Homeward Hosts Best Practices in Youth Services Summit
The last week of February, Homeward hosted a series of learning opportunities in a Best Practices in Youth Services Summit. Over two days, GRCoC partners, YAB members, and TA support staff delved into the core competency topics of youth services, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), prioritizing joy for young people, and federal grant regulations.
The GRCoC Youth Action Board are a dedicated group of young adults, many of whom have lived expertise of homelessness and service usage that guides the work of implementing new programs to address youth and young adult homelessness.
At the summit, young people and providers alike highlighted the most important themes as:
Trauma-Responsive Care
Acknowledging and responding to the trauma that many young people experiencing homelessness have experienced. Services should emphasize safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.
Youth Engagement
Prioritizing and supporting young people in the design, implementation, and evaluation of services. Empowering young people to have a voice in the services that affect their lives, ensuring that services are tailored to their needs and preferences.
Culturally Competent Services
Recognizing and respecting the cultural backgrounds, identities, and experiences of young people experiencing homelessness. Providers should regularly reflect on the ways that differing cultural backgrounds, identities, and experiences may show up in the types and length of services offered. Both providers and young people highlighted the need for services that are culturally competent and inclusive, with staff who reflect the diversity of the population served.
Collaboration and Coordination
Attendees highlighted the need to foster collaboration and coordination among service providers, government agencies, schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations. Integrated and coordinated services can better meet the needs of youth experiencing homelessness and prevent duplication of efforts.
A sincere thank you to each participant for their invaluable contributions over these two days. Your unwavering dedication and commitment to addressing and ending youth homelessness are what makes this collaborative work possible.
To learn more about Coordinated Youth Homeless Services or the GRCoC Youth Action Board, contact Frances Marie Pugh, Youth Programs Manager (fpugh@homewardva.org).
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If you are within 3 days of losing housing, call The Homeless Connection Line: 804-972-0831 . If you are more than 3 days away from losing housing, call The Housing Resource Line: 804-422-5061