Item 3a Lifeworks Youth Homelessness Presentation — original pdf

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Ending Youth Homelessness in Austin / Travis County November 2020 Mission LifeWorks is a fearless advocate for youth and families seeking their path to self-sufficiency. We are committed to innovative problem solving, shared accountability and a relentless focus on achieving real, sustainable and measurable results for the clients we serve. 10 programs: • Diversion • BSS+ Prevention • Street Outreach • Emergency Shelter • PORT (Permanency Through Outreach & Rapid Transitions) • Transitional Living Program • Young Parents Program • Rapid Rehousing • Permanent Supportive Housing • After Care Transition Services (ACTS) 5 programs: • Youth & Adult Counseling • Peer Support Services • Community-Based Counseling • Community-Based Psychiatry • Resolution Counseling 5 programs: • Supported Employment & Education • GED/High School Equivalency Life Skills Training • • Teen Parent Services • Pregnancy Prevention (REAL Talk) LifeWorks Clients Served In 2020 1036 908 Lifeworks overview: clients served in FY2019 3645 1701 *unduplicated; reflects impact of COVID on school-based programs Housing Counseling Education & Workforce Measuring Success Including: Housing Employment Income Education Healthcare Coverage Mobility Mental Health Substance Use Legal Credit Life Skills Community Involvement Network Support Family Relationships Childcare …and 10 more domains DOMAINS OF 24 SELF- SUFFICIENCY Austin’s Campaign t o End Youth Homelessness • Build and sustain a community system that ensures that youth homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring • The system involves deep collaboration with dozens of nonprofit and public organizations with the planning co-led by LifeWorks and ECHO • The system relies on services partnerships between LifeWorks, ECHO, Caritas and SAFE. 6 Key Elements of the System Diversion: Assists youth at imminent risk of homelessness with financial support and wraparound services. Youth remain connected to support systems, stabilize, and maintain current housing or connect to safe and supported housing options. Coordinated Assessment: An evaluation process used to determine the most appropriate housing intervention that best matches the needs of the client. Permanency through Outreach and Rapid Transitions (PORT): Temporary housing for literally homeless youth (18-24). Youth may live in this dormitory-style, 15-bed shelter while they navigate into permanent rapid re-housing apartments. Support Services: Wraparound support to build well-being and increase self-sufficiency. Supports include employment services, community-based counseling, peer support, and client-centered case management. Rapid Re-Housing: Time-limited financial assistance and targeted support services to connect youth experiencing homelessness to permanent housing. 7 Understanding the Data -Targeted Assertive Outreach An effort to determine the housing status of every youth currently in our local HMIS • Coordinated Assessment records remain open for the youth, unless someone informs ECHO that a youth is no longer in need of services • The number of youth who are in need of services is likely overinflated, based on the number enrolled in HMIS (some may have relocated, self- resolved, or entered an institutional setting) • Involves systematic outreach efforts to every youth, including those who are not yet selected to receive housing Why? • Need a clear number to inform broader community engagement efforts, to inform fundraising goals, and to better understand our progress toward the federal benchmarks 8 What will it take to End Youth Homelessness? • After accounting for the expected rate of inflow, self-resolution, relocation, and inactivation, we expect that we will need to serve 448 additional youth starting Jan 1, 2020 • 244 youth through Diversion • 204 youth through Rapid ReHousing • Based on cost analyses, we expect that we will need approximately $4.9M to end youth homelessness • This number assumes a flat rate of self-resolution, relocation, and inactivation • The $4.9m is a one-time funding surge that will allow us to address the wait list and reach a steady state between inflow and housing capacity that can be sustained by the current existing resources (HUD, City, etc). 9 Austin participates in Chapin Hall’s Voices of Youth Count Austin is selected as one of 10 communities nationwide to serve as HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program site 25% reduction in youth homelessness; 56% reduction in unsheltered youth homelessness – PIT Count ECHO awards 3 grants to LW to implement priority strategies Austin reaches benchmarks for functional 0 July 2016 Nov. 2017 Oct. 2018 September 2019 COVID June 2016 Jan. 2017 Mar. 2018 Feb. 2019 December 2020 Participates in the A Way Home America 100 Day Challenge to house 53 young people Austin’s coordinated community plan to end youth homelessness is approved by HUD Launch of PORT, Diversion and Rapid Re-Housing SAMHSA awards LW $4m to scale workforce services for this effort Team and Timeline 8 Where Are We Now? • Housed in 2020: 170 clients • 32 in October • 54 Referred Not Enrolled • 33 Enrolled, Not Housed • Around 119 still waiting to be pulled from the community assessment list. • we have been in contact with all of them What have we learned about the young women experiencing homelessness? From October 2019 through December 2020 LW served 323 young women: Approximately 58.5% of young people experiencing homelessness and enrolling in housing programs at LW are female. 578 Young People Served in Housing Programs: • 323 Female • 214 Male • 24 chose not answer • 17 Does not identify with gender selections or identified as transgender Who Are These Young Women? The majority of young women have had children but only about half of those are actively parenting. FPL. • Approximately 46% of young women identify as African American and 44% identify as Hispanic non-white. • Approximately 92% identify English as their primary language. • More than 50% of young woman have had children. • Currently there are 96 children being actively parented by young women exiting homelessness. • Approximately 60% have income <50% of • 152 graduated High School or received a High School Equivalency. More than 60% of young women enrolled in housing programs are engaged in mental health services. Approximately 61% engaging in mental health services: 79 enrolled in Community Based Counseling 116 enrolled in Peer Support 38 enrolled in Community Based Psychiatry • 35% reported a diagnosed mental health condition at intake • 72% reported a history of depression • Of those with a history of depression, 42% reported current depression • 44% reported a history of suicide ideation • Of those with a history of suicide ideation, 15.7% reported suicide ideation in the past 6 months • Young People experiencing homelessness are twice as likely to report symptoms of PTSD than Iraqi war veterans. Conclusion Young Women Experiencing Homelessness: • Experience high rates of depression • Are likely to have experienced a birth and many are currently parenting • Greater movement towards self sufficiency occurs when mental health services are a part of the journey to exit homelessness. Questions? LifeWorks Austin www.lifeworksaustin.org Danielle Owens Chief Program Officer Danielle.owens@lifeworksaustin.o rg