Happy Medicaid Monday! This is the fourth of five blog posts each focusing on Medicaid and what you need to know to maximize the benefits of this mainstream resource for people experiencing homelessness. Check out our previous posts on Getting Started and What You Should Know and Data is Key.
Gather your Allies
- Why do you need a coalition of allies? It is important to build a strong voice by partnering with housing and health care advocates to emphasize the proven impacts of permanent supportive housing and why Medicaid financing is needed to bring this intervention to scale. Gather your allies early to build consensus and refine your proposal. The more allies you have, the more likely your voice will be heard and heeded.
- Who should be part of your coalition? Your coalition should include stakeholders who will mutually benefit from the availability of quality permanent supportive housing. This includes key representatives from the housing and health care worlds as well as state and local elected officials, criminal justice, and local business representatives. See our guide for more specific stakeholders to consider.
- How do I make sure my coalition is effective? It is unlikely that you’ll need to create a coalition from scratch. Some of the stakeholders you will need to gather are likely already working together. Focus your efforts on designating strong leadership and establishing a clear objective. Your voice is stronger when you work with allies!
Check out our new resource on Medicaid that outlines basic steps Continuum of Care (CoC) leads can take to advance their efforts with securing Medicaid as a resource as part of the local system of services. Using Medicaid to Pay for Services in PSH: Steps for CoC Leads to Get Started was created by the Alliance in conjunction with Techinal Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and CSH. Stay tuned for next steps!