Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Work Group
September 12, 2012
In Attendance: Sean Barry, DMH, Shannon Barry, Springfield Public Schools, Lorrie Bobe, DYS, Danielle DeBerry, ServiceNet, Lisa Goldsmith, DialSELF, Pamela Schwartz, network coordinator Rhonda Young, Center for Human Development
Update on Numbers on Youth Homelessness
Eliot CHS- Homeless Services – PATH program – outreach program to streets and shelter – enrolled 56 people over the year between ages of 18-24 years, ½ men, ½ women. Unenrolled individuals at any given time – 25-30. Covers 4 counties.
ServiceNet: looking at all shelters in Hampshire County: tripled over last year – now 51, last year 15 (but complicated since numbers include Family Inn in Greenfield, which includes families referred by DHCD). See attached summary (thanks to Danielle). Need to get Craig’s Door youth numbers (in Amherst) – Danielle will follow-up.
National Alliance to End Homelessness encouraging CoCs to count youth in annual Point In Time count.
Need to get HMIS numbers (check with Andrea and Gerry). Still need to account for unsheltered population.
Consider doing a separate count from PIT (winter time), a summer count.
Will continue to pursue this information in order to ascertain gaps, needs for services.
ICHH Advisory Committee on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Update
2 subcomittees met in advance of Special Commission (which is slated to start meeting late Sept/Oct): (1) Definition – settled on it – Lisa will send it around. (2) how to do a good count – decided to base it on representative communities.
Discussion items for 9/27 individual services meeting:
- Youth shelter protocols, exchange what we have learned and what is possible e.g., Franklin County Emergency Shelter, no youth protocol. Can this committee help educate shelters about how to respond to youth?
- Institutionalize count for homeless youth
- Identify gaps in services – goal of resource directory
Announcement:
Eliot CHS doing youth homelessness conference on 10/24 at Holy Cross College. Stay tuned for details.
Next meeting:
10/22, 11 am, DMH Haskell.(will confirm location)
