August 3, 2023, The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee

The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee

August 3, 2023

10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Agenda:

Open & Introductions
Goals of Subcommittee
Providers Perspective
Youth Perspective
Data Collection
Public Comment
Closing

Meeting Information:

Meeting Recording

Meeting Minutes:

Open & Introductions: By Tedd Peso & Nick Johnson. Attendees were asked to check in through the chat.
1. Tedd Peso, Night Ministry
2. Nick Johnson, Youth Representative Lived Expertise
3. Eva Moore, Deputy Director of Aftercare
4. Teresa Parks, Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission
5. Arielle Weston, Youth Housing Assistance Program, DCFS
6. Niya K. Kelly, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
7. Billy Lau, Technical Assistant IOPEH
8. Johnna Lowe, Corporation for Supportive Housing
9. Ashley Bae, DMH Administrator of Residential/Housing Community Programs
10. Tyrie Fluker, IDJJ Program and Services Contract Manager
11. Valerie Tawrel 360 Youth Services , Director of Housing
12. Ann Baker, Executive Director of Midwest Youth Services
13. Sandy Godinez, Community Programs Manager for The Harbour
14. Jennifer Parrack, IDOC
15. Isabella Hurtado, Governor's Office
16. Kate Ulmer, McKinney-Vento State Coordinator, ISBE
17. Kevin Roth, Data Analyst IOPEH
18. Melishia Bansa, HFS
19. Chevelle Bailey
20. Emma Pes-McMillian
21. Nikita Robinson, OPEH
Goals of Subcommittee
1. Recap of the goals of the subcommittee that were established through the legislative act.
  1. Our responsibilities include the review discharge planning, procedures, and service plans for youth leaving the custody of Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, and Department of Corrections. To collect data on the housing stability of youth for one year after they are released from the custody or guardianship of the four systems of care identified previously. Based on the data collected, the goal is to create a plan to improve discharge policies and procedures to ensure housing stability for youth leaving state systems of care. To provide recommendations on community plans for sustainable housing. To create education plans for homeless youth. And to create strategic collaboration between the four state systems of care with respect to youth leaving custody.
Providers Perspective: Different ways we interact with the systems of care.
1. 360 Services, Valarie Tawrell, Director of Housing:
  1. We have 3 programs in the suburbs of Naperville, Lisle, and Warrenville. Lisle program is a DCFS group home for 8 male youth. Warrenville is a non-congregate emergency shelter. Naperville is a large transitional housing program that serves 39 youth in 18 apartments. Department of Correction interactions involve taking youth to court. Interactions with the Juvenile Justice system is tricky around emergency shelter due to the qualification of literal homeless. Interactions with the Division of Mental Health typically fall with the partnership of a local division, DuPage Health Department. DCFS interactions include our contracted group home.
  2. My interest in the committee is around addressing the flow of youth aging out. We think that it is more of a flow that could happen between HUD and DCFS, for example when a youth is aging out that they could move into one of our transitional housing programs. An issue is how do you get the youth to qualify as homelessness? The way that we take referrals could be more focused on those who are category 1, literally homeless. We can do more to serve the LGBTQ+ population. We get a lot of folks who end up on our waitlist to enter the program and also their family members. Our noncongruent shelter was fortunate enough to get funded through the state.
2. Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Niya Kelly, Director of Policy Equity Transformation:
  1. Our focus, based on the prompt in relations to the systems of care interaction, will be around understanding that the right hand isn't often talking to the left hand within agencies. One way we work with youth is through our law project, where we represent youth experiencing homelessness to get access to things like public benefits; addressing educational issues; and we hold a consent decree between youth who are parenting in care and DFCS. We have a scholarship program for youth students who experienced homelessness that supports their continuing education.
  2. We have had the Hail consent decree since the 90s. We have worked on helping parenting youth who are in care to address their specific needs. Youth have talked about if they received cash assistance while in placement, their TANF would be docked if the child was to spend the night with a relative or the other parent. In 2022, HB 4242 was passed to ensure parenting youth in while in care would have access to free childcare. Despite the passage we have run into several barriers having something as simple as a box where youth can check that explains how they qualify for the program. Having a conversation with DHS and DCFS together to discuss how do we move this along to assure parenting youth are receiving the services they need, such as life skills training, educational programs, job placement, mental health, and more because having access to childcare is critical to for them. Since youth are involved in multi systems then making sure that the systems are intersecting and having conversations with each other to aid in the youth's success. Agencies and services need to work together at the local, state, and federal levels to have a more concerted effort in assisting our youth.
3. Midwest Youth Services, Ann Baker, Executive Director:
  1. We are very rural service area and programming looks different here. We have homeless programing through DHS that offers emergency shelter, transitional living, and outreach components. Couch surfing and overcrowding condemned conditions is how we receive our clientele. Word of mouth is our advertisement. We have a shelter at the office that is licensed to house kids that are 14 to 21 years of age and used to monitor if someone qualifies for our homeless youth programing, we want to see what their actions and capabilities are before we help to them to secure housing. Emergency shelters here are apartments that are rented with onsite staff. We offer apartments and have a level of independent living here. We don't want to set youth up for failure.
  2. We don't see a lot of system involvement, but we do have parenting youth that are trying to get their kids back. Our emergency shelter program is 4 months and putting them in an apartment looks like the have their own housing. The housing is dependent on their wiliness to grow and find a job and learning life skills. With DCFS it often requires that the youth have to obtain housing to get their kids back. A barrier is in understanding rural style housing and how it can look like they have stable housing and with our program is not necessarily reflective of that. Our services cover Morgan, Scott, Skyler, Brown, and Cass County. We do a lot of outreach and have an outreach vehicle to be visible.
  3. We don't have a lot of interactions with the Department of Corrections. Youth are often involved with Juvenile Justice Department, and we support them with probation, pending charges, but not coming out of that system of care. Our biggest interaction is with DCFS, so having a wraparound approach and keeping the line of communication open around the success for youth would be beneficial. Open communication on how long they are in the program, what do they need to achieve, and overall understanding of what happens in the program if they don't follow the set path.
4. Night Ministry, Tedd Peso:
  1. We tend to have the most interaction with DCFS when youth are being placed into homeless youth programs. We have started to see more youth who are on run. We are seeing more youth that are on run showing up to your basic center program that is designed for a short stabilization stay. We work with community based youth service agencies to connect them home, another family member placement, or into DCFS care. DCFS involved youth are immediately reconnected to DCFS.
  2. Juvenile Justice related systems interactions are usually through an attorney if they are exiting the system of care. The youth existing juvenile systems are not typically placed directly in one of our programs. If they leave that system, the end up in the emergency shelter system for youth which is an overnight only system. Would be helpful if the housing process could start earlier while they are still connected with the system and some policy systems such as a transitional living program. A young person could transfer out of a system of care and enters an emergency shelter system which is limited in support services to offer.
  3. Gaps that exist around mental health services also since they are often placed in Pacific Garden Mission because they have space. The connection with the caseworker is then lost when they come to us because they did not feel safe at PGM.
  4. Helpful systems through partnerships include the flexible housing pool program. Youth are qualified in a housing subsidy if they are apart of the coordinated entry list in Chicago who are also users of Cook County health care systems and have interacted or interactions with the justice systems. Diversion is helpful as well. It is a support-based approach for youth who enter for the first time, we have mediation assessment for the youth and their social supports so their stay in shelter is very brief. We had the highest success rate for diversion in our programs.
5. Any questions for the providers?
Youth Perspective: Nick Johnson
1. What the providers were talking about were important and that youth in care face a lot of these issues that were addressed. A lot of youth are missing the basis needs (food, health care, driver's license, birth certificate) in life after they have left care. They feel invisible because they age out and they don't have the right credentials.
  1. Are their specific ways in which it could be helpful for the different systems to provide this information to youth so that they are aware?
    1. There are several organizations that reach out to social workers and facilities that house youth in care. Attorneys and youth advisory boards can communicate information also. Word of mouth and social media can be pretty helpful. Telehealth could be another way. Indirectly can talk to youth through political providers who discuss laws.
2. Any questions for Nick?
  1. Are homeless youth aware that they can obtain a free ID card? Or is it obtaining the support to get the ID the barrier for youth?
    1. A lot of youth in care don't know about the resources to get an ID. They don't have a state ID and assume that the social worker will take care of it but the social worker is not aware. They grow up and don't have a state ID then get stuck when attempting to obtain one when looking at information online.
  2. That is helpful to know since that is an issue that we have run into through Midwest Youth Services. Was curious if it was a lack of knowing what is available to them or if it was difficulties in getting it.
    1. A lot of them often have a defeatist attitude because it is more of a cycle. Banks require a check or money to open an account, they can't get a job because they don't have an ID, they can't get an ID because they don't know where to go, also the banks are far away, and they don't have transportation. They feel stuck and fall into a life of whatever because of the barriers and lack knowledge.
  3. Do the youth utilize and have access to Venmo and Cashapp?
    1. It various based on youth, but a lot of them will use those apps. They often have cell phones and will use cash app or online banking. But Cashapp now is requiring IDs so some are moving away from that.
  4. Can you take more about the homeless ID and how far does that get you for functioning as far as bank accounts?
    1. We always ask if youth if they have identification for themselves. It is a form with the DMV to get an ID if you are homeless for free. The address is the big thing, but we put out agency address for the youth. They are then able to go get a free ID for the youth after getting it notarized.
    2. Link is: https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a230.pdf
    3. When working with the secretary state around passing this legislation, we have brought up the issue around the address. If the youth get a warrant or summons for jury duty, then the documentations will be sent to the agency's address if that was provided on the ID, and that agency may not have seen the youth for years. With the new Real ID its is going to continue to cause more issues for those who don't have a permanent address. Under the IL Department of Public Health, homeless individuals do have access to obtain a free copy of their birth certificate. Have to go through IDPH/ Springfield is the easiest way for some individuals.
      1. Yes, that is helpful to know about the summons aspect and the DMV doesn't forward mail. Appreciate that insight around utilizing the agency's address.
    4. What we have done in Chicago that has been helpful, we have done day or half day session where we did some cross training amongst DCFS and agencies. Maybe helpful for systems to cross train regionally throughout the state.
    5. Is obtaining an ID a part of the casework management for the systems of care before discharging the youth?
      1. Yes, for DCFS we do. We try to keep a copy in our files also. We reach out to obtain copies of birth certificate, social security, and ID for the youth. Family advocacy centers also work with youth that not only pay for the documentation, but they also assist to obtain copies.
      2. In the Division of Mental Health, it depends on the stay. Those who stay longer have a patient ID with their picture that helps them to get them were they need to go. If they stay longer then we try to obtain birth certificate and other items from them or family members. We try when we can.
Data Collection: Johnna Lowe
1. We are charged with data collection specifically around those who are exiting the systems of care. We want to have a conversation with you all around what will it take to start data collection? Is it a specific person or staff members who would? When does data collection become a part of the work? What does it take to start that at your agency? This is what it would take, what is the need, these are our recommendations, etc.?
  1. I wonder if there are any examples outside of IL that we could lean on. Washington state may have some work around this. Also, some of the impact work from Heartland Alliance that may have some examples of data collection. Want to think of some of the barriers around privacy issues. Some people get lost after they leave systems of care so what steps would be needed to find those post discharge from a system of care.
    1. We can look into the state of Washington and Heartland Alliance for some examples.
    2. The state of Maine may have some examples as well around youth existing justice systems.
  2. At DCFS, we work with Chapin Hall and University of Illinois Urbana Champaign on different studies and data collection. We have done some tracking internally in our office around capturing services we provide to youth who age out. We can use our IT to help with tracking some subpopulation data. We require a release of information that we get from youth aging out. Can be challenging to protect client data. What would you like to see us track?
  3. At DJJ, we start are discharge planning 90 days out from discharge date for youth. We have added some specific areas around capturing information around the youth's home and the stability of it. We do have a case management system in place, and we have been brainstorming around what areas we should be tracking. We also work with Chapin Hall, but confidentiality around information has yet to be flushed out. Heartland Alliance did do a research project some years ago and they have some recommendations that we can share.
    1. Is a specific platform that you currently use for the data collection? And are there any internal analytics that are used to support discharge?
      1. Generally, will tell the person what I want to capture, and I can look further into it after this call to follow up. Not certain of the mechanics of it.
2. Kevin and Wang do you have any insight on data collection and what that would look like based on the relationship the state has with the University of Illinois? Any mechanical and logistics on how that start up can happen?
  1. The issue comes down to personal finance. Youth lack guidance on what to do with their lives from my experience. We should look at asking some questions around finances like do you have a banking account in data collection? Those who don't have a bank account then they likely don't have an ID. Giving a good financial background for youth so that they can get the IDs on their own. Can discuss financial curriculum, but personal finance as my role as a Technical Assistant. If you can manage money, then you can manage yourself.
    1. Can you talk about your role? Can you help us understand the relationship with the University of Illinois?
      1. Kevin is the data analyst. In the future Wang will look into the job descriptions.
      2. Kevin is still learning and planning to get our feet on the ground.
    2. Do you have the relationship with U of I so they could potentially come to the meeting and discuss data collection? This committee is charged with data collection and so what system can collect that?
      1. A part of the legislative mandate, these systems of care will need to collect data about the youth exiting and being discharged from the systems. The state has a relationship with U of I and they may be able to explore the relationship around data collection.
      2. We will have to get back to you on that.
  2. When thinking of what data, we are collecting, it is important to think about the youth's feelings around housing meeting their needs, stability.
  3. Does the homeless ID expand outside of cook county?
    1. It is just a state ID. Anyone born outside of cook county there is a different application. You have to have a homeless services provider and they are eligible for a free birth certificate and ID.
    2. https://www.chicagohomeless.org/birth-certificate-request-forms/#:~:text=Cook%20County%20Birth%20Certificates%3A,or%20the%20Cook%20County%20Jail
3. Would love to hear directly from the systems of care needs are around data collection. CSH can reach out individually to obtain that information. What are the concerns that you want us to incorporate in that conversation.
Public Comment
1. Anyone have public comment?
  1. N/A
Closing
1. Next meeting will be in October. We hope that we can make connections with U of I and further discuss data collection.
2. Meeting adjourned at 11:25am CST.