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San Diego Rescue Mission outlines outreach caseloads, by-name list and housing outcomes
Summary
The San Diego Rescue Mission (SDRM) presented July data from Vista outreach including counts of contacts, shelter placements and demographic breakdowns; city leaders pressed for continued coordination and use of the by-name list to prioritize chronically unsheltered residents.
Kenneth Tolbert, data specialist for San Diego Rescue Mission (SDRM), presented the month-of-July outreach report showing 125 unduplicated clients contacted during the month and 768 total outreach interactions. Tolbert said 108 of that group were recorded as "place not meant for habitation" at first contact (sleeping in vehicles, tents, on the streets or in creeks).
Tolbert said 66 of the July contacts were new to SDRM and that, across the program's inception in November 2024 to the July reporting period, SDRM had contacted 473 unduplicated unsheltered individuals in Vista. He also said that, during the month of July, the Rescue Mission recorded multiple exits to substance-use treatment, transitional programs and permanent placements, and that capacity constraints in nearby programs (notably La Posada and changes at North County Lighthouse) had affected referral patterns.
Caitlin Jason, an associate social worker recently added to SDRM's team, introduced herself as a clinician who will focus on higher-acuity clients and comorbidity including severe mental illness and substance use.
Why it matters: City leaders welcomed the Rescue Mission's data-driven approach and the committee emphasized use of Vista's by-name list to prioritize chronically unsheltered residents in the ERF grant area. Council members noted that many people contacted by outreach have long histories of homelessness in Vista and asked SDRM to continue disaggregating data by locality and chronicity.
Data highlights and operational notes: Tolbert said SDRM's July caseload included 125 unduplicated clients, 66 new contacts, and that 87 clients remained in places not meant for habitation due to resource constraints; of those 87, Tolbert later clarified that 12 clients had explicitly refused offers of shelter. Tolbert also summarized demographic information and said 15 clients identify as disabled and five as veterans (counting only self-reported veteran status in the July snapshot).
Coordination and next steps: Committee members asked SDRM to include more detailed case-flow metrics (intake, shelter-ready, sheltered, stabilization, permanent housing) in future reports and to provide a narrative on how clients move through the phases. SDRM said it documents case phases in HMIS and can share clinical summaries that protect privacy for high-acuity clients when appropriate. SDRM also highlighted a recent success story: a client who had been homeless for 11 years entered permanent supportive housing with coordinated partner support.
Ending: SDRM committed to continue providing monthly data, to share by-name-list details with city partners and to offer additional demographic and case-stage breakdowns on request; the committee requested a future workshop-level discussion of rapid-rehousing fund design and program coordination.
