2. WHY WE’RE WORKING ON THIS
Commitment and call to action in 2014
Many CFY clients come from outside St. John’s
Best practice: meeting them closer to home and support networks
A focus on prevention

3. CFY PROVINCIAL EXPANSION
Six sites across the province within the next 2 years
“Sites” has a broad definition – anything from CFY locations to providing training and support
Also involves participating in the provincial policy conversation

5. WHAT WE KNEW GOING IN
Young people make up a large % of the homeless population, and being homeless has life-long impacts
Many people experiencing homelessness in St. John’s are from elsewhere
Youth face distinct struggles in NL

6. COMMON THEMES

7. COMMON THEMES, CONTINUED

8. MENTAL HEALTH Universally cited as a primary challenge
Anxiety, in particular, reported much more often
Very limited access to care in small communities
Exacerbated by other challenges such as poverty and exclusion

9. CONNECTION TO THE LAND AND TO PLACE
Important to both Indigenous peoples and settlers
Major impacts on mental and physical wellness
Connection to community and desire to remain home
Threatened by climate change

10. A GROWING DRUG CRISIS Harder drugs at younger ages
Cocaine use following large resource projects
Significant regional hotspots
Communities looking for direct supports (ie needle exchange) and for infrastructure to engage youth in more positive behaviours

11. SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AND SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
Many employment and training programs out there – but almost none that fit the most vulnerable youth
Lack of employer capacity for this support
Many business opportunities that could be filled by social enterprises

12. THE CHALLENGE OF STIGMA
Particularly evident in small communities
Troubled youth quickly become know to landlords and employers
Major barrier to service access: being seen
Challenges with service providers who have grown up alongside youth

13. RURAL-URBAN CONNECTIONS
Some young people will always need to leave home and come to St. John’s
These journeys can be risky and chaotic
Failure in town can precipitate a major crisis
There is room for a more organized reception for youth when they arrive in the city

14. YOUNG ADULTS ARE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS
Outside of St. John’s there are almost no resources targeted at young people over age 18
Young people aged who exit care face severe risks and limited support
Most physical gathering spaces aimed at this age group have closed

15. TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES
Very little public transportation outside of St. John’s and Corner Brook
At-risk youth often lack access to a vehicle
Attending programs in person is very important
Community organizations use a great deal of time and money to move people

16. EMERGENCY AND HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS
Very few emergency shelter beds outside of St. John’s, especially for young men
Options for transitions into longer- term supportive or affordable housing also limited
Lots of interest in scattered-site supportive housing using vacant or underused buildings

17. OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATED SERVICE DELIVERY
Consistent desire for better coordination of services for young people – a “front door”
The most vulnerable youth feel excluded from existing spaces
Some groups already working on co- location
Powerful way to reduce stigma in smaller communities

18. OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATED SERVICE DELIVERY
Nearest opportunity for system change for youth
Part of the conversation through “Towards Recovery” and the report of the Premier’s Task Force on Educational Outcomes
Closely tied into the upcoming housing and homelessness plan

19. OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATED SERVICE DELIVERY
Nearest opportunity for system change for youth
Part of the conversation through “Towards Recovery” and the report of the Premier’s Task Force on Educational Outcomes
Closely tied into the upcoming housing and homelessness plan

20. COORDINATED ACCESS
Integrating services = opportunity for coordinated access to housing, social, health care services for youth
Lots of disconnects as young people move from place to place and program to program
CFY Policy Paper: Provincial coordinated access

21. COORDINATED ACCESS & INTEGRATED SERVICES
Opportunity to tie together work in education, housing, health care, CFY expansion
Second round of focused consultations happening now with youth, government agencies, service providers

22. COORDINATED ACCESS & INTEGRATED SERVICES
choicesforyouth.ca/ survey

23. NEXT STEPS: CFY Reporting back on integrated service delivery
Social Innovation Summit, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, June 4-5
Social enterprise pilot expansions
Solidifying partnerships
Program model and fund development

24. CONCLUSIONS The most vulnerable have the fewest supports
Geography and transportation are key
Indigenous and LGBTQ2S lenses are critical

25. CONCLUSIONS
Youth need to be a specific component in the Housing and Homelessness Plan
Newfoundland and Labrador can be a Canadian leader
We are ready

26. QUESTIONS?