Promoting Safety in Street Outreach

Presented by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, this webinar was held on Thursday, January 20th, 2022.
Link to resources: nhchc.org/webinars/promoting-...
The overall rise in homelessness over the last five years is largely attributable to the spike in unsheltered homelessness specifically. Communities across the country witnessed proliferation of encampments and others living in outdoor locations. This was exacerbated by COVID-19 in which gathering spaces (e.g., shelters, day centers, libraries, etc.) for people experiencing homelessness closed or decompressed. The need for outreach to people living unsheltered multiplied, accompanied by COVID-related funding that brought many new outreach personnel into the workforce. Simultaneous to this increase in unsheltered homelessness has been a growing need for trauma-informed approaches to safety and security. Health centers routinely lose staff when they feel their physical and emotional safety is at risk. But the considerations for maintaining safety in direct service differ in the street outreach setting and have more to do with skills and philosophy than investing in security personnel, for example. Join us as we attempt to train the new street outreach workforce (within the confines of one hour) in core competencies for promoting safety.

[@terrymorris1247]

This training is freaking great. Thanks!

[@unchainedmanilowsmusicme2268]

I work in a very rural county in Michigan in a CMH homeless assistance program and I find that this presentation is a valuable training experience for the work I do.Thank you to the presenters for your insights - much appreciated.