Homeless & Unstably Housed Youth Outreach

Presenters Mary Ann Haley Erin Wixsten Deputy Director, Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness John Lawlor Program Manager, The Connection Erin Wixsten Youth Consultant, OrgCode Consulting, Inc

Agenda Introduction to Youth Homelessness General Outreach Essentials John Lawlor: The Connection Overview Erin Wixsten: Youth & Young Adults Outreach Questions!

Youth Homelessness in CT There are an estimated 3,000 homeless/unstably housed youth in Connecticut 40% indicated that they had no permanent place to live for over a year

Challenges to End Youth Homelessness Homeless and unstably housed youth are challenging to identify and engage. They are considered a “hidden” population CT ranked 49th of all 50 states for identifying and educating homeless students

Effects on Youth Significantly increases risk and results in poor outcomes for young people School: chronic absenteeism, drop out Health: poor nutrition, physical/sexual assault, STD/HIV, drug addiction Mental health: depression, anxiety, suicide Delinquency: arrests, criminal record

Collaboration + Resources + Data = Ending Homelessness Systems are Working! Collaboration + Resources + Data = Ending Homelessness CT was the first state to end chronic homelessness among Veterans in 2015 CT was the second state to end all homelessness amongst all Veterans in February of 2016 As of December 2016, all chronically homeless individuals in CT have been matched to housing!

Youth Engagement Team Initiatives (YETIs) Youth Engagement Team Initiatives are regional groups dedicated to creating a plan and taking step to end youth homelessness in their region. YETIs conducted the 2017 CT Youth Count! in January of 2017 in over 60 towns with over 300 volunteers.

2017 CT Youth Count! The 2017 CT Youth Count! is the second statewide census of homeless and unstably housed youth and young adults in Connecticut. Volunteer administered an anonymous survey to youth ages 13-24 across the state during the week of Jan. 25-31.

The Goal: Tailor Outreach to Youth and Young Adults Youth Count Strategy: Hotspots: Volunteer Canvassing Organizational Connections Come and Be Counted Locations The Goal: Tailor Outreach to Youth and Young Adults

Hotspots: Volunteer Canvassing These are outdoor and indoor locations where youth typically congregate that volunteers go to administer the survey.

Hotspots: Volunteer Canvassing These are outdoor and indoor locations where youth typically congregate that volunteers go to administer the survey.

Organizational Connections Participating organizations trained staff to administer the 2017 CT Youth Count! Survey to youth and young adults. These are locations to refer youth who may want to be counted at a later time.

Come & Be Counted Locations These locations were set up by volunteers or team leaders for a set time to administer the survey to young adults over a set period of time. Schools, for instance, could direct students to go to these sites to be surveyed. Examples: Panera Bread across from East Haven high, Youth Service Bureaus, mobile van, McDonald’s in the NE, Drop-in Centers, libraries, etc. ...these can also be hot spots but not always. Most Come and Be counted sites will offer incentives.

Identifying Locations: Someone’s domain Always “knock” Accept hospitality Location confidentiality Cars

Trust Don’t promise anything Do what you say Always be on time Explain processes Non-judgmental, no really

Start off Housing First: Introduce yourself Check your attitude Why are you here To learn To support To triage To get housing

Housing Focus What are we here for? “Will you allow me to help you?” Activities that lead to or are necessary for housing. Frequent follow-up

Superpowers Astounding abilities developed during homelessness: Crap-detector If you are not comfortable, those interviewed will not be comfortable. If you think your process is bad, it will show. If you don’t trust “the system,” it will show.

John Lawlor Director of Homeless Youth/Young Adult Programs

Start program outreach services Serving Hartford and the surrounding area Primarily rural-based strategies utilized 3 staff that are split with YA shelter responsibilities Closely connected services with our YA shelter Staff that youth work with on the Outreach side are the ones they’ll work with while in the shelter Provide survival aid, referrals, navigation of CAN process Connection to education, mental health, substance abuse, vocational services Offer mediation/reconnection with family and other supportive adults 253 youth served last year

Start Program outreach observations Large number of couch surfing youth with brief, intermittent episodes of literal homelessness Concerned about going to existing adult shelters Very limited support network (especially with adults) Still connected electronically Difficulty in navigating systems on their own and following through Time of day that couch surfers finally know if they’ll have a place to stay Safety concerns. Cleanliness concerns. Rules seem too stringent. Disconnection from their peers d/t kerfews, etc. Kicked out during the day. The importance of free wifi and staying connected to your network.

Contact Information John Lawlor jlawlor@theconnectioninc.org (860)343-5500 ext 2080

Promising Practices in Outreach to Youth Experiencing Homelessness Erin Wixsten OrgCode Consulting, Inc. @OrgCode

What Does Outreach Look Like? Street based To identify young people who are experiencing homelessness and to provide youth on the street with resources and services Active assistance in accessing shelter Outreach teams – street outreach should not be done alone Teams go to areas with high youth traffic – basketball courts, malls or bus stations, known ‘tracks’, etc. to create a presence and identity for resources Peer networking Access point for Youth Coordinated Entry System Staff are trained in TAY-VI-SPDAT or partner

What Does Outreach Look Like? Community based Can be done solo Outreach within youth-frequented spaces Schools Food shelf Library Usually a partnership is created between the agency doing the outreach and the entities within which outreach is being done Creates mobility to services Markets resources and programs that serve young people experiencing homelessness Access point for Youth Coordinated Entry System

What Does Outreach Look Like? Rural Less visible – you must become visible to them Frequently involved with another system Isolated Not homeless or no homeless services Less likely to have a ‘street’ Not street engaged No street family Less street outreach, more community based

Remember Workers need to be seen as doing the work of the sector, and not simply of the agency they work for. Requires a higher degree of interagency/multi-system collaboration First point of contact for homeless response system – access point Know your community’s resources and how to navigate the system Become visible to the invisible Actively engage Stay safe

Outreach Safety Protocols Street outreach should be done in teams Teams should communicate their plan for outreach to a supervisor Plan for where you are going Street layout, gangs, access for safety, etc. Have a safe word that communicates EXIT Train staff thoroughly including shadow shifts with experienced teams Train staff in how to identify street drugs, sex trafficking, gang signs, etc. Do not interrupt fights or the sale of drugs or sex Don’t carry personal identification in your outreach bag

What Should Outreach Provide? Some basic needs Access to emergency shelter Shared knowledge of drop in centers, health care, food shelves, hot meals, showers, public benefits, and case management services Survival aid Youth CES assessment (TAY-VI-SPDAT) Information and referrals Crisis intervention Follow-up support Contact information – work cell, professional social media acct.

Partnership With Law Enforcement Become known to your local law enforcement Intentionally develop relationship May use Outreach services as a resource Collaboration is possible Find a champion within the department If you are present during an arrest, do not interfere If you witnessed potentially illegal handling or otherwise questionable behavior by law enforcement, write down the badge number

Harm Reduction Affirms choice and self-determination Opens door for honest communication about drug use and other risk factors which allows for a stronger service interaction and intervention Aligns with a youth development approach Supports a trauma-informed framework Supports a youth-centered, strengths based intervention Creates a Housing First approach to outreach Youth do not have to be ‘housing ready’ Promotes a ‘low barrier’ response

Harm Reduction and Resources Sleeping outside Exposure Health care Laws - Victims and perpetrators of crimes Drugs and alcohol - Use and sales of Sexual exploitation Sexual health and resources – safe sex kits Resources for getting out of the life (if/when ready) Resources for DV, CSEC youth

Trauma Informed Care Traumatic experiences violate our fundamental belief that the world is a safe place and people can be trusted. Complex trauma describes both children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events—often of an invasive, interpersonal nature—and the wide-ranging, long- term impact of this exposure

Trauma Informed Care Interaction with staff members and authority figures. Experiences in out of home placement are common for homeless youth causing or resulting in neglect, separation from parents/family, placed with strangers, incarceration Healthy development impacted by fear and lack of safety and/or trust Likely to be distrustful of ‘authority’ figures (a.k.a all adults) especially those in a ‘caring’ role Safety and trust is paramount for youth – may test staff to determine if they are reliable, honest, consistent, fair, etc. – may intentionally challenge and test boundaries

Trauma Informed Solutions Reframe ‘defiance’ behaviors as resilience and survival skills Reframe ‘consequences’ as results of decisions made Slow down and explain every process and step Let youth know that they have the right to share only the information that they want to share Do not expect immediate rapport and do not assume that immediate rapport means trust has been built Boundaries – staff should never attempt to play or replace friends or family

Trauma Informed Care Ability to participate in programs and follow through with service planning: Complex trauma can cause difficulty in regulating emotions, relating to others, planning for the future, and following through with beneficial activities. Depression, anxiety, learning challenges, and fear of failure can compound these difficulties Youth seem unwilling or uninterested in service planning May not return phone calls, make meetings, follow through on goals, etc. Appear “defiant” – frequently breaking rules or challenging staff; aren’t housing ready

Trauma Informed Solution All staff trained on the impact of trauma on adolescent brain development Remember chronological age of the youth may not match his or her present functioning (intellectual, emotional, or maturity levels). Use assessments to ‘meet them where they are at’ and see them as identify opportunities for coaching Positive experiences and trusting relationships can help youth recover from the effects of trauma.

Positive Youth Development Sees young people as assets to community, not deficits Values the contributions of young people Identifies strengths and skills in youth Recognize behaviors are survival skills Puts young people in leadership and decision making role Co-creates Positive Youth Development focuses on the delivery of services and opportunities that promote the development of a sense of a competence, usefulness, belonging and empowerment for all youth served.

Positive Youth Development Notice positive changes Personalize intervention based on youth’s interests Create developmentally appropriate programming Greet young people with a smile and light energy Be where you say you will be there Do what you say you will do Work with young people as partners – they are in the drivers seat Feed them, listen to them, respect them Create peer-outreach workers or other leadership positions Create intentional space for youth to make decisions

Key Points Train and orientate staff well to this role Trauma Informed Care Harm Reduction Motivational Interviewing and Stages of Changes Positive Youth Development Issues that impact street engaged and youth experiencing homelessness TAY-VI-SPDAT for access to Youth Coordinated Entry process Boundaries!

Key Points Credibility with youth Credibility with law enforcement Know your community’s resources and how to connect young people Collect and track data – sustain your outreach program Give outreach workers professional development In the trenches – perspective – working for the whole system in a critical role Beware of unintended consequences Outreach vs. bringing awareness to a vulnerable population

Thank You! Website: www.OrgCode.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/OrgCode Twitter: @OrgCode Email: ewixsten@OrgCode.com

Additional Resources: http://cceh.org/youth-count-trainer-guide/ For this webinar and additional resources on outreach strategies used during the 2017 CT Youth Count! Webinar is available at cceh.org. It was created by the Youth Action Hub, a group of youth in the greater Hartford area with lived experience with homelessness and housing instability. This webinar brings in the youth perspective on approaching and engaging youth and young adults for the youth count, but the strategies can be applied to general outreach and engagement. We can send this around following the webinar. http://cceh.org/outreach-and-engagement/ Resources on Outreach and Engagement, including a webinar panel of national leaders from the 100,000 homes initiative, etc.

Questions Because this is a webinar, attendees are muted. Please type any questions you have into the Chat Box or Questions Box. We are recording this webinar and will send out the link to everyone who registered later today

Contact If you have questions for CCEH or any of the presenters following the webinar, please contact CCEH and we will connect with presenters. Mary Ann Haley Deputy Director mhaley@cceh.org Sarah Chess Training & Communications Coordinator schess@cceh.org