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GLOSSARY

WORDS TO KNOW 

ADA the American with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
APPLICATION  standard part of the housing process.  completed in advance.  questions asked should not violate federal, state or local fair housing laws.
ADAMHS BOARD the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County is responsible for the planning, funding and monitoring of public mental health and addiction treatment and recovery services delivered to the residents of Cuyahoga County. Under Ohio law, the ADAMHS Board is one of 53 Boards coordinating the public mental health and addiction treatment and recovery system in Ohio. The Board contracts with provider agencies to deliver services that assist clients on the road to recovery.  They fund certain housing types including recovery housing.
ASSESSMENT a process of gathering information to evaluate client needs and functioning in order to determine appropriate service/treatment.  This is generally for more specialized type housing. 
CASE MANAGEMENT assist and support clients in gaining access to needed medical, social, educational, and other services including housing.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION a not-for-profit organization incorporated to provide programs, offer services and engage in other activities that promote and support community development. CDCs usually serve a geographic location such as a neighborhood or a town.
COMMUNITY TRANSITION PROGRAM (CTP) continued treatment and recovery support services for individuals who are returning from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitations and Corrections (ODRC). 
DD-214  official military discharge papers proving that you were discharged.  Is required to access many services that are available to veterans.
EMERGENCY HOMELESS SHELTER  short-term accommodation for people who are homeless or in crisis.  Cuyahoga County utilizes a central intake process. 
EXPUNGEMENT is a court-ordered process in which the legal record of an arrest or a criminal conviction is “sealed,” or erased in the eyes of the law.
FAIR HOUSING ACT  as amended in 1988, prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Its coverage includes private housing, housing that receives Federal financial assistance, and State and local government housing. There are additional State and local Fair Housing protections.
HARM REDUCTION a strategy directed toward individuals or groups that aims to reduce the harms associated with certain behaviors.
HOUSE MANAGER a house manager for recovery housing is often a live-in paid staff member who lives in a recovery residence and provides peer support to the residents. Responsibilities may vary but in many cases the house manager is responsible for the day to day operations of the recovery residence.
HUD  the Department of Housing and Urban Development is the Federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that address America’s housing needs, that improve and develop the Nation’s communities, and enforce fair housing laws. 
INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT(IOP) structured individual and group activities that are provided at a certified treatment program site for a minimum of 8 hours per week with services provided at least 3 days per week.
LANDLORD the owner, lessor or sub lessor of residential premises, the agent of the owner, lessor, or sub lessor or any person authorized by the owner, lessor, or sub lessor to manage the premises or to receive rent from a tenant under a rental agreement. ORC 5231
MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT) treatment for addiction that includes the use of medication such as methadone, suboxone or buprenorphine along with counseling and support.
NIMBY the acronym for “Not In My Backyard.” With regards to recovery housing it means opposition to having a recovery residence in a neighborhood. The Fair Housing Act says that individuals with disabilities cannot be discriminated against in housing. Individuals who are recovering from drug and/or alcohol addiction meet the definition of having a “disability.”
PEER SUPPORT support delivered by individuals who have common life experiences with the people they are serving.  Recovery Housing follows the peer support model.
PROGRAM FEE a term that is often used in place of “rent.” The fee that is paid to live in recovery housing is rent regardless of the term used.
PROJECT DAWN Project DAWN is a community-based overdose education and Naloxone(NARCAN) distribution program. Project DAWN participants receive training on: recognizing the signs and symptoms of overdose, distinguishing between different types of overdose, performing rescue breathing, calling emergency medical services, administering intranasal Naloxone. To learn more visit the Project Dawn website.
PUBLIC HOUSING  was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single-family houses to high rise apartments for elderly families. hud.gov
RECOVERY HOUSING a sober living environment with peer support and included in the addiction recovery continuum.  shared living model, most often in single family homes, but can be in various settings.
RENTAL AGREEMENT aka LEASE any agreement, or lease, written or oral, which establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, rules, or any other provisions concerning the use and occupancy of residential premises by one of the parties. ORC 5321
RETURNING CITIZEN a person who is returning to the community after incarceration.
SECURITY DEPOSIT any deposit of money or property to secure performance by the tenant a common household.  there are legal requirements how security deposits are handled  including the requirment of landlord to pay interest to the tenant.  details are available at ORC 5321.16
SUBSIDIZED HOUSING(HUD) A subsidized housing unit is one in which a tenant pays approximately 30% their adjusted income on rent and utilities. The management agent and/or the Public Housing Authority (PHA) calculate the tenant’s rent amount. HUD then pays the difference between the tenants rent contribution and the total rent that is paid to the building owner.
TENANT  a person entitled under a rental agreement to the use and occupancy of residential premises to the exclusions of others.
TRAUMA INFORMED CARE an organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma. best practice in many settings including emergency homeless shelters.
VACANCY an opening or available bed in a recovery residence or other housing.
VIVITROL the brand name for a formula of naltrexone. It can be used to help people overcoming alcohol use disorder and opioid addiction maintain abstinence. There are other versions of naltrexone that come in pill form, but Vivitrol is a once-per-month intramuscular injection.
 

 

*The information provided is not intended to replace or substitute any professional, financial, medical or legal advice.  All information found on this website is for general informational purposes only.  KeyStone Community Services is a nonprofit (501c3) organization.           

 

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