August 22, 2024, The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee

The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee

August 22. 2024

10:00AM to 11:30AM

Agenda:

  1. Open and Introductions
  2. Subcommittee Goals
  3. Subcommittee Updates
  4. June Meeting Recap
  5. Developing a Prevention Model
  6. Next Steps
  7. Public Comment
  8. Adjourn

Meeting Information:

Meeting Recording

Presentation:

Illinois Youth Homelessness Prevention Meeting 8/22/2024

Meeting Minutes:

  1. Open and Introductions 
    1. Tedd Peso, The Night Ministry 
    2. Teresa Parks, Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission 
    3. Anna Spreitzer, OPEH 
    4. Sandy Godinez, The Harbour 
    5. Latonia Byrd-Williamson, Department of Juvenile Justice 
    6. Amy Dworsky, Chapin Hall 
    7. Ann Baker, Midwest Youth Services 
    8. Ashely Bae, Division of Mental Health 
    9. Forest Moore, Chapin Hall 
    10. Chevelle Bailey, DCFS 
    11. Valerie Tawrel, 360 Youth Services 
    12. Jennifer Parrack, IDOC 
    13. Leonard Johnson 
    14. Richard Rowe, OPEH/ IDOC 
    15. Sarah Gonzalez, Chapin Hall 
  2. Subcommittee Goals by Tedd Peso 
    1. Review the discharge planning, service plans, and discharge procedures for youth leaving the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health, and the Department of Corrections to determine whether such discharge planning and procedures ensure housing stability for youth leaving State systems of care. 
    2. Collect data on the housing stability of youth for one year after they are released from the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health, or the Department of Corrections. 
    3. Based on data collected under paragraph (2) regarding youth experiencing homelessness after leaving State systems of care, create a plan to improve discharge policies and procedures to ensure housing stability for youth leaving State systems of care. 
    4. Provide recommendations on community plans for sustainable housing; create education and employment plans for homeless youth; and create strategic collaborations between the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health, and the Department of Corrections with respect to youth leaving State systems of care. 
  3. Subcommittee Updates by Anna Spreitzer 
    1. The Youth Homeless Systems Improvement (YHSI) Illinois Prevention Pilot (IPP) is a HUD grant received by DHS and partners. The grant will directly advance the goals of the Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee. It is anticipated that the grant will start on October 1, 2024, and run for 30 months, that includes a 6-month planning period. 
    2. The program is a strategic partnership between DCFS, DJJ, Illinois Department of Human Services Homeless Youth Bureau, OPEH, the Youth Homeless Prevention Subcommittee, the Night Ministry, and the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. The goal is to increase youth and young adult voices in state government. To understand how to reduce experiences for youth and young adults by improving the discharge planning and supports for youth and young adults leaving state systems of care. 
    3. The first goal is to establish a steering committee. Asking leaders from within the Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee to volunteer. Those interested in volunteering should email Anna at anna.spreitzer@illinois.gov. There is an optional upcoming foundational workshop for the HUD TA on August 29th. 
    4. This is one of three grants that Illinois grants received. 
      1. If members on the subcommittee are unable to join, can they ask someone from their organization to join in their place? 
        1. Yes. 
      2. Do you know the frequency of the meetings? 
        1. Not certain. It may be determined by the steering committee upon meeting. 
  4. June Meeting Recap 
    1. Did CSH provide some examples of the definition of homelessness? 
      1. CSH provided a definition for housing stability as a lawful place, meant for human habitation in which youth (ages 18 -25) who are discharged are on the rental lease or permitted to live on the premises for at least one year. 
        1. We should continue the conversation around the definition in our next meeting. 
  5. Developing a Prevention Model by Chapin Hall 
    1. Chapin Hall can help to support the committee in developing a plan that will ensure that young people are being discharged into stable housing, to help prevent them from experiencing homelessness upon being discharged. 
      1. Should we start working on that now? 
        1. Yes, in the next several meetings we should start thinking about the plan. There are two different approaches to prevention. One is a universal approach where you develop a plan that will target all young people leaving state care. Another approach would be more targeted, by using the data received by the systems of care to identify who is most at risk. 
        2. What age limit are we looking at? 
          1. The Act states ages 18 - 25. 
        3. Is it through 25 or up to age 25? 
          1. With grants we receive from IDHS we can serve up to age 25. It is written in the legislator young people ages 18 - 25. 
        4. The stats come from Chapin Hall's Voices of Youth Count Project which includes youth up until their 26th birthday. 
      2. What does the grant state about the age? 
        1. The grant goes up to 24, so when they are no longer 25. 
  6. Next Steps 
    1. Would like to identify how Chapin Hall can be most helpful to this subcommittee. We do have experience with tracking youth overtime through surveys and other mechanisms. So, we can assist with the data collection goal. 
      1. Was CSH working with the systems of care to try to develop a timeline for what was needed to fulfill that part of the mandate? 
      2. Chapin Hall can set up check ins with the systems of care to better understand how they can be best supported. 
  7. Public Comment 
    1. N/A 
  8. Adjourn 
    1. Anna will support the subcommittee moving forward so be sure to check your inbox.