THIS PAGE PROVIDES RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE AROUND BY NAME LIST SCORECARD QUESTION 7A
Are there youth-specific access points where young people can seek housing and services and be added to your by-name list without having to present at an adult shelter or facility?
What are youth-specific access points?
An access point for young people doesn’t have to be a physical location that is totally separate. It is about ensuring that there are folks trained to work with YYA at access points.
Examples of access points:
Shelters
Websites
Apps (that list services in community and an option to do the assessment)
Walk in Mental Health/Behavioral Health clinics
Day Centers
The idea is to create a space, physical or remote, that a young person can access services and the homeless system in a safe and comfortable way.
Community examples:
Drop in space for young people 12-17 and 18-24 with access to housing services (Diversion, Coordinated Entry assessments, etc.)
YYA specific drop in hours at CE Lead
Outreach teams with regular hours/routes/locations (well publicized and known by young people) where young people can connect to housing services
Other Resources:
HUD review of the four Coordinated Entry core elements: Access, Assessment Prioritization, Referral.
Questions to Consider
Accessibility & safety:
Are these access points easily accessible?
Are they safe for LQBTQ+ and BIPOC youth?
How is our Improvement Team engaging with organizations led by and serving BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people?
Youth Feedback:
What would young people like to see in these access points?
What feedback have you received about youth access points? What have you done to address this feedback?
Staff & Training:
Who is staffing youth access points? How have they been trained?
Are referral points and access to the community’s By Name List clear? Especially when providers do/do not use HMIS.
Actions to consider
Meet with your community’s youth advisory board/group to get their ideas on the best ways for them to access the homelessness system.
Ensure that you are hearing from a diverse group of young people that also includes QTBIPOC young people.
Conduct system and provider mapping to identify all access points where youth can enter the system, ensuring that there are young people with lived experience in the room.
Assess the training needs of staff at youth access points and conduct a tailored HMIS and/or referral training for staff at all YYA access points.