Achieving New HYTS for Young Adults in Washoe County: A Community Vision and Blueprint for Action

Achieving New HYTS For Young Adults

In Washoe County A Community Vision and Blueprint for Action

H ELPING Y OUTH T RANSITION to S UFFICIENCY Spring 2012 Developed by the New HYTS Leadership Board A May function of the Youth 2012-Draft forRAAH Review(Reno Area Alliance for the Homeless) Subcommittee onPage 1

Achieving New HYTS for Young Adults in Washoe County: A Community Vision and Blueprint for Action

Acknowledgements Building good relationships with a diverse set of partners is at the heart of true collaboration, which in turn provides insight into the soul of a community. This plan reflects the input, time and commitment of many organizations and individuals, including the courageous young adults in Washoe County who provide the motivation for this work. In particular, we would like to thank Charles Schwab Bank for having the confidence in this process to invest in it and provide leadership in building the community’s capacity to identify and implement creative, sustainable solutions to some of its most challenging problems. We would also like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the following leaders that agreed to serve as the Leadership Board for New HYTS and have legitimately come to the table – and remained there – in the spirit of collaboration with a willingness to respectfully and honestly work through complex issues together. Catholic Charity Services of Northern Nevada (The) Children’s Cabinet City of Reno Police Department Nevada Youth Empowerment Project Nevada Youth Parole Bureau Washoe County Social Services Washoe County School District – Youth in Transition Volunteers of America Finally, the support of the Reno Area Alliance for the Homeless (RAAH) has been instrumental in agreeing to serve as the lead entity for New HYTS, which will also function as the RAAH Youth Subcommittee. This decision ensures that priorities and activities will be aligned and resources will be maximized, and facilitates the long-term sustainability and scalability of this effort. The New HYTS planning project would not have become a material reality without the vision, front-end work and ongoing heavy lifting done by the Nevada Youth Empowerment Project (NYEP). Monica DuPea, NYEP’s Executive Director, provided the project management and oversight, and contributed staff time to assist with project coordination. (Contact information: [email protected]) This report was authored by Kari Earle, M.Ed, SmartStrategy Consulting Services (Reno, Nevada), who was contracted to provide professional facilitation and consultation services for the project to assist with getting it underway. (Contact information: [email protected])

May 2012-Draft for Review

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

Table of Contents Acknowledgements

2

Table of Contents

3

1.

Executive Summary

4

2.

Project Background, History and Rationale

5

3.

A Snapshot of the Issues and Environment

9

4.

Building the Foundation for Change

14

5.

Operating Framework and Service Model

16

6.

Infrastructure to Support Implementation

7.

Key Insights and Recommendations

8.

References

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18

21

23

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

1. Executive Summary New HYTS (Help for Youth Transitioning to Success) is a community-wide network in Washoe County that is pooling its resources to build a connected infrastructure of supportive housing and services for homeless youth (ages 18-24) so that they can succeed as adults. Youth homelessness results from a complex mix of precipitating factors, situations and crises experienced by young people. Most young people who become homeless or are at risk of homelessness have needs which could have been addressed years before they escalated and developed into issues that make them vulnerable to homelessness and a host of related social, health, and economic challenges. If we are to improve this scenario, we must act now, and we must take a coordinate, cohesive approach. Meaningful progress mandates a unified and strategic response, marked by urgency. This “Blueprint for Action” is provided as a framework for all relevant agencies, stakeholders and prospective partners to join up services so as to provide comprehensive and effective support for young people. It is intended to be a functional tool to guide the development of a coordinated infrastructure of housing and supportive services in Washoe County that serve young adults (ages 18-24) that are homeless or at high risk of becoming homeless. It represents the synthesis of all the data, insights, and information gathered throughout the process and documents key issues and decisions addressed by the New HYTS Leadership Board. As a planning tool, its value lies in confirming current strategic directions and goals; developing preliminary strategic directions and verifying these with key stakeholder groups (i.e. service organizations, funders and corporate sponsors, policy and regulatory bodies, and youth themselves). Ideally, it will provide the platform for the development of a coordinated community-wide plan for serving youth in Washoe County. The plan outlines the shared strategic goals that have been collaboratively defined by the New HYTS Leadership Board and are ready to be vetted with key stakeholders in Phase II of the planning process. The development of this “blueprint for action” over the past ten months provides the foundation for Washoe County’s youth-serving and homeless-serving organizations to mutually design and implement a true continuum of housing and supportive services that is rooted in a clearly defined operational framework and culture of shared values and practices. A primary outcome of the process will be the development of transitional housing for youth to fill an unmet need in this community and ensure stability for youth during the critical juncture between youth and adulthood. The outcomes associated with designing a comprehensive and connected infrastructure for young adults speak for themselves in terms of justifying the investment:

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

 Reduced duplication of services  Better policies for healthy youth development  Services are relevant & accessible  Increased student achievement  Decreased violence  Prepared current and future leaders  Improved outcomes for youth Ideally, the vision and blueprint for action that has been put forth by the New HYTS Leadership Board will change the way we understand the impact of youth homelessness and its impact on the community, the way we design and deliver services to homeless youth and youth at risk of becoming homeless; and change the way we work across government, the non-government sector and with the broader community to improve outcomes for youth transitioning to adulthood, so that they can truly achieve new heights.

2. Project Background, History and Rationale In June 2011, Nevada Youth Empowerment Project (NYEP) was awarded a planning grant from Charles Schwab Bank to address the needs of homeless youth (ages 18-24) in their transition to adulthood. A professionally facilitated planning process got underway in August 2011, shepherded by a carefully selected Leadership Board made up of representatives from organizations deemed critical to the project’s success. In addition to NYEP, board members include: Catholic Charity Services of Northern Nevada (The) Children’s Cabinet City of Reno Police Department Nevada Youth Parole Bureau Washoe County Social Services Washoe County School District – Youth in Transition Volunteers of America

STRATEGIC APPROACH The overall goal of the planning process was to develop a community-wide strategic plan to support vulnerable youth (ages 18-24) in making a successful transition to adulthood. This process leveraged the considerable

New HYTS Mission and Vision: “To help every young adult we can, every time that we can, and in every way that we can, so that they will reach their full potential as contributing adults in the community.”

work, collaboration and investment of resources already in place or underway in Northern Nevada. A fundamental guiding principle established

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

at the outset was to conduct planning and decision-making from a youth-centered, rather than system-driven, perspective that is both strengths-based and practical in the current economic and policy environment. Board members readily Key elements of an effective planning process:  Engage key stakeholders throughout the community  Establish and promote a shared vision for youth  Assess needs and design comprehensive strategies  Create a framework for shared accountability  Coordinate city, school and other community efforts

acknowledged that no single system has the sufficient perspective, capital or capacity to comprehensively address the needs of these vulnerable youth. The planning approach for New HYTS has incorporated valuable lessons learned from previous capacity building efforts both locally and across the country, which underscore that strong leadership and meaningful collaboration are foundational to success. While the focus of the project itself is ultimately designed to provide increased access to an expanded range of housing options and supportive services for young adults that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the need to concentrate this first phase of planning on building collaborative capacity became clear at the project’s outset. Establishing this foundation has improved Washoe County’s capacity to: 1. Promote systems change to benefit vulnerable youth, 2. Demonstrate and quantify the urgent need to build housing for homeless youth transitioning to adulthood, 3. Capitalize on opportunities to change policy, braid funding, more

Essential components of a sustainable plan:

effectively utilize existing funding and service options, and

 A clear vision statement

connections to schools and other delivery systems that support young

 A summary of the planning process

4. Develop coordinated planning mechanisms that improve adults. In fact, a secondary outcome anticipated from this collaborative

 Key findings on community strengths and unmet needs

decision-making board as it continues to develop will be the creation of

 Major goals or targets

service gaps and create a seamless care system.

 A plan of action to achieve these goals

SUMMARY OF PROGRESS

partnerships that are formalized by memoranda of understanding and supported by recognized advisory bodies with the charge to address

The primary focus for the past ten months has been on developing a shared vision and model for what a connected infrastructure of support needs to look like in this community, with housing as a priority component. The time invested at the front end to identify the entities that would form the New HYTS Leadership Board proved to be important in terms of moving the collaborative decision-making process forward at the right pace,

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

and ensuring that the project had support from all of the key players without becoming driven or monopolized by a single “system” (e.g. foster youth). In the span of ten monthly meetings, the New HYTS Board has become a recognized entity with a shared vision and a commitment to develop a continuum of services for youth that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Washoe County. Perhaps most significantly, the conversation has evolved into one that is truly “youth-driven” rather than driven by the needs, funding and expectations related to a particular system. This shift is proving fundamental to the success of this work and the speed with which decisions have been made collectively.

TIMELINE OF PROGRESS AND INTERIM OUTCOMES June/July 2011

Convened Leadership Board and Secured Commitment for Participation

August 2011

Conducted First Meeting: Focused on Target Population

September 2011

Shaped Vision and Identified Key Stakeholders

October 2011

Consensus Reached on Mission, Project Framework and Project Name

November 2011

Consensus Reached on Fitting Project Leadership Structure under RAAH

December 2011

New HYTS Board now serving as the de facto RAAH Subcommittee on Youth/Designed the Youth PIT Questionnaire to collect the right data

January 2012

Review of other Models Serving Street Youth; Collaborative Planning for Homeless Youth PIT Count

February 2012

Data-driven decision based on data analysis from January PIT Count to conduct quarterly counts in order to refine understanding of target population and their needs; multiple agencies involved in and taking ownership of planning

March 2012

Preliminary review of Washoe County Resource Matrix and Capacity to Serve Target Population; Gaps and Overlap Analysis underway to understand accessibility and barriers to access

April 2012

Organized the first quarterly Youth PIT Count, to establish comparison data about the Target Population; Consensus reached on widening the scope of the count to encompass a larger age group (up to 24 years) to ensure that younger youth would not be turned away.

May 2012

Decision-making related to ongoing leadership, structure and sustainability of New HYTS as a strategic priority of RAAH’s Subcommittee on Youth.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

A PHASED APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTATION Because this project has been designed with the recognition that no single system has the sufficient perspective, capital or capacity to comprehensively address the needs of vulnerable youth, it is anticipated that partnerships and corresponding roles and responsibilities will be formalized by MOU’s and supported by recognized advisory bodies (e.g. RAAH) that are charged with addressing service gaps and create a seamless care system. This will be important to sustain the momentum and linkages that have been built over the past year and to help imbed the project structure for the coming year. The following solutions and strategies were identified at the outset as priorities for this process. Moderate to significant progress was made in the following areas: 1. Raised awareness among community organizations serving the homeless about what is available and needed by transitioning youth. 2. Expanded collaborative capacity to engage in cross-system assessment and service planning that will ultimately broaden housing and supportive service options for homeless and nearhomeless youth. 3. Identifying funding streams that can be accessed and leveraged to enhance and expand program services, including private funding sources as well as “re-imagined” public funding sources from local, state, and Federal levels. 4. Improving capacity to promote systems change to benefit vulnerable transition-age youth, capitalizing on opportunities to change policy, braid funding, more effectively utilize existing funding and service options, and develop coordinated planning mechanisms that improve connections to schools and other delivery systems that support young adults. In the midst of the past year, the Leadership Board came to recognize the need for this project to roll out in phases in order to realistically accomplish the entirety of goals that have been articulated. Phase I (Year 1) is focused on: a) establishing and solidifying collaborative roles and responsibilities (including leadership) that will lead to long-term sustainability and best use of resources; b) define the model and respective benchmarks and timeframes; c) assess the existing service array and resources in order to develop a matrix of providers and conduct a barriers/gaps analysis; d) refine our understanding of the target population’s needs; and e) explore models and extract lessons from other programs and practices across the country.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT One key achievement to date related to this project’s ongoing scalability and sustainability has been the designation of the New HYTS Leadership Board to function as the permanent Youth Subcommittee for RAAH. The Leadership Board/Youth Subcommittee has agreed to continue to

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

meet monthly, and has designated Monica DuPea, Executive Director of the Nevada Youth Empowerment Project (NYEP) to serve as Chairperson. Peter Vogel, Executive Director of Catholic Charity Services of Northern Nevada (CCSNN) has agreed to serve as Co-Chair and continue to act as liaison to the RAAH Leadership Committee. As the focus of the group adapts to its expanded role as the RAAH Youth Subcommittee while the New HYTS project continues to unfold, it is expected that representation on the Leadership Board will evolve to include additional organizations that have expressed an interest in becoming involved. Top priorities for the New HYTS Leadership Board/RAAH Youth Subcommittee will include expanding housing capacity for homeless youth and addressing related policy issues. Midway through this planning phase, it was the consensus of the Board to postpone broader stakeholder engagement until a clear project model had been identified for implementation in Washoe County. The Board agreed that beginning in Phase II (Year 2), this project will convene youth-serving organizations, other key stakeholders, and youth representatives in Washoe County to develop a long-term plan to support vulnerable youth in making a successful transition to adulthood. A key premise of this phase, as in Phase I, will be that stakeholders will not be defined by system, but by how they respond to youth needs. In order to facilitate clarity about roles and responsibilities, stakeholders will be identified, defined and categorized at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, as follows: 1) Primary – youth and organizations providing funding and/or direct services and supports (including faith-based organizations); 2) Secondary – organizations with an advocacy and/or policy role; 3) Tertiary – organizations with a like-minded mission and/or interest in the project. The stakeholder engagement process is designed to be inclusive, but targeted, so that each entity involved will have a clear understanding of their role in the continuum of housing and supports. The benchmark goal of this recommended approach for stakeholder engagement is for collaborating organizations to participate in a formalized arrangement that specifically identifies their contributions, resource needs, and commitment to uphold the values and guiding principles of the New HYTS operating framework.

3. A Snapshot of the Issues and Environment The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides detailed information about adults and families that interact with the homeless programs it funds. This data is collected through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and reported out in the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. The chart below reflects an estimate of the number of young adults without children ages 18-24 utilizing the single adult system, approximately 150,000 young adults nationally, broken down into the commonly accepted homeless individual typology put forth by Dr. Dennis Culhane.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

Category

Estimated Number of Young Adults Percent

Transitional 122,000

81 percent

Episodic

13,000

9 percent

Chronic

15,000

10 percent

Total

150,000

100 percent

An estimated 122,000 youth comprise the “transitional” subpopulation. According to Dr. Culhane, people in this subpopulation become homeless, spend a short time homeless, exit homelessness, and then do not return to homelessness. There are 13,000 in the “episodic” subcategory of people who experience repeated incidences of homelessness and 15,000 in the “chronic” subcategory of people who remain homeless over long periods of time. These estimates do not include young adults that are not accessing the adult system, but instead living on the streets or in unsafe housing arrangements. Though the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that as many as 50,000 youth sleep on the streets in the United States, the prevalence and extent of youth homelessness is largely unknown. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem is real and growing, but national data is scarce. Local data for Washoe County is even more difficult to access, largely because the target age group of young adults (ages 18-24) for this planning effort is mostly invisible to the organizations that serve the homeless. Many are unable to access services for which they are ineligible because they don’t meet certain criteria (e.g. they are not in the child welfare/foster youth system, or are not involved in the criminal justice system). They are often reluctant or unwilling to access shelters or services that place restrictions on them or impose too much supervision. The majority lack sufficient income to access affordable housing, which is in short supply. In addition to low income and inadequate housing supply, family breakdown is a significant contributor to homelessness for young adults. Some run away or are abandoned by their parents or guardians, others are fleeing from violence, abuse and/or broken homes. Without a home, family support, or other resources, homeless youth are often locked up because they are without supervision and arrested for “status” offenses, such as running away or breaking curfew. In addition, as youth age out of the foster care system or are released from juvenile detention, they may lack support systems and opportunities for work and housing. In fact, 25 percent of former foster youth nationwide reported that they had been homeless at least one night within two-and-ahalf to four years after exiting foster care. In Washoe County as well as across the nation, the existing service system in place to assist the homeless is largely designed for adults. Service providers lack the capacity and expertise to offer early intervention and developmentally appropriate supports to the older youth who need residential stability. Shelters, housing projects, and other assistance providers often do not understand the needs of homeless youth and lack the staffing, training and facility resources to provide the necessary interventions. The most current data on the homeless youth population (ages 18-24) in Washoe County comes from the two most recent Youth Point in Time (PIT) counts, conducted in January 2012 and April

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

2012 by the New HYTS Leadership Board. The tables and graphs below provide a summary and comparison of that data. THE COUNT Total questionnaires completed # of homeless # at high risk of becoming homeless Unaccompanied youth reported by providers Ages Distribution:

January 2012 55 39 (70.9%) 16 (29.1%) 8*

April 2012 28 23 (82.1%) 5 (17.9%) n/a

Not asked

See chart below

Gender- 01/12

Gender- 04/12*

6%

4% 39%

Male

25%

Female

69%

Male Female

57%

Unspecified

Unspecified

*Casa de Vida (5); Children’s Cabinet RHYME Program (3) *A significant number of survey respondents in the April PIT Count were females living in shelters (VOA and NYEP).

Age - 04/12 Count Only 5

Age Distribution

0 15

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Race/Ethnicity (combined counts) 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Caucasian African American Hispanic/Latino AI/NA Asian/PI Female

May 2012

Male

Unspecified

Unspecified

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

Unanswered 4%

Disabling Conditions?* Yes 44% No 52%

Nearly half of respondents have a disabling condition. 41 of 82 respondents (50%) have been prescribed medication for depression or anxiety.

*physical/medical disabilities, mental health illness, developmental delay, HIV/AIDS, and/or substance abuse

Only 16% of respondents for the January count and 14% of respondents for the April PIT count indicated that they are currently employed or you have a legal source of income. Sources listed: AB350 funds Bio-mat Century 14 (Sparks) Food Stamps KFC Parents FAMILY

Peerless Cleaners SSI Social Security Temp Agency Tattoo shop Trust fund

Approximately 10% of respondents in each count are parents. Out of a combined total for both counts (83), 8 respondents have children. Seven of these have children living with them. Of these, six (85%) are male.

55-60% have either been the victim of a crime, perpetrated a crime in exchange for food or shelter, and/or are a member of a “team”, “crew” or “family”. (At least 10% of respondents in both counts declined to answer questions about legal and safety issues.)

May 2012

EMPLOYMENT

VIOLENCE

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

Highest Education Level Attained 25 20 15 10 5 0

61-71% would be interested in receiving educational services if they were available.

April Jan

Where Did You Sleep Last Night?* Abandoned Building Vehicle With Friend or Family House other than bedroom Roof/Garage/Attic/Basement/Storage Street/Outdoors House or Apt. with others Own Residence Foster Home Jail/Institution Shelter Hotel/Motel

April Jan

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

*In some cases, respondents reported sleeping in more than one location in one night.

Approximately 1 in 4 respondents are or have previously been in foster care.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

4. Building a Foundation for Change Building new partnerships can be difficult and is fraught with inherent challenges that can take a great deal of time and effort to overcome. Some of these challenges are related to the use of specific language, disparate values and philosophies regarding approach, conflicting regulatory and eligibility parameters, and even the definition of the population to be served. The New HYTS Board has made impressive strides in a relatively short period of time in terms of uniting for a common cause and subjugating individual needs in order to reach a shared goal. Even though they sometimes compete for limited resources, the members of the New HYTS Board are natural allies and have been willing to put aside their differences in order to work toward creating a shared culture of service that provides the foundation for Washoe County to develop a connected infrastructure that supports youth in achieving self-sufficiency as they transition to adulthood. Although the partners represented on the New HYTS Leadership Board have different histories, resources, and benchmarks for success, a number of shared principles and “best practices” were either confirmed or emerged throughout the planning process that reflect common values and beliefs. These principles will guide the development of programs and services, and will provide the platform on which to build effect and sustainable collaboration that has the capacity to develop a connected infrastructure for transitioning youth in Washoe County.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES Homelessness amongst youth is a community issue that requires the resources and ingenuity of all sectors working together in partnership. Collaboration and program design must be youth-centered, rather than system-driven. There is not one pathway to stable housing. The aim is to build natural connections back into the community and the key is to triage homeless youth to determine their level of functionality and to provide supports accordingly. Classifying youth according to their needs will help organizations better serve each group of youth. Organizations need to review their openness to cultural and sexual diversity to ascertain what population profile(s) they are supporting and can support. The target population should have a central voice in program and service development. In terms of site design, housing and shelter must accommodate a range of needs and a wide spectrum of functioning among the young adults that access services. This may include a combination of drop-in facilities, transitional/supportive group housing, and independent living/rental supports that allow high-functioning youth to integrate into the community. Developmentally appropriate shelter/housing environments for young adults need to provide safe, comfortable spaces that offer recreational and social activities. May 2012

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

Relationship and trust-building with young adults is essential to a successful program approach. Once homeless youth are participating in programs and services, ongoing outreach and communication needs to be “youth-friendly” and incorporated social media forums such as Facebook and Twitter. Supportive services are needed in addition to housing that include but are not limited to educational, employment, mental health, sexual health, general health, emotional/psychological (including harm reduction and substance abuse counseling), sexual orientation identity, legal supports, and life skills. Ongoing, voluntary participation in mentoring and follow-up support must be built into programs and services in order to prevent a return to homelessness and support long-term success. Follow-up and housing retention supports help to prevent repeated incidents of homelessness. Planning needs to account for long-term supports for several years to allow sufficient time for young adults to move from homelessness into stable housing and employment. It is important to ensure that local businesses support these solutions, and are invested in their success. Providing employment support and work placement is a priority, and offers homeless youth an opportunity to gain work experience and earn an income in a safe and mentoring environment. Job retention supports not only help to prevent joblessness but help “housed” youth from becoming homeless again.

DESIGNING A SCALABLE STRUCTURE TO BUILD CAPACITY The providers, agencies and organizations represented on the New HYTS Leadership Team came to the table initially with varying levels of trust and histories of working together. Through the New HYTS partnership and collaboration, these entities have begun to form a network that is focused on coordinating what were previously disconnected efforts in order to support the accomplishment of mutually defined goals. Over time, by sharing information and resources, this partnership will build capacity to foster creative solutions to hard-to-solve problems and clearly define how local programs can more effectively provide services to cross system populations. By sharing knowledge and teaching one another about the nature of services provided, populations served by each organization, outreach efforts and service provision to youth in need will be greatly enhanced through better linkages. Subsequently, formalized mechanisms for referrals, staff training, and program impact will develop more naturally and the community “safety net” will be stronger and more accessible to youth in need of protection and support. It is therefore, a very worthwhile investment to design and support this level of collaboration strategically at the front end of the project, rather than expect it to be an organic by-product of the project.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

5. Operating Framework and Model of Practice DEFINING THE TARGET POPULATION The HEARTH Act created a new category of homelessness to capture unaccompanied youth and families with children who experience persistent housing instability and have other barriers to housing. The HEARTH Act’s language was more general than other language regarding the definition of homelessness. It required that the definition only apply to unaccompanied youth and families with children who are considered homeless under other federal statutes but not under the HUD portion of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The HEARTH Act also required that: a) the individual or family has not lived independently for a long period of time, which HUD interpreted as not being on a lease or having an ownership interest in a housing unit for the past 60 days; b) the individual or family has moved frequently, which HUD interpreted as having moved at least two times in the past 60 days; and c) the individual or family is expected to continue to have unstable housing for one of a number of reasons—chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment—HUD interpreted multiple barriers to employment to mean at least two of the following: lack of a high school degree or GED, illiteracy, low English proficiency, history of incarceration or detention for criminal activity, or history of unstable employment. The needs of homeless youth vary widely, and homeless young people typically need help with multiple issues before they can become self-sufficient. For the New HYTS model to be successful, it is critical that an array of housing and supportive services is available are correctly matched to the needs of the young adults they are meant to assist. To that end, the New HYTS design is consistent with a research-based approach (Bucher, 2008) that looked at seven risk factors, including physical and emotional abuse, drinking or drug problems, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and involvement in crime. The author used these factors to develop a needs-based matrix that assigns homeless young people into one of four groups needing four specific avenues of services: Group 1: Youth with fewer problems and safety issues. They need short-term housing and counseling. Group 2: Youth who’ve experienced emotional and physical abuse and have drinking or drug problems. They need therapeutic housing with an emphasis on mental health and alcohol and drug abuse services. Group 3: Youth who’ve experienced abuse and also have gotten in trouble with the law. They need therapeutic housing with an emphasis on mental health and behavior management. Group 4: Youth who’ve experienced all or most of the risk factors. They need comprehensive treatment, including safe housing, alcohol and drug abuse treatment, educational and legal services, and behavior management.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK With this approach in mind, the following operational framework for New HYTS was defined:

Providing Safety

Building Relationships

Teaching Life Skills

Bridging the Transition to Adulthood

Minimal Intensity & Intervention •Drop-In Shelter •Food, Showers, Lockers •Referrals, Eligibility Screening •Focus is primarily on safety and engagement

Moderate Intensity & Monitoring •Transitional Housing (shorter term) •Connection to Opportunities and Resources •Voluntary level of interaction and engagement

High Intensity with Regular Monitoring and Support •Transitional and Supportive Housing (longer term) •Peer Support and Monitoring •Comprehensive Case Management •System of Accountability

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 1. Engage stakeholders to develop and implement the New HYTS project model which targets 1824 year olds that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and provides appropriate interventions that transitions them into housing and long-term stability. 2. Provide coordinated case management and supportive housing, coupled with services linked to education, training and employment for young adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 3. Provide ongoing mentoring and follow-up to support long-term stability.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

6. Infrastructure to Support Implementation In order to understand the gaps, overlaps, and unique programs and services offered to homeless youth in Washoe County, a mapping plan was conducted as a part of this strategic planning process. The goal was to identify a landscape of programs and services that genuinely meet the needs of the New HYTS target population so that strategic goals can be developed to address critical gaps. The central criteria for including organizations in the map were the identified needs of homeless youth. The following needs of homeless youth were identified by the Leadership Board and verified through the data collected during the two 2012 Homeless Youth Point in Time Counts: Outreach. Drop-in facility with basic services: meals, shower, laundry, lockers, clothing. Safe and organized recreational and social activities. Health and Counseling Services: mental health, addiction services (counseling, residential treatment, detox), primary care (dental, sexual health, physical health, sexual orientation supports). Shelter and Housing: emergency, transitional, long-term, housing supports. Employment: assessment & career planning, referral to community employment programs, job search preparation (résumé, interview), job postings, job placement, job retention supports, computer access. Legal Supports: legal advice, other supports for youth in conflict with the law. Education and Life Skills: high school completion, job skills training, and life skills (domestic, parenting, financial literacy). Early Intervention, Family Supports, and Community Awareness: preventative programs. Culturally Sensitive Programs. There are a variety of community organizations supporting homeless youth in Washoe County. While a fairly large number offer services that may be utilized by the target population, the New HYTS Leadership Board sought to identify organizations whose programs and services are: a) primarily targeted to homeless or at risk youth, ages 18-24; b) accessible in terms of eligibility criteria; c) no cost or low cost/sliding fee scale; and d) aligned with the guiding principles defined by the Board. As anticipated, this mapping process identified several gaps and few overlaps in the programs and services available to Washoe County’s homeless youth. There is a severe shortage of emergency, transitional, and long-term housing services specifically geared toward older youth, especially those that are not involved in any “system”. With respect to higher functioning youth that can and want to be integrated into the community, but Washoe County offers very little in terms of longterm housing search support, advocacy with potential landlords, and financial supports.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

Substance abuse and mental illness are two major health issues identified in the PIT counts, so it is highly significant that a shortage of a full range of addiction and mental health treatment and supports specifically geared for youth in the target age range exists. There is also a critical shortage of residential beds for youth who need that level of care. Furthermore, there are virtually no accessible psychiatric services available, coupled with a severe shortage of mental health counseling services. Other health services (e.g. dental care) are not readily available or affordable, considering that the vast majority of youth surveyed do not have health insurance. Sexual orientation supports and counseling are also lacking. The following table provides an at-a-glance summary of the resource mapping process, and highlights some of the obvious gaps. The next step in this process is to provide the detail related to eligibility and affordability of these services, by organization, so that it can become a resource for end-users as well as referring entities.

Washoe County Matrix of Critical Services for Street Youth

Services and Outcomes Point of Entry

Substance Abuse/ Mental Health

Housing

Health

Children’s Cabinet

HAWC

Outreach

Drop-In Services

Community Assistance Center Children’s Cabinet

HOPES Planned Parentho od WCHD

Restart RSGM

Crisis Pregnancy Services

West Hills West Care Triage Ctr

NYEP RSGM Safe Embrace Salvation Army Family Promise Casa de Vida Black Bear House

Step I Step 2 Salvation Army

Quest

Emergency/ Crisis Services

Transitional Housing with Supportive Services

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Employment

NV Urban Indians VOA

Sierra Nevada Job Corps

Educatio n

Food, Clothing, Transportation / Financial Services Evelyn Mount Pathfinders Loving Hearts Club FRCs Good Shepherd’s Closet Our Savior Lutheran St. Vincent’s Food Pantry St. Thomas Aquinas RSGM

Counseling and Lifeskills NHS NUI Washoe Legal Services YouthFirst

Crisis Call Center

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

Rivendel Juvenile Services

Referral and Follow-up/ Case Mgmt

HAWC Clinic NNDHP Pregnancy Center Lion’s Club

Quest Renown Health West Hills NNAMHS UNR Downing Clinic Bristlecon e FCSNN

SelfAdvocacy

Ridge House NNLC CCSN NV JobConne ct Children’s Cabinet Project Solution CSA BBBS NCED

WCSD CIT* TMCC

CAAW FRCs SNAP TANF

Consumer Credit Cnsling Vet Center Washoe Cyesis Program

ANNYPAA NNCIL

ANNYPAA - All Northern Nevada Young People In Alcoholics Anonymous BBBS – Big Brothers Big Sisters CAAW – Committee to Aid Abused Women CCSNN – Catholic Charity Services of Northern Nevada CSA – Community Services Agency FCSNN – Family Counseling Services of Northern Nevada FRCs – Family Resource Centers HOPES – HIV, Outpatient, Prevention and Education Services NCED – Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities NHS – Nevada Hispanic Services NNAMHS – Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services NNCIL – Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living NNDHP – Northern Nevada Dental Health Program NNLC – Northern Nevada Literacy Council NUI – Nevada Urban Indians RSGM – Reno Sparks Gospel Mission TMCC – Truckee Meadows Community College UNSOM – University of Nevada School of Medicine WCHD – Washoe County Health District *Washoe County School District Children in Transition Program Homeless Liaisons: Monica Ayala – 327-5629/Elaine Lehman- 353-6938/ Katie Morales- 327-5637 Re- Engagement locations: O’Brien Middle School – 327-0609 Sparks Community Learning Center – 333-3526 Children’s Cabinet- 348-6781 Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows- 342-3543 Community Assistance Center- 353-6930

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

7. Key Insights and Recommendations According to the National Alliance to End Homeless, the key to ending youth homelessness is to build natural connections back into the community. This involves meeting the youth’s basic housing needs, educational needs, employment needs, and especially their emotional needs. In the best of circumstances, teenagers grapple with developmental changes that are associated with these key years, so it is not natural to expect that homeless youth would need at least the same level, if not more intensive, of support as their peers. Therefore, in striking the critical balance between housing and support needs, a variety of strategies should be incorporated into the continuum of services offered that are matched to the developmental status of the individual as well as his/her educational, employment, and mental health status. During the course of planning, a number of key insights emerged that helped to confirm the need for the New HYTS project in Washoe County. As the Leadership Board and stakeholders become more knowledgeable and informed about the true level of need and the characteristics of the target population, it is urgent that the community, funders, policy makers and providers are wellorganized and positioned to respond with the right mix of programs and services that leverages what exists and funnels resources to where they will have the most impact. It is envisioned that the following strategies and solutions will be the focus of Phases II and III, which will ultimately provide increased access to an expanded range of transitional housing options in the community. 1. Active engagement of stakeholders and funding partners to develop a resource-sharing map that defines how each element of the model will be funded and implemented. 2. Design select demonstration projects that implement and evaluate promising practices to support transition-age youth in their pursuit of work, education for fulfilling careers, and independent living. 3. Incorporating youth in the planning, development and implementation of policy and practice and imbedding youth housing as a priority in the strategic planning goals of multiple systems. 4. Identify and address policy issues impacting transition-age youth with vulnerabilities related to homelessness, juvenile justice involvement, education deficits, behavioral health concerns, and/or out-of-home placement. 5. Identifying the legal/zoning/code/compliance issues that may present barriers for development of supportive housing for youth. Additionally, the following solutions and strategies will be vetted with stakeholders early in the second phase of planning and prioritized for action:

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

1. Raising community and organization awareness about what is available and needed by transitioning youth. 2. Providing increased access to an expanded range of transitional housing options in the community. 3. Expanding capacity to engage in collaborative, cross-system assessment and service planning processes that facilitate the identification of individual strengths, talents, and skills that can lead to education and career goals. 4. Scaling up capacity in workforce development to effectively work with young adults. 5. Designing and funding select demonstration projects that implement and evaluate promising practices to support transition-age youth in their pursuit of work, education for fulfilling careers, and independent living. 6. Addressing policy issues impacting transition-age youth with vulnerabilities related to homelessness, juvenile justice involvement, education deficits, behavioral health concerns, and/or out-of-home placement. 7. Identifying the legal/zoning/code/compliance issues that may present barriers for development of supportive housing for youth. 8. Identifying, accessing, and leveraging funding streams to enhance and expand program services, including private funding sources as well as “re-imagined” public funding sources from local, state, and Federal levels. 9. Improving capacity to promote systems change to benefit vulnerable transition-age youth, capitalizing on opportunities to change policy, braid funding, more effectively utilize existing funding and service options, and develop coordinated planning mechanisms that improve connections to schools and other delivery systems that support young adults. 10. Incorporating youth in the planning, development and implementation of policy and practice and imbedding youth housing as a priority in the strategic planning goals of multiple systems. In terms of immediate next steps, the New HYTS Leadership Board needs to identify and clarify organization roles and responsibilities for implementation, accountability and oversight of the ongoing planning and implementation process. In conjunction with broader stakeholder engagement, the Board also needs to identify and prioritize collaboration development needs and opportunities; e.g. cross-system training, data sharing, agency orientation, shared service planning and case management, co-location, etc. It will be critical to engage funder support early in the process as well. To support this, a concrete plan for process and outcome evaluation planning will be required to support implementation and resource development. This evaluation process must monitor progress in strengthening collaborative capacity in addition to progress in establishing transitional housing, recognizing that the health and sustainability of the collaborative relationships are central to the success of New HYTS and the young adults that it is designed to help.

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New Help for Youth Transitioning to Success… helping vulnerable and homeless youth reach new heights in Washoe County.

8. References Aledort, Nina, et. al. More Than a Roof Over Their Heads: A Toolkit for Guiding Transition Age Young Adults to Long-term Housing Success. The New York City Children’s Plan Young Adult Housing Workgroup, March 2011. Bucher, C. Toward a Needs-Based Typology of Homeless Youth (abstract), Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 42, No. 6, June 2008. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Homelessness Among Youth: Understanding the Population and Designing Targeted Interventions. Facts for the Field. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 10-4477. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, April 2010. Goodman, Naomi, et. al. It’s My Life – A Framework for Youth Transitioning from Foster Care to Successful Adulthood. Casey Family Programs, 2001. Homelessness Resource Center. http://homeless.samhsa.gov. US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Koball, Heather, et al. (2011). Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support At- Risk Youth, OPRE Report # OPRE 2011-22, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kuhn, R. and Culhane, D. Applying Cluster Analysis to Test a Typology of Homelessness by Pattern of Shelter Utilization: Results from the Analysis of Administrative Data. 1998. http://repository.upenn.edu National Alliance to End Homelessness. http://www.endhomelessness.org/sectio n/issues/youth, accessed on 4/24/2012. National Alliance to End Homelessness. An Emerging Framework for Ending Unaccompanied Youth Homelessness. Report: 03/06/2012. http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/4486 RAAH Homeless Youth Report, February 2011. Toro, Paul, et. al. (2011). The Heterogeneity of Homeless Youth in America: Examining Typologies, Research Matters, September 2011. Homeless Research Institute, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Washington, DC. Trevendale, Heather, et. al. "Finding Shelter: Two-Year Housing Trajectories Among Homeless Youth". Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 49, No. 6, December 2011.

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