HELP of Southern Nevada Crisis Teams

1. HELP of Southern NevadaCrisis Teams Louis Lacey, Crisis Teams Director HELP of Southern Nevada

2. What We Do • As street outreach workers, we respond to homeless individuals who are living in places not meant for human habitation. Addressing their immediate needs for food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. We also carry with us items to hand out to Homeless clients, including hygiene items, healthy snacks, water, blankets, clothing, information such as emergency phone numbers, resource lists of homeless shelters, food pantries and free medical facilities, and legal aid referrals • Outreach workers, through the relationships and trust we build with the clients, begin to get them to open up and to share their story and issues related to living on the streets. Outreach workers can help some clients re connect with family and hopefully, return home. The primary goal of an Outreach worker is to assist homeless individuals who may be service resistant to accept services and find a more stable living situation.

3. LINKLinkages, Interventions, Navigation, Knowledge • In collaboration with Clark County Social Services • Helps get clients document ready • Verify Chronicity • Disability Documentation • Nevada ID, Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, Marriage/ Divorce Certificate. • Connect clients to needed services • MH, SA, Medical assessments and referrals, Legal Assistance & Mainstream Benefits • Place high vulnerability clients immediately into Bridge Housing • Quicker transition to PSH, with a warm hand off to new ICM

4. MCIT/ PATHPartnership with LVMPD H.O.T. • The Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) conducts interventions, abatements and health & safety checks throughout all 8200 square miles of Clark County. They work in tandem with all services providers to encourage homeless individuals and families living in places not meant for human habitation to engage in services. • The Project Assistance to Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program is designed to provide services to persons who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless and have a serious mental illness. The main goal is to obtain appropriate housing while engaging in formal mental health treatment. Individuals are referred to the Community Queue for housing placement. • The LVMPD Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) is made up of 8 Metro officers who pair off into teams of two that conduct outreach throughout Clark County connecting homeless individuals to services and housing programs including medical detox. • How it began/new partnership • Creating new perceptions • Building on each others strengths

5. M.O.R.E.Multi-agency Outreach, Resource & Engagement Project • Multi-agency homeless outreach team lead by officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept., City of Las Vegas Marshals and 4 service providers. • Conduct interventions, abatements and health & safety checks throughout the City of Las Vegas to encourage homeless individuals and families living in places not meant for human habitation to engage in services. • 3 teams covering different geographical areas within City of Las Vegas limits. • This is a new approach to engaging homeless within our downtown area including the Corridor of Hope. • The clients are encouraged to accept services or move on.

6. Effective Unique Strategies • Emergency Lodging for non shelter appropriate clients • Peer Advocates • Flexible funding to provide services outside the box • Coordinated Inter Agency Outreach Meetings • In field Homeless ID card machine (Clarity Card) • Multi Agency Harm Reduction Outreach events • Rapid HIV / HEP-C testing, Vaccinations, Medical and Wound Care • Needle exchange (Secondary Needle Access Point) • Current preparing to administer & distribute Naloxone

7. Engagement Strategies

8. What Makes a Great Outreach Worker • Compassion and empathy • This is not a job, it is a mission. • Our goal is, “To be The right person in the right place at the right time.” • The ability to identify with or understand the perspective, experiences, or motivations of another individual and to comprehend and share another individuals emotional state. This is critical for authentic client interaction • Without Empathy for our client population it is almost impossible to successfully interact in a meaningful manner with those whom we are serving. • Problem Solving • We MUST be ale to Assess the clients situation and, Identify immediate needs. Each worker must have a good knowledge of community resources and be able sometimes think outside the box. • Cultural Sensitivity (Relatability) • We must possess a set of attitudes, practices, or policies that respect – rather than merely show- that you are receptive to different cultures of people. This includes a thorough knowledge of a particular group’s values, norms, morals, traditions, customs, history, folklore and institutions. • Use of peers

9. Questions