HUD Publishes HOTMA Final Rule Preview

On January 31, 2023, HUD posted a preview version of the final rule implementing sections 102, 103, and 104 of the Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) (P.L. 114-201).

Only certain portions of sections 102 and 104 apply to Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs. Specifically, these sections affect current and potential beneficiaries of affordable housing activities, public facilities and improvements, and public service activities funded through CPD programs.

In addition, the rule includes conforming regulatory changes to four CPD programs:

  • HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)

  • Housing Trust Fund (HTF)

  • Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)

  • Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS Program (HOPWA)

The effective date of the provisions applicable to CPD programs will be established upon publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. CPD grantees may not implement these provisions prior to the effective date.

Read the Preview Version of the HOTMA Final Rule

Sections 102 and 104

The changes made by sections 102 and 104 of HOTMA are described below:

  • Section 102 revises the definition and calculation of annual and adjusted income and addresses how income and eligibility is determined, including the frequency of income reviews. It also creates a safe harbor to allow the use of an income eligibility determination of another provider of federal public assistance; increases the threshold for certain deductions made when calculating adjusted income; creates financial hardship exemptions for adjusted income; and eliminates the use of the Earned Income Disallowance.

  • Section 104 defines net family assets, establishes an asset limitation for families based on the value of net family assets and property ownership, and provides exceptions for certain investments, including retirement savings and modest increases in income.

Additional Guidance and Resources

The applicability of HOTMA varies by CPD program. Program-specific guidance, resources, tools, and training to implement the new HOTMA provisions will be posted on HUD’s website and the HUD Exchange as they become available.

Scholarships for Westchester Certified Peer Specialists to pursue OASAS-CRPA accreditation

The Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health is continuing to make scholarship opportunities available for NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) Certified Peer Specialists (CPS), Family Peer Advocates (FPA), and Youth Peer Advocates (YPA) to obtain their NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) or CRPA-Family (CRPA-F) credential (a CRPA-Youth Certification is in development and will qualify for similar scholarship support).

Applications will be accepting on a rolling basis.

To qualify you must:

  • Live in and/or work in a peer support position in Westchester County; priority will be given to those working in such positions.

  • Must already possess OMH CPS, FPA, or YPA provisional or full certification in order to qualify for this assistance.

  • These scholarships may be used to cover training fees as well as State Certification application and testing fees

For more information please contact Adam Black at ASB1@westchestergov.com

New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) Funding Opportunity- Safe Options Support Teams RFP

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is seeking proposals from not-for-profit organizations to develop and operate eight (8) Safe Options Support (SOS) Critical Time Intervention (CTI) Teams in regions outside of New York City.

SOS CTI Teams will use an evidence-based CTI approach to provide intensive outreach, engagement, and care coordination services to individuals experiencing street homelessness and those in temporary shelter settings.

Individuals will be identified through collaboration with community partners including outreach teams, law enforcement, hospitals, and others in close contact with those in need. Members will learn self-management skills and master activities of daily living on the road to self-efficacy and recovery.

Free Training Alert: Engage or Enrage - De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis

Whenever we ask our CoC partners what trainings everyone would like, the topic of crisis de-escalation is at the top of your wish list!

Our partners at DCMH have advised us that there is a FREE online training available through February 2023 by SMI Adviser (a SAMHSA-funded training & public education project.) This training is open to all and is divided into two parts. Each part is roughly one hour long. A participation certification is available and there are credits offered to those holding certain professional credentials.

Please use the links below to navigate to the training. Since these trainings are not offered by the CoC directly, we ask that all questions and inquiries be directed to SMI Adviser through their website.

Engage or Enrage: De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis - Part One

Engage or Enrage: De-escalation Strategies for Mental Health Crisis - Part Two

White Plains CDBG Public Services Application 2023-2024 Funding Opportunity Announcement

CDBG PUBLIC SERVICES

Funding Application Instructions

Program Year July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024

The City of White Plains (“the City”) Department of Planning, Community Development (“CD”) Program, is soliciting public input on the development of the 2023-24 Annual Action Plan. Please click here or see attached for the posting regarding the White Plains CDBG PUBLIC SERVICES Funding Application Instructions for Program Year July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. If you have questions please contact:

Judy Mezey
Deputy Commissioner of Planning

City of White Plains

70 Church Street

White Plains, NY 10601

T: (914) 422-1300

Email:jmezey@whiteplainsny.gov

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Disability Advocacy Project

LSHV will provide free legal representation and assistance for anyone who has applied for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and been denied benefits. For further information:

  • Call: 1-877-574-8529

  • Email: JZapata@lshv.org or BPereira@lshv.org

  • “Walk in” to LSHV offices in

    • White Plains - 90 Maple Avenue (entrance on Cromwell Place)

    • Yonkers - 30 South Broadway, 6th Floor

    • Mt. Vernon -  100 East First Street, Suite 810 (8th Fl.)

    • Peekskill - One Park Place, Suite 202

LSHV is dedicated to providing free, high-quality counsel in civil matters for low-income individuals and families who cannot afford an attorney.  For further information on the full range of services and support they offer, visit: www.lshv.org

Disability Advocacy Project of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley

Is your client in need of assistance appealing a SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) decision?

Please see the flyer below (in English & Spanish) for the Disability Advocacy Project of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV). As indicated on the flyer, LSHV will provide free legal representation and assistance for anyone who has applied for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and been denied benefits.

For more information please contact: 1-877-574-8529

LSHV offices are also accepting walk-in hours:

  1. White Plains - 90 Maple Avenue (entrance on Cromwell Place)

2. Yonkers - 30 South Broadway, 6th Floor

3.  Mt. Vernon -  100 East First Street, Suite 810 (8th Fl.)

4. Peekskill - One Park Place, Suite 202

8th Annual New York Fathering Conference - November 15, 2022

Please join Westchester County, the City of White Plains and the Administration for Children & Families for their upcoming 8th Annual New York Fathering Conference

Tuesday, November 15

5:30pm - 8:00pm

Fathers & families: Building safe, healthy & thriving communities

Together addressing and ending youth violence in our communities

Featured speaker:

Erica Ford

Human rights activist and anti-violence leader

Fall Job Fair Hosted by WEOC - November 10, 2022

The Westchester Educational Opportunity Center will be hosting their Fall 2022 Job Fair at 26 South Broadway, Yonkers NY, 10701 on NOVEMBER 10, 2022 from 12 NOON to 2:30pm. This job fair is open to all job seekers. Thank you for sharing this information and the attached flyer with your clients, colleagues, constituents, congregants and the wider community.

U.S. Dept of Veteran Affairs Announces Two Open Funding Opportunities (PDO & TIP)

On October 27, 2022, VA Grant and Per Diem (GPD) published two grant funding opportunities, now available for review on the GPD website:

  • Funding opportunity one: “Per Diem Only” (PDO) grants that fund transitional supportive housing beds and/or service centers.

    • VA anticipates awarding 350 PDO grants to support approximately 10,500 transitional housing beds and 15 service centers nationwide.

    • PDO grant applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, February 6, 2023.

  • Funding opportunity two: “Transition in Place” (TIP) grants that provide Veterans with apartment-style housing that allows Veterans retain the unit as their permanent housing when they complete the GPD program.

    • VA anticipates awarding approximately 40 TIP grants to support 600 TIP beds nationwide.

    • TIP grant applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, January 30, 2023.

These are new nationally competitive awards and both funding opportunities are open to any eligible entity (i.e., not just current VA GPD grantees). More information—including prerecorded technical assistance webinars and FAQs—is available on our website, https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/GPD.asp. Please note the different application deadlines among the funding opportunities. The VA GPD National Program Office team highly recommends that any interested and eligible applicant begin planning and coordination with their local VA medical center points of contact as soon as possible.

Please carefully review the information on our website (https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/GPD.asp), which includes instructions on how to access the electronic grants management system (a.k.a., eGMS) GPD uses to receive grant applications, as well as specifics about each grant.

After thorough review of the notices of funding and the recorded webinars, questions may be directed to GPDGrants@va.gov.

Scholarships for Westchester Certified Peer Specialists to pursue OASAS-CRPA accreditation

In an effort to bolster peer support resources for individuals with co-occurring disorders in Westchester County, the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) is offering scholarship opportunities to NYS Office of Mental Health Certified Peer Specialists to obtain their NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) credential. To qualify you must live in and/or work in a peer support position in Westchester; priority will be given to those working in such positions. As indicated on the application, you must already be an OMH Certified Peer Specialist to qualify for this assistance and provide documentation of your certification. Scholarships will be provided to meet State Certification application and testing fees as well as costs of the required training (full info on CRPA Certification available here).

Please see the attached scholarship application for further details on eligibility, costs covered by the scholarship, and instructions for completing and submitting your application. We anticipate offering this scholarship at least through 2023 and will be accepting applications on a “rolling” basis—applicants should feel free to submit an application at any time they might decide to pursue CRPA certification (we request that, if you have a date in mind for training, to please apply at least 30 days prior to the training registration deadline).

For those interested, The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)/Westchester will be offering an online CRPA training in December; please check this link for further information on their training and the schedule (NOTE: the December training may not be posted until sometime shortly after this mailing). Applications for scholarships for this training can be submitted until November 14, 2022.

Job Opportunity: Hudson Valley 211/United Way - Community Resource Specialist

Position Description: The Intake Specialist is responsible for receiving, prioritizing, and triaging client’s service requests including contract-based calls using a prescribed intake process either by phone or in person. The Intake Specialist’s primary role is to assist callers in need of various human services resources.

Position Requirements: Associates degree or higher in Social Work or related field and

1-2 years of related experience.

Skills Required:

  • Experience in human services programs requiring direct client interactions, accountability and progress reporting

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills

  • Experience managing an active caseload of at least10-15 clients including closed loop referral

  • The ability to multi-task, set priorities, and follow up in a timely manner

  • Ability to collaborate and work in a team environment as well as work independently and make sound decisions

  • Able to meet deadlines, keep schedules, build partner agency relationships and perform in a high-paced environment

  • Proficient with computers and ability to work with multiple applications

  • Bi-lingual in Spanish is preferred

  • An ability to show compassion and maintain confidentiality to callers who may be in crisis                                       

Essential Roles & Responsibilities:

  • Handles incoming referrals of Callers who are interested in finding resources that can assist with various social needs

  • Use active listening, probing, play-back and style-matching skills to evaluate each client’s needs

  • Answer client questions and sort out issues relating to their identified needs

  • Learn and maintain an in-depth understanding of managing specialized contracts calls

  • Accurately document required information in the 211-database system

  • Attend required community meetings related to the program and report as necessary any updates regarding the program

  • Other duties as assigned.

Scholarships for Westchester Certified Peer Specialists to pursue OASAS-CRPA accreditation

The Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) is offering scholarship opportunities to NYS Office of Mental Health Certified Peer Specialists to obtain their NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) credential.

In order to qualify, you must live and/or work in a peer support position in Westchester; priority will be given to those working in such positions. As indicated on the application, you must already be an OMH Certified Peer Specialist to qualify for this assistance and provide documentation of your certification. Scholarships will be provided to meet State Certification application and testing fees as well as costs of the required training.

This scholarship will be offered at least through 2023 and will be accepting applications on a “rolling” basis—applicants should feel free to submit an application at any time they might decide to pursue CRPA certification.