THIS PAGE PROVIDES RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE FOR BY NAME LIST SCORECARD QUESTION 7B
Does your community use a youth-specific assessment tool to determine homeless status, triage housing and service needs, and support prioritization based on youth-specific needs and vulnerabilities?
What is a youth-specific assessment tool?
A youth specific tool is tailored to the needs of young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and allows providers to narrow down the most appropriate services needed and utilized by young people. Some Balance of State communities are even testing an assessment tool that was created by and for young people.
We recommend that Anchor Communities use an assessment tool that is created with young people’s needs in mind, instead of an off the shelf tool for adults. It is equally important that assessors are appropriately trained in trauma informed care and able to address implicit/explicit biases involved in the assessment process.
Following these steps can lead to a less traumatizing experience navigating the homelessness system where the young person’s identity is respected, which will ultimately lead to better housing and service outcomes for a diverse array of young people across the whole system.
Examples of YYA-specific Prioritization Tools
WA BoS Young Adult Prioritization Tool_Complete.docx - This tool was created by YYA with lived experience and tested in some Balance of State communities. This is to get YYA assessed for housing services in a low barrier, trauma-informed way.
Spokane’s Youth Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (Y-SPDAT)
The City of Spokane and Spokane Continuum of Care utilize the Y-SPDAT for single young adults entering the homelessness crisis response system.
Pierce County’s custom YYA System Access Point Survey: This tool is unique as it can be used by providers and young people alike. It is custom to the individual using it. It allows the person to identify themselves safely and gives them the opportunity to pick the services they are looking for. Then it lists access points.
For a community that doesn’t have a youth specific assessment tool:
Understanding the current assessment tool and process:
How are young people currently being assessed for housing resources in your system?
After assessment, how are YYA prioritized for housing resources? How is the assessment tool utilized in the prioritization process? What feedback loops and consultation does your community and system have with young people? What do they have to say about this process?
What is working well and what isn’t?
2. Dreaming exercise:
Conduct a dreaming exercise with young people with lived experience that simulates the journey of a young person from assessment to housing in your system. Concentrate on the assessment portion for now, to answer yes to this scorecard question: How would you want a young person to feel before, during, after an assessment? Take action based on what you find.
3. New Tool Creation or Adoption:
You have the option to create a new youth specific assessment tool OR adopt an already existing tool. However, we recommend adopting a youth specific assessment tool that is already created because this will save your community time and resources.
The three W’s activity:
Who- who has access and ability to create a new assessment or approve the adoption of an existing YYA-specific tool? Who will find or create the tool?
*For Balance of State communities the Department of Commerce needs to be involved in this process.
What- What do you want the assessment to look like? What data should be collected?
When- When do you want this assessment tool to be created or provided? When will it be tested?