100K Homes Registry Week Training Loren Seeger – Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County – Program Coordinator Teri Curran – West Suburban PADS – Director of Programs

What is 100,000 Homes?  National movement to help permanently house 100,000 of the most vulnerable and chronically homeless individuals and families in the country  183 participating communities  28,385 people have been housed 

What is Registry Week?  Helps identify the needs of communities  What can communities do better?  What can we do as individuals to help end homelessness?  Identify needs of the homeless population in suburban Cook County  Identify and connect with vulnerable and chronic homeless individuals on a personal level

Why is this Important?  Point-in-Time Count is required by HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development)  Classifies those who are most likely to die in the streets  Creates new ways of helping communities  Helps us become better advocates

VOLUNTEERS!

Consent Form for Volunteers  Required to sign before participating in the count  Submit to your Team Leader when you arrive at site

Volunteer Teams  You will find out the morning of Day 1  Team  Team Leader (agency staff)  Consumer  1-2 Volunteers

Maps and “Hot Spots”  Lists of locations and maps will be provided for each team “Hot Spots” are places where you are more likely to find homeless individuals

Tips  Go behind buildings- don’t just drive past the fronts  Go into 24-hour businesses & ask if they see homeless people  Ask police officers if they know of unsheltered homeless people in the area  Ask homeless people if they know others

Interview Process

General Introduction to Individuals  Who are you?  “Hello, my name is ____________ and I am a volunteer for suburban Cook County. We are asking everyone a few questions about their housing situation. Your answers are entirely confidential. Would you be willing to participate?”  STRESS CONFIDENTIALITY!  Explain they may skip or end the survey at any time

Gift Bags  Every unsheltered person will receive a gift bag, even if they refuse to participate  DO NOT USE AS A BARGAINING TOOL  Information and Referral Cards  Will be in gift bags  Information about shelters, food pantries, etc.

Participant Consent Form  FIRST STEP BEFORE ASKING ANY QUESTIONS!

Vulnerability Index (VI)  One is to be completed for each individual – including family members present  Front  Point-in-Time questions  Back  VI/health-related questions  Team Leaders are responsible for collecting and returning the Vulnerability Indexes at the end of each morning

Photographs  Why do we need a picture?  We want to be able to put a face to a name  Connect individuals to services  How to take the photo  Use a smartphone  Take the picture  Use the ID number at the top of the VI and use that as the subject in the  Then to

Types of Photographs Accepted  Photo of the person  Drivers License  State ID  Passport  Taking a picture with the participant  IF PARTICIPANTS DO NOT WANT THEIR PICTURE TAKEN, MOVE ON.

Participants Refusing the Survey  Tally Sheet  Record individuals you are unable to speak with  Record individuals who do not want to participate  Do not add people to the Tally Sheet if you interview them  The Team Leader will hand in the sheet at the end of the night

COME BACK!  Teams will return to deployment sites at 7 a.m.  Breakfast will be provided for all volunteers  Share what you saw!

STREET OUTREACH

Approaching a Participant  No more than 2 people should approach a participant  Could scare them away  Could feel intimidated and become resistant  Be aware of your verbal/nonverbal cues  Language  Body language  Could portray a different message  Be respectful  You are in their living space

Approaching a Participant  Approach participants like you are in their home  DO NOT PROMISE HOUSING OR HINT THAT HOUSING IS AVAILABLE IF THEY PARTICIPATE!

Explaining the Survey  Use simple terminology  Set time limits  Listen carefully for information  Do not rush participants – they may become frustrated and agitated  Give people time to answer, or re-word the question

Mental Health  Common symptoms  Participants may hear voices and/or see things that are not really there  Schizophrenia  Delusions (government, etc.)  Frustration and agitation for no apparent reason  Trauma  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Safety  Be aware of changing tensions in participants  If a participant gets louder, adjust your tone  Consider personal space  Stay with your team  If you feel uncomfortable at any time, END THE SURVEY !  Know when to stop and remove yourself

 Creates baseline to track progress  Agencies can become better advocates for participants and issues  Learn more about community homelessness & increase public awareness  Required by HUD to preserve over $9 million in current federal funding for homeless services in suburban Cook County

THANK YOU!  Contact:  XXX XXXXXXX, Program Coordinator