22-105684-Project Narrative 12-14-22Catholic Community Services of King County
Stevenson Hotel Shelter Narrative
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Operations and Services
Agency Experience
Catholic Community Services (CCS) seeks funding to lease the Stevenson Hotel for twelve
months to use as emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Federal Way and
South King County. The shelter will provide spaces for 40 people on average but could
accommodate up to 48 people if couples are being sheltered. Clients have access to a room
with a bathroom and case management.
CCS successfully operates multiple non-congregate shelter programs. In March, 2020
congregate shelter programs quickly pivoted to 24/7 enhanced shelters operated out of local
motels, providing safe shelter during the pandemic. CCS operates three hotel based enhanced
shelter programs providing emergency shelter to over 300 individuals. The Bob G hotel based
enhanced shelter opened in April 2020. The shelter provides up to 70 individuals, 50 and older
with 24/7 shelter, onsite case management and meals. CCS operated the SeaTac Shelter
program, sheltering adults in South King County through April 2021.
In addition to hotel based enhanced shelter programs, CCS has experience operating non-
congregate shelter programs based out of various types of facilities. The Inn Shelter operates
50 private rooms with bathrooms, housing adults, couples and their pets. Front desk staff are
onsite 24/7, with weekday case management staff supporting housing plans and facilitating
access to mental health, recovery, and medical needs services. Shelter guests are provided
breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Bridge Shelter is an enhanced shelter operating since, August
2018. The building, owned by Plymouth Housing, is leased to CCS and provides enhanced,
supportive shelter to over 70 vulnerable individuals. Onsite case management ensures clients
have access to recovery, mental health the medical care referrals. Bridge Shelter is a low
barrier shelter accepting referrals through Coordinated Entry for All and other appropriate
referral partners.
By providing enhanced shelter facility operation paired with supportive services, CCS is offering
respectful emergency lodging with dedicated services. Respectful, non-congregate shelter with
client driven wrap around services supports CCS’ mission to provide accessible shelter services
that are empowering to, and driven by those seeking them. Shelter and supportive services
strive to make experiences of homelessness brief, tailoring services to address barriers to
housing by utilizing all available resources within the community and strengths of the client.
CCS enhanced shelter programs strive for 60% exits to permanent housing. Case Managers
develop proactive and supportive relationships with clients, creating client driven housing plans.
Access to shelter is not contingent on participation in case management or other services
offered. Many clients have not had access to their own private and secure space. Private shelter
units paired with elements of community support can help clients prepare for living in similar
permanent supportive housing facilities that implement a similar model.
Program Model
Services and shelter are offered to those seeking them without prerequisites or requirements to
participate in programming. Staff develop relationships of mutual trust and respect with
participants who wish to engage, providing them with access to a full range of resources and
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services available through CCS and the social services community. Case managers use
motivational interviewing techniques to encourage households to actively participate in
achieving their goals.
Trauma informed care (TIC) is an important part of our practice, and our staff is trained in it. TIC
informs how staff respond to behaviors and emotions that are created out of the unique
circumstances that come with clients who have experienced, or are experiencing, trauma. Key
elements include minimal to no exits due to “problematic behaviors,” strengths-based and
collaborative stability planning, and transparent program policies that strive to empower clients.
TIC is applied at enhanced shelter, PSH, and day center locations.
We support Housing First throughout our system, from diversion, rapid re-housing and shelter,
through to the permanent supportive housing we operate. We strongly encourage participation
in case management as a means to securing permanent housing, but we do not require it. We
offer services on site and in the community, including behavioral health counseling, recovery
support, and medical health services. Clients are not required to participate in case
management services in order to access CCS shelter or day centers.
Our programs successfully support households with a wide variety of mental and physical health
challenges in achieving permanent housing. We do this by co-creating housing stability plans
that address the unique housing barriers of each household. This may include connecting to
mental or physical health providers; assistance with signing up for Medicaid; and accessing
DSHS programs and other community-based supports. We collaborate with other service
providers to create a housing support team and provide referrals to outside providers.
To serve the unsheltered, underserved population living outside in Federal Way and South King
County, the shelter program will work with the case management teams at the Federal Way Day
Center and the CREW Outreach team. Engagement is client driven and individualized. This
population is living outside, unsheltered, and are hard to serve because they are not connected
to place based services. The day center and outreach case managers building trusting
relationships that can lead to shelter enrollment, a step towards participating in additional
supportive services.
Catholic Community Services works closely with local health authorities to safely provide
services and shelter while observing COVID-19 safety practices and policies. CCS leadership
participate in a weekly shelter provider meeting with King County and City of Seattle officials to
discuss safety practices and implementation. Shelter program staff work with public health
disease investigators when a positive case is confirmed at any agency program.
As of January 6th, CCS is a fully vaccinated agency and maintains an agency wide masking
policy for staff and guests at all program and administrative sites. Masks must be worn at all
times unless a client is in their private, individual unit. When the community is experiencing
increased rates of COVID-19 transmission, CCS programs take additional steps to reduce
spread within shelter programs by monitoring guests for symptoms, providing rapid test when
appropriate, and referring positive cases to King County INQ facilities.
Both staff and clients are provided masks. Facilities staff have increased sanitization measures
to keep pace with public health measures. Program staff monitor mask use and provide
education to clients about the steps to minimize the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-
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CCS has hosted vaccination clinics at program sites and administrative facilities for both clients
and staff. CCS will continue to be a part of the larger conversation in King County about how to
provide social services safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have staff who have experienced homelessness as well as those with diverse sexual
orientations and religious affiliations. CCS Workforce Initiatives, described further in below
sections, support the hiring and promotion of diverse staff members with lived experiences of
poverty and homelessness. South King County has current staff that have completed CCS
workforce training specifically for community members with lived experience. The goal of these
initiatives is to support staff that provide informed and tailored services that are culturally
adaptive and customer-centered.
In South King County our staff come from unique backgrounds with pertinent experiences that
will benefit participants and support successful housing outcomes. All services use a
progressive engagement model. Clients are engaged in services based on an initial evaluation
of capabilities and needs, and are continually reevaluated to adjust the level of support. This
engagement model empowers clients to individually pursue their stability goals with the support
of programming, putting them in the driver’s seat.
Staffing
Dan Wise is the agency Deputy Director and has been with the CCS for 23 years. She has
developed several shelter and housing programs that provide low barrier, harm reduction
services to people experiencing housing instability. This experience includes working with
architects, managing construction contracts, implementing service teams, and garnering
feedback from program participants.
Whonakee King is a Division Director and has been with CCS for over 10 years. She began as
an advocate for families in extreme poverty. It was readily apparent that she was a natural
leader and was quickly promoted to a case management position. After thriving in that position,
Whonakee was interested in growing her management skills. She took on the challenge of
opening a new program, and launched a the Federal way Day Center in South King County.
Through this work she established a culture of care and welcoming presence that broke down
historic barriers to people accessing services in the area. Once the Day Center was established,
Whonakee expanded her role to include management of multiple shelters and day centers
throughout the South King County region.
Under Whonakee’s leadership the Stevenson Hotel Shelter will provide 24/7 staffing. The Team
will be comprised of a Program Manager who will supervise the shelter team. An Advocate
Supervisor will ensure that a team of Advocates provide 24/7 staffing and engagement with
people at the shelter. The advocate team also controls access to the shelter and secures the
space from non-participants. A Case Manager will help connect shelter clients to housing. A
Janitor will ensure that the rooms are kept up to community standards.
The team is connected to CCS’s regional services including the Counseling and Recovery and
Wellness program, Rapid Rehousing and partner medical providers. A Facilities team provides
support to the shelter. The program manager works with the Facilities Team to address routine
and emerging facilities and operations needs.
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to provide programs with knowledgeable, experienced and trained employees to support
positive outcomes.
Data and Fiscal Management
All CCS programs that provide services to community members experiencing homelessness
utilize HIMS to track client information. CCS has been participating in HMIS since 2014. CCS
program leadership participate in CAPER (Case conferencing, Assessment, Prioritization,
Engagement, and Referral) team. The CAPER team is responsible for coordinating referrals to
housing resources through the King County Coordinated Entry System and agency housing
partnerships. CAPER develops and maintains an agency wide By Name List for single adults
that incorporates data from the CCS HMIS records, King County HMIS, vulnerability and
assessment tools, and case conferencing notes. The work of the group is intentionally focused
on examining racial equity in the distribution of housing resources and interventions.
Our accounting department utilizes an organized coding system that ensures restricted and
non-restricted funding is used appropriately and is documented accurately. The finance director
reviews all contracts that include federal funding to review requirements. Internal contract
review processes ensure that we can meet requirements. Separate cost centers are used with
specified uses for funds, with documented eligible expenses, allocable, and reasonable costs
under each contract. CCS receives an independent audit each year, which consistently results a
positive financial position.
CCS is able to provide services under a reimbursement payment model. CCS programs are
versed in submitting invoices for reimbursement in a timely manner.
CCS programs have a successful decade’s long record of meeting reporting requirements for all
levels of government funding. Programs managers are supported by agency directors, a
contracting review team, a grant management team and an accounting department.
Policies
Catholic Community Services has a comprehensive Services Policies and Procedures Manual
for all of our services. It is available upon request. A copy of the policy manual index is being
submitted with this application.
Dan Wise is available to meet upon request. danw@ccsww.org