Register now for OHY's special training opportunities
Prevention Community of Practice has two upcoming webinars
Greetings Office of Homeless Youth (OHY) community,
We have quite the powerhouse training lineup in store for you! These educational opportunities will be offered within our Prevention Community of Practice (CoP), a space designed to shift hearts and minds across the state toward a prevention-first strategy among all programming, including emergency services. Yes, you heard that right — prevention can also occur in the context of emergency services, such as shelters!
Invitation to the Prevention Community of Practice
Historically, this learning community was a closed space for OHY grantees operating at least one of the five prevention projects that we fund: Youth Homelessness Prevention & Diversion Fund (HPDF), Youth Diversion Infrastructure Project (YDIP), System of Care Grants (SOC), Housing Stability for Youth in Courts (H-SYNC) and Homeless Student Stability Program (HSSP). However, we recognize the need for prevention to be a radical, sweeping movement in moving toward our collective goal of swiftly preventing the ongoing experience and recurrence of homelessness through a housing led approach, rather than relegated to just a handful of projects.
For this reason, please consider this an official invitation to join the CoP, which usually occurs the second Monday of every other month, from 11 a.m. to noon. We would love to have you there to further contribute to our shared body of learnings and team up in the statewide movement to prevent youth homelessness.
Contact Isaac Fall, isaac.fall@commerce.wa.gov, to be added to the recurring calendar invite and email listserv.
 Shelter Diversion and Family and Natural Supports Webinar
Heidi Walker, program design and training consultant with A Way Home Canada, and Erika Morton, systems planning coordinator with the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, will join us for a dual training on Family and Natural Supports — an offshoot of diversion tailored toward minor youth — and shelter diversion. These are both evidence based practices. Diversion is about much more than housing alone — it also enhances a young person’s quality of life, sense of belonging, identity, security, self-esteem and support network through connections to caring adults, whether family or chosen.1 Join us to learn more as you implement strategies such as these into your organization’s programming.
Shelter Diversion and Family and Natural Supports
Systems Prevention Webinar
Later in September, we’ll co-host a webinar on systems prevention, spearheaded Dr. Stephen Gaetz. Dr. Gaetz is professor and research chair in homelessness and research impact at York University, president of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, and research director of Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab. This webinar will review and emphasize basic prevention concepts we’ve covered previously, and more intentionally reflect on how we can prevent exits from systems of care into homelessness. It will end with an exploration of Housing First 4 Youth, an evidence-based adaptation of Rapid Rehousing designed specifically for young adults.
Systems Prevention
Questions?
Contact Isaac Fall, isaac.fall@commerce.wa.gov, prevention manager, Office of Homeless Youth.
Reference
Homeless Hub (2024, April 4). Strengthening Family and Natural Supports to Prevent Youth Homelessness [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WIoOBWtcaM
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