Homeward's Regional Conference on Best Practices to Prevent and End Homelessness

Homeward's regional best practices conference offers workshops that highlight innovative programming from around the country working to prevent and end homelessness. While our agencies work collaboratively to address the needs of the clients they serve, we are interested in learning what other communities are doing in order to improve our regional offerings.

2009 Homeward Best Practices Conference
September 24th - 25th, 2009
Capital One Town Center

This year’s conference will feature speakers and sessions that build on existing community initiatives and feature practices that are useful and successful in these difficult times. Capital One is this year’s corporate sponsor, and we are excited about their continued support in educating our community on effective practices targeted to the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Download an overview.

Conference Schedule:
September 24th
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Conference
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Trends and Innovations Awards Reception

September 25th
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Half-Day Workshops
12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Forum - Stimulus Funding

Costs:
$25 Full Day Conference for Participants from Richmond CoC (including City of Richmond, Henrico Hanover, Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan, Charles City, and New Kent counties)

$35 Full Day Conference for Participants from outside of Richmond CoC

FREE Trends and Innovations Awards

$10 Half-Day Workshops

FREE Forum - Stimulus Funding

Registration
If you have a company or individual credit card, have it ready before beginning the registration process.
Credit card is preferred, but checks will be accepted up to September 22, 2009. There is no option to pay at the door.

Register for the conference online here.
Registration will close on September 18, 2009.

Conference Sessions
Tentatively, this year’s conference sessions are:
• Chronic Family Homelessness: What Works
• Call to Action: Eliminating Homelessness as an Option for Youth Aging out of Foster Care
• Effectively Engaging with Clients: Motivational Interviewing
• Using HCIS Data for Community Planning
• Core Competencies in Community Development
• Who to Help First - Targeting Prevention with Assessment
• Advocacy/Public Policy
• Using Volunteers in Prevention Efforts
• Supporting Clients Through the SSI/SSDI Application Process
• Negotiating with Landlords: Housing Brokerage
• Employment Service Models: Who Can Be Served Where?
• More than Housing: Supporting Housing Stability for Ex-offenders

Trends and Innovations Awards
Additionally, Homeward is excited to renew our commitment to recognizing local innovation in homelessness by hosting our Second Trends and Innovations Awards Reception. These awards are designed to recognize local practitioners, agencies, and organization that are successfully meeting the needs of those experiencing homelessness in Richmond area. The ceremony will be held following the conference sessions on September 24th at 5:00 p.m.

Half-Day Workshops
The second day of the conference, Friday, September 25th, will feature half day in-depth training workshops. Tentative workshop topics are:
• Targeting for Prevention and Other Interventions
• Using HCIS Data for Program Improvement
• Home-Based Case Management

Forum - Stimulus Funding
Homeward will also host a forum on coordinating the use of stimulus funds on Friday, September 25th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The forum will be open to the and is designed to educate front line workers on how to connect clients with the many and varied stimulus resources that will be available in our community.

Out of Town Attendees
For those attending the conference from out of town, a block has been placed on a certain amount of rooms at a discounted rate at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Richmond West. The block is listed under the Homeward VA Conference.

For more information on past conference sessions, presenters, or materials follow links below.