Including Youth in Your Communitys PointinTime Count Part

Including Youth in Your Community’s Point-in-Time Count, Part 1

A National Priority Barbara Poppe, Executive Director, US Interagency Council on Homelessness

A National Priority Nan Roman President and CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness

What is a Point-in-Time Count? Part 1: Homeless Population Sheltered Emergency Transitional Unsheltered Total Number of Families with Children (Family Households): 1. Number of Persons in Families with Children 2. Number of Single Individuals and Persons in Households without Children (Add Lines Numbered 1 & 2) Part 2: Homeless Subpopulations a. Chronically Homeless b. Severely Mentally Ill c. Chronic Substance Abuse d. Veterans e. Persons with HIV/AIDS f. Victims of Domestic Violence g. Unaccompanied Youth (Under 18) Sheltered Unsheltered Total

The Youth Gap Co. C Number Sheltered Unsheltered Total 4 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 41 0 0 0 0

Why are Point-in-Time Counts Important? Point in Time Data: • Scale of homelessness • Concentration of homelessness • Measures effectiveness of programs and policies Total amount of federal and local funds. Distribution of federal and local funds Program model decisions

Counting Homeless Youth in Your Community

NOW: Ensure the Co. C’s PIT plan includes youth ¡ ¡ Recruit organizations serving homeless youth and currently and formerly homeless youth to inform strategic planning. Identify lead person or organization to develop and coordinate “youth-focused” strategy. Develop materials to educate youth and community about purpose of PIT Count. Modify existing planned data collection method or instrument if needed.

Step 2: Map out locations and sources of data collection. ¡ ¡ ¡ Identify all stakeholders that may encounter or serve unaccompanied, homeless youth. Identify locations where homeless youth who are not regularly receivi 9 ng services may congregate. Recruit homeless education liaisons and/or others in the public school system, local police, and other public agencies that may serve or temporarily detain homeless youth.

Step 3: Facilitate collection of data. Identify knowledgeable volunteers and practitioners to act as leads in collecting data. ¡ Ensure volunteers collect data throughout day and evening. ¡ Locations should be surveyed multiple times throughout the day. ¡

Step 4: Promote the quality of data gathered. Host a training on PIT survey protocols for volunteers. ¡ Ensure consistent definitions of various living situations to record accurate responses. ¡ Address mandated reporter issues for youth under the age of 18. ¡

Step 5: Analyze data on youth homelessness. ¡ Recruit skilled researchers and writers to assist with data analysis and report findings from the survey. Step 6: USE PIT findings to educate policy makers and the public about youth homelessness in your community.

Resources For all of the documents discussed on today’s webinar, visit: http: //www. endhomelessness. org/conten t/article/detail/3502 Alliance Families and Youth Contacts Sharon Mc. Donald smcdonald@naeh. org André Wade awade@naeh. org Samantha Batko sbatko@naeh. org

Counting Homeless Youth Webinar Series November 17, 2010 @ 2 pm ET: Including Youth in Point-in-Time Counts, Part 2: A Case Study of San Jose, CA Register: https: //www 2. gotomeeting. com/register/ 487542858 Including Youth in Point-in-Time Counts Part 3: Community Lessons Learned To be held shortly after Thanksgiving