The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee
June 3, 2025
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Virtual WebEx - See below for meeting information and meeting agenda
Meeting Information:
This meeting was virtual but per the Open Meeting Act, a physical space was provided for the public to attend in person; the physical location was 100 E South Grand Ave, Springfield, IL 62704; in the Executive Board Room on the 3rd floor, scheduled from 2:00 to 3:30.
Meeting Agenda:
I. Welcome and Roll Call of Appointees - require a quorum of 9 for voting purposes
II. Introductions of remaining attendees
III. Approval of minutes from April (required motion, second, and vote to approve)
IV. Renewed Focus of Yearly Mandated Trainings
V. Review of Subcommittee Legislative Goals and Updates
VI. Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement Grant
A. Update
B. Discussion of data analysis project and possible questions
VII. Discharge Planning - preparation for August agenda
VIII. Public Comment
IX. Adjourn (required motion, second, and vote to approve)
Meeting Minutes:
Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee Minutes (approved by committee vote at October 7, 2025 meeting):
I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
a. Present:
i. Tedd Peso (The Night Ministry)
ii. Michael Mallory (HFS)
iii. Eugenia Olison (DPH)
iv. Jennifer Parrack (DOC)
v. Michelle Martin (DJJ)
vi. Nicholas Johnson (Youth Representative)
vii. Sandy Godinez (The Harbour)
viii. Valerie Tawrel (360 Youth Services),
ix. Nya Kelly (Chicago Coalition for the Homeless)
b. Not present:
i. Ashley Bae (DHS)
ii. Mary Milano (DGAC)
iii. Heidi Mueller (DCFS)
iv. Isabella Hurtado (Governor's Office)
v. Kalynn Lane (Youth Representative)
vi. K'iani Macklin (Youth Representative)
vii. Ann Baker (Midwest Youth Services)
viii. Leonard Johnson (National Youth Advocate Program)
c. Nine members present - quorum met
III. Approval of minutes from April 2025 - motion made by Niya Kelly , seconded by Nicholas Johnson, vote held (6 yes, 3 abstentions) - motion passed and minutes approved for April 2025
IV. Renewed Focus on Annual Trainings - yearly requirement, suggested to try and complete one training per week until completed, there are the 6 required state trainings and 1 required Open Meeting Act training. We are going for a hundred percent compliance this year and appreciate your efforts!
V. Subcommittee Goals
a. Created to review discharge planning, service plans, and discharge procedures for youth leaving the custody and guardianship of DCFS, the Department of Justice, the Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, and the Department of Corrections. The goal is to collect data on the housing stability of youth for one year after they're released from these systems of care.
b. Based on the data collected, create a plan to improve discharge policies and procedures to ensure housing stability for youth who leave state systems of care, and then provide recommendations on community plans for sustainable housing, create education and employment plans for homeless youth, and create strategic collaborations between the systems of care with respect to youth leaving state systems of care.
VI. Presentation on Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement grant by Dr. Lee Friedman (co-kead Dr. Dana Madigan, unavailable today), University of Chicago School of Public Health, regarding data analysis portion of the grant.
a. YYA to form a monthly Youth Advisory Group and work with the YHPS as the steering committee of the YHSI grant.
b. Internship program to be developed for those members of the YAG to participate within the state.
c. UIC working on data linking between CoCs and state agencies.
i. Discussions with all key data owners have been completed - IDJJ, DCFS, and 7 different CoCs.
ii. Draft Data User Agreements have been completed or submitted with all agencies and submitted to UIC contracts office.
d. Goals of data component:
i. Accurately determine the incidence of 'known' homelessness after exiting DCFS/DJJ
ii. Evaluate risk factors associated with homelessness after exiting these systems of care
iii. Identify policy needs to prevent youth homelessness and improve outreach services
- Informed by data
- Train youth leaders on interpretation of the data analysis and to integrate lived experience in interpreting the data and informing recommendations
- Integrate feedback from the steering committee, state agencies, and service providers
iv. Analysis
- Characterize youth exiting DJJ and foster care systems of care experiencing homelessness during the ages of 18-24 compared to youth without known homelessness
- Describe service utilization before and after exiting systems of care, including frequency and duration of homelessness, stratified by subgroups (DJJ vs DCFS vs Both; Regions; Demographics)
- ID common trajectories of housing service utilization during the first 5 years post-exit.
- Characterize risk factors for youth homelessness including child maltreatment, type of placement, mental health, SUD, type of crime, work and educations history, re-entry services, head of household, and others
- Evaluate the role of incarceration and reincarceration among youth experiencing homelessness vs all other youth re-entries
v. Questions/suggestions - is this connected to the existing statewide Youth Advisory Board? No, this is separate, and the focus is on youth who have touched stat systems of care. There may be some crossover, suggestion to reach out and discuss with the existing Youth Advisory Board for their input as well.
VII. Discharge Planning - preparation for August agenda
a. Chapin Hall to present a lit review at next meeting in August and will use the time to explore some of those ideas.
b. Please reach out if you know of any states that are doing good work that could share best practices
i. Suggestions of reaching out to Schoolhouse Connection, a National youth assistance group, regarding the subgroups that they have nationwide and do different topics and information sharing.
1. Amy and Tedd have connections with this organization and will follow up.
VIII. Public Comment
a. Is there any public comment? No.
IX. Motion to adjourn made by Nicholas Johnson and seconded by Niya Kelly, passed unanimously.
a. Adjournment
Meeting Materials:
YHSI Power Point by UIC viewable in meeting recording.
Meeting Recording:
Recording
