System Change Partners

We get this question all the time: How can we better support minors experiencing homelessness and housing instability?? Check out our new blog all about it. We feature some proven models used in Washington state to prevent and end homelessness for unaccompanied minors: ?? InREACH by Volunteers of America Eastern Washington: a cross-system in-reach team focused on schools, inpatient behavioral health and other systems of care ?? Youth Engagement Team (YET) by Legal Counsel for Youth and Children: pairing a civil attorney with housing navigators and a mental health professional ?? Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Fund (HPDF) by A Way Home WA: low-barrier, flexible funds that put power in the hands of clients https://lnkd.in/eQzXgXVq

Check out the newest Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Fund (HPDF) report that we wrote for Schultz Family Foundation in January. The report highlights the continuing success of the fund as a key strategy to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness in Washington State. Key findings: - 611 households were served between May 2023 - May 2024. - HPDF is a one-time, short-term resource that is leading to long-term stability: 93% of young people who accessed the fund stayed stably housed one year later. - The centralized approach, program flexibility, and immediacy of fund availability are leading to equitable housing outcomes. - 59% of households served identified as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). - HPDF remains cost-effective compared to alternative housing programs, with requests averaging $2,659 per household, despite rising inflation and rent costs. Cover Art by Cristina "Pink" Varela. https://lnkd.in/eDDvs2JH

We are hosting our virtual Excel for Human Services I training again this February! Join us on February 12, 19, and 26 for: ?? INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL - Exporting from HMIS? - Column headers - Basic functions for cleaning data ?? Session 2: BASIC STATISTICAL ANALYSIS - Calculated fields for Statistical Analysis eg. averages, count, sum etc. - Introduction to Excel Charts and formatting - Conditional formatting - Combining charts and statistical analysis ?? Session 3: ADVANCED EXCEL TECHNIQUES - PIVOT Tables – Function - VLOOKUP? - Pivot Slicer - Introduction to Macros - Pivoting cleaned data and creating charts Discounts for people with lived experience and non-profit workers. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eUqUdBpm

Excited to present at the NN4Y conference in Feb! Come say hi!

Want to start a flexible cash assistance project, but don't know where to start? Join us for our upcoming session with Ashley Barnes-Cocke, Ed. M where we break down all of our tips and tricks for creating a flexible cash assistance / direct cash transfer program that funders want to invest in. Together we have secured over $10 million in public and private funding for flexible cash assistance projects across the US. Testing Small-Scale Flexible Cash Assistance Tues Nov. 12 12-1 PT / 3-4 ET Register here: https://lnkd.in/e9fNj7by

We are so proud to partner with both Rocio Evelin Carranza Jacinto, MPH and Isaac Sanders in our work to prevent and end youth homelessness across the US. They are both incredible leaders; this research on Indigenous Youth Homelessness Prevention is ground-breaking and very much needed. It will be all the more impactful because it is designed by Indigenous people, with Indigenous young people in mind. We need to uplift Indigenous perspectives if we are ever going to end youth homelessness. We are so excited to see the results of this amazing and impactful work. https://lnkd.in/eUHHXHQY

Join Ashley Barnes-Cocke, Ed. M, Leeze and I to talk about Testing Small-Scale Flexible Cash Assistance Programs! We will discuss how to design and implement Flexible Cash Assistance Programs at a small-scale in your community, and how to tell the story in a way that makes funders want to invest. We know that many communities want to take advantage of flexible funds, such as diversion and Direct Cash Transfers, to bring services to at-risk young people, but technical assistance providers only provide support for large-scale projects with big budgets. We are here to help communities of any size get started on their flexible cash journeys. With over 15 years combined experience in designing and implementing flexible cash assistance programs across the US, we are the only team in the country with experience across the full spectrum of flexible cash assistance programs - from the micro to large-scale Direct Cash Transfers. Tues. Nov. 12, 12-1 PT / 3-4 ET Register here: https://lnkd.in/eQ9hDFtW

Meet your trainer! H?nna Andress has over four years experiencing training people on beginner and intermediate Excel, with a focus on human-centric data. Learn more about Hanna: "With over a decade of experience working with Excel and other spreadsheet software, I’ve used these tools to tackle diverse projects—from creating patient outcomes dashboards to managing departmental budgets and cleaning data from the Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS). Whether it’s for work or personal projects like balancing budgets or for planning trips, Excel has always been my go-to tool for finding solutions. In addition to my hands-on experience, I’ve taught introductory and intermediate Excel courses for four years, helping others navigate health information data during my time at a hospital authority. My approach to teaching is centered on encouraging curiosity. I believe that the best way to learn Excel is by first asking meaningful questions about your data and then using the software to uncover the answers. My goal as a facilitator is to not only equip participants with the technical skills they need but also to inspire them to explore their data with confidence and curiosity." Register for our Excel for Human Services I Training here: https://lnkd.in/eUqUdBpm

We still have a few spots left for our Excel for Human Services Training! This training is best for staff with little to some experience using Excel. You will learn: - Exporting from HMIS? - Basic functions for cleaning data - Calculated fields for Statistical Analysis eg. averages, count, sum etc. - Introduction to Excel Charts and formatting - Conditional formatting - PIVOT Tables – Function - VLOOKUP? - Pivot Slicer - Introduction to Macros ...and more...plus lots of hands-on exercises and simulations. Discounts for people with lived experience and non-profit staff. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eUqUdBpm

?? New report released!! ?? Check out our new report: Breaking Barriers and Building Foundations: Designing a Direct Cash Transfer Project with Young People in Washington State. We were so thrilled to partner with Point Source Youth and the Office of Homeless Youth to co-design a DCT program with over 85 young people all around the state. We used arts-based and creative facilitation methods to create spaces where young people felt safe to share their hopes and dreams for the program. The resulting report is something we are extremely proud of. Check it out! Want to work with young people to bring a program to life? Let us know! Special thank you to PSY Youth Consultants, Leeze Castro, Milo Edwards, and Danah Montgomery for their incredible leadership. https://lnkd.in/eD_sf5vv