Prevention
So, what exactly is prevention as it concerns youth homelessness? Maybe the first thing that comes to your mind is diversion. While diversion can be a component of prevention, it is not prevention in and of itself. Think of youth homelessness prevention as a broader strategy that operates on a continuum. It is at all these junctures that we can successfully intervene and prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place, or at a minimum swiftly resolve the ongoing experience of it—the latter is also a function of prevention. Just like diversion can function to divert into and away from the system, so too can preventing homelessness and resolving the experience thereof exist under the same umbrella. It’s not an either-or, it’s a both-and.
 This illustrates the way work can be done a continuum.
For a comprehensive analysis of prevention and how it unfolds, look no further than The Roadmap for the Prevention of Youth Homelessness (2018). Other reports to peruse, especially as they relate to our efforts here in Washington, include Shifting Services and Systems to Prevent Youth Housing Instability (2021), otherwise known as the “Final Strategic Plan”, and Prevention of Youth Homelessness (2021), more commonly known as the “Preliminary Strategic Plan”. Important to note, the Final Strategic Plan serves as the guiding document for all our efforts around prevention in Washington—the North Star so to speak.
 Community of Practice
With the infusion of resources and energy into a newfound focus on prevention, we found that a space for practitioners to share learnings, among other things, was missing. Enter...drum roll please...the Community of Practice (CoP)! This learning community was born out of a vision to foster connection, spur innovation and share best practices among OHY grantees working in prevention across the state. In our first CoP, we explored prevention and the work being done to push it forward, including relevant policies and reports. We also got to know each other a bit more through a networking activity. In the October meeting, we were honored to have Jason McGill, Executive Director of Northwest Youth Services, present on his organization's portfolio of prevention projects. Jason took us on a crash course of Healing Centered Engagement, which focuses on “wellbeing, a sense of belonging, and a sense of place”. This, really, is the bedrock of prevention—relationship. Tune in for next week's CoP, where we’ll be hearing from Sheala Anderson, Director of Housing Stability for Youth in Courts (H-SYNC), about the H-SYNC program.
 A slide from Jason's presentation.
Steering Committee and Prevention Workgroup
We are now in the final phases of recruitment for the Steering Committee and are beginning the onboarding process for our first group of members. Hooray! We are still recruiting, so please spread the word to any individuals with lived experience (both youth and caregivers) who would be interested in joining the work and have them complete the application. We are also in the midst of consolidating several workgroups into a single “Prevention Workgroup”, which, combined with the Steering Committee, will form the governing body for the implementation of the State’s Final Strategic Plan. The Prevention Workgroup will be comprised of systems side stakeholders from various state agencies, with a tri-lead structure involving OHY, the Health Care Authority (HCA) and the Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF).
 A fun visual on the intersections between the Prevention Workgroup, Steering Committee and practitioners—looks like someone dropped the prevention plan! 😧
Program Corner
Now that you’re probably exhausted from all that prevention lingo, let’s look at what our OHY program team has cooking up. Around the corner are a couple RFPs, one responsive to HB 1406 and the other SB 5599, concerning community support teams and protected health care services, respectively. You can find out more about these two different funding opportunities by clicking on the following links: Youth Community Support Teams, Protected Health Care Grants. Further, Building Changes has released their Homeless Student Stability Program (HSSP) RFP. This project is focused on linking students and families in the K-12 public school system who are experiencing homelessness with stable housing. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to OHY updates on our webpage so that you can be apprised of upcoming RFPs and other important events/news.
In the CoP feedback survey, the number one identified need among grantees was training, with data collection/reporting tied for third and resource materials/toolkits tied for fourth, all among a field of eight different categories. A neat resource that we have at OHY is our technical assistance webpage, which contains program guidelines for all the project types that we fund; a data and performance section with performance requirements and a performance dashboard; and a resource section complete with OHY webinars, trainings and a glossary of acronyms and terms. Contract managers are also available to help with any technical assistance needs. Catch us at the next CoP to not only hear about H-SYNC, but to also receive a virtual tour of our technical assistance webpage from our very own Karen Danz, OHY Best Practices Manager.
Important Dates
- Proposals for Youth Community Support Teams and Protected Health Care Grants due November 20, 2023, no later than 4pm.
- Proposals for HSSP due December 5, 2023, no later than 5pm.
Training Opportunity
Meaningful YYA Partnership in Ending Youth Homelessness, hosted by A Way Home Washington on December 5th and 6th from 10am-1pm both days.
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