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youth homelessness task forces: organizing local communities to meet youths’ needs

25 th Annual Conference November 2013. youth homelessness task forces: organizing local communities to meet youths’ needs. Our Golden Rule: Youth Driven. “Youth Voices” Videos available on-line at www.youtube.com/user/naehcy

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youth homelessness task forces: organizing local communities to meet youths’ needs

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  1. 25th Annual Conference November 2013 youth homelessness task forces:organizing local communities to meet youths’ needs

  2. Our Golden Rule:Youth Driven • “Youth Voices” • Videos available on-line at www.youtube.com/user/naehcy • Youth leaders/advisors, youth coordinators, and young people involved at every level.

  3. NAEHCY’sUnaccompanied Youth Projects • Working with youth, service providers and community members to develop creative strategies to support unaccompanied youth. • 3-year project, 9 communities • Studies show that coordination among youth services can greatly improve outcomes. • 339 at-risk youth programs spread across 12 different federal agencies • No one agency or organization can meet all the needs. • Yet no one has the time to organize a community-wide effort for youth or work on the strategies generated.

  4. Unaccompanied Youth Project:Where, and Why? • Rural, suburban, urban • NRS and school district data • Community infrastructure • Political significance • East TN, Guilford County NC, San Antonio TX, San Diego and Sacramento CA, Southeast WY, Detroit and Oakland County MI, Southern CT

  5. Unaccompanied Youth Project:What’s the Overall Goal? • Identify what youth need to reach their goals • Identify creative strategies to meet those needs through interagency cooperation • Identify new partners to energize efforts and contribute new resources.

  6. Unaccompanied Youth Projects:Initial Results • Michigan and CT just starting • CT state level meeting next week • Michigan youth and adult surveys pouring in • SE Wyoming • Held a Halloween event to raise awareness and get input from young people. • Housing authority vouchers for youth • Deposit/first month rent; gas and Target vouchers

  7. Unaccompanied Youth Projects:Initial Results • San Antonio • State legislative initiative: Unaccompanied youth 16 and over now can enter transitional living programs without parental consent • Truancy and attendance officer training: Creating a set of recommendations for city-wide commission • Goodwill Careers Academy scholarships • Food bank collaboration • Wallet-size resource card

  8. Task Force Membership • NAEHCY is working with youth, schools, service providers, city and county government, faith community, legal services, and community members to develop creative strategies to support unaccompanied youth. • Leadership and active participation of youth and young people are critical! • This requires deliberate focus: Where and when do you meet? How do you initially engage youth? What projects will they choose to invest in?

  9. Step One: Gather Informationto Identify Local Priorities • We surveyed adults. • Service providers and community members • We surveyed youth • Unaccompanied homeless youth ages 14-25 • Through service providers and schools • Gave us guidance and legitimacy

  10. What do Youth Need? • Food • Safe, stable housing • Transportation • Medical and dental care • Clothes and hygiene supplies • Job

  11. What are the Greatest Barriers to Youth Seeking/Receiving Services? • Fear of referral to police, parents, foster care • Transportation • Parental consent / Paperwork reqs. • Lack of services

  12. Step Two: Choose 1-2 Tangible Priorities to Start Work • Tangible: You’ll know when you’ve achieved it. • Short-term: You can achieve it within a few months. • Reasonable: It should be doable with little to no funding and with a small core team. • Meaningful: It should make a difference to young people and other task force members. • Leadership: Know that at first, you will need to have a major role, but enlist partners from day one.

  13. The Experiences ofThree Task Forces • East Tennessee • Sacramento • San Diego

  14. East Tennessee:What are some of your most exciting achievements? • New youth housing program: 5 units supportive housing with case management provided in-kind by ETSU and school districts; just won a “TN’s Best Rising Star” award • New CPS referral/service process called NEUCY • Lockers and showers for young people • TeenTalk • Transportation project underway: car loans and repairs • Targeting a legal clinic and nursing clinic

  15. East Tennessee:What or who are some keys to those successes? • Active Task Force • Social Work Student Interns • Very involved McKinney Vento Liaisons • Willingness of the Community to Learn and Help

  16. East Tennessee:What key people/agencies keep the task force moving and productive? • NAEHCY • Collaboration between East Tennessee State University and Department of Children’s Services • NEUCY • Johnson City Housing Authority • McKinney Vento Liaisons from Johnson City Schools and Kingsport City Schools • Contact Ministries • ARCH

  17. East Tennessee:Who are some key people/agencies missing from the group? • Attorneys • Medical • Emergency Housing for Youth Under Age 18 • Local Legislative Officials

  18. East Tennessee:When you first were getting started, what were some of the biggest challenges?  How did you address them? • Finding the kids • Advertise • Flyers, Billboard on ETSU Campus • Word of Mouth • Nay-sayers • Prove it • Law/Policy regarding kids under age 18 • Lots of research

  19. East Tennessee:At this stage in the task force, what are the biggest challenges? • Getting More Youth Involved • Motivation • New Projects • Growth

  20. Sacramento:What are some of your most exciting achievements? • Active Youth Council • A2B Bike Giveaway: gave 50 bikes to youth • Work with Regional Transit • Year round “sanctuary” for young people

  21. Sacramento:What or who are some keys to those successes? • Youth Inclusion • We provide snacks! • Regular meeting schedule • Efficient discussions that lead to actionable results

  22. Sacramento:What key people/agencies keep the task force moving and productive? • Local Continuum of Care • McKinney-Vento liaisons • Patricia! • Statewide youth advocacy organization (CCY) • Youth partners at Wind

  23. Sacramento:Who are some key people/agencies missing from the group? • Law Enforcement • Local Businesses • Faith Community

  24. Sacramento:When you first were getting started, what were some of the biggest challenges?  How did you address them? • Youth input • Youth Council: Your Voices Matter!

  25. Sacramento:At this stage in the task force, what are the biggest challenges? In terms of structure: • Enlisting youth as partners in action • Keeping the momentum In terms of the issues: • Increasing housing capacity along a continuum • Reversing the trend of criminalizing homelessness

  26. San Diego:What are some of your most exciting achievements? • Food project: SNAP guidance, resource list, engaging community food partners • Youth Panel on cultural competency • Dental Day • Disseminating information on youths’ rights

  27. San Diego:What or who are some keys to those successes? • San Diego County Dept. of Health and Human Services-CalFresh officials • Unaccompanied Youth! Their voice is integral. • Toussaint Academy • Local pro bono attorneys, Homeless Coordinator SD DHHS, Social Workers, and more Youth!

  28. San Diego:What key people/agencies keep the task force moving and productive? • San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless • Regional Continuum of Care Council • San Diego Schools-County and City • Dept. Health and Human Services • Social Workers, Pregnant and Parenting Teen Teachers • Home Start • Service Providers-Youth Shelters, Drop-in Facilities, Family Resource Centers, etc. • Hunger Advocacy Network and Feeding America SD • Youth: one particular young woman kicked us into gear

  29. San Diego:Who are some key people/agencies missing from the group? • MediCal division of Dept. of Health and Human Resources • Legislative Staffers • Teachers • CA Dept. of Social Services administrator

  30. San Diego:When you first were getting started, what were some of the biggest challenges?  How did you address them? • Many providers, not many who knew each other • Resource list • Email lists • Finding a home for the Youth Consultants Panel • Thomas Jefferson School of Law • Providing food! • Youth’s Cultural Competency Presentation

  31. San Diego:At this stage in the task force, what are the biggest challenges? • MediCal enrollment • Housing: gearing up for the new regulations • Teen Pregnancy issues • Spreading the (legal rights) word • Dental Day • Consistency on the Youth Consultants’ Panel

  32. Unaccompanied Youth Projects:Initial Results • 6 successful legislative initiatives in CA • Streamlined access to SNAP (AB 309) • Access to school records for unaccompanied youth (AB 1068) • Immediate athletic participation, state interagency working group (SB 177) • Juvenile record expungement (AB 1006) • Clarification that CPS reporting is not required (AB 652) • New licensing rules for youth shelters (AB 346)

  33. Task Force Sustainability • Broad, engaged membership • Tangible progress ASAP • Partner with CoC, local universities • Faith community • Develop and implement mid- and long-term initiatives once you have some immediate achievements, no matter how small

  34. Contact Information • Patricia Julianelle • pjulianelle@naehcy.org • (202) 436-9087

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