2024 Performance Management Guide for Red Deer’s System Framework (pdf)
    • November 2020 Coordinated Access Process (CAP) Guidelines (pdf) (working document)
    • Program Participant Stories

Saint John Materials:

  • Saint John Coordinated Access webpage including:
    • Coordinated Access Process Guide 2.0
    • Saint John By-Name List One-Pager
    • Saint John Coordinated Access One-Pager
    • Defining the Data Series (one-pagers)

Simcoe County Materials:

St. John’s (End Homelessness St. John’s) Materials:

St. Thomas-Elgin

Sudbury

  • Homelessness Initiatives webpage – access to all their programs, initiatives and reports (including the ones highlighted below)
  • Coordinated Access webpage – includes their Coordinated Access Guide outlining all local policies and procedures
  • Homelessness Report Cards – annual 2 page graphic with stats, initiatives, and next steps

Waterloo’s Coordinated Access Prioritized Access to Housing Stability (PATHS) Materials:

Whitehorse Materials:

Windsor’s Coordinated Access (BNPL) Materials:

Coordinated Access/HMIS Sample Job Descriptions

Below you will find a variety of sample job descriptions from communities related to Coordinated Access, Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), and By-Name Lists:

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