COH-AWH-What_Would_it_Take
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INTEGRATED GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS<br />
1. Work across ministries, departments, systems, and sectors to employ an integrated systems<br />
approach to proactively address the diverse needs of youth at risk of homelessness or<br />
experiencing homelessness.<br />
2. Implement policy, strategies, training, and accountabil<strong>it</strong>y mechanisms to support anticolonial,<br />
anti-oppressive, solutions- and equ<strong>it</strong>y-oriented practice among frontline and<br />
managerial staff in all public systems who work w<strong>it</strong>h youth. All systems should develop<br />
targeted approaches to meet the needs of youth who are often served least well by<br />
public systems. Systems should be particularly attentive to ensuring equ<strong>it</strong>y for youth w<strong>it</strong>h<br />
disabil<strong>it</strong>ies, youth w<strong>it</strong>h mental health and addiction challenges, Indigenous youth, poor<br />
youth, youth at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness, and youth experiencing<br />
abuse and neglect.<br />
3. Provide integrated, ongoing, and meaningful training and supports for all system workers<br />
to ensure staff employ equ<strong>it</strong>able, evidence-based practices in their interactions w<strong>it</strong>h the<br />
youth at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness. Training and supports must<br />
be adequately resourced w<strong>it</strong>h targeted investments, enabling workers sufficient time and<br />
supports to ensure their approach aligns w<strong>it</strong>h evidence-based practices.<br />
Supported by policy and accountabil<strong>it</strong>y mechanisms, this training must<br />
support system workers to:<br />
a) Employ a standardized assessment tool to assist in determinations of homelessness risk<br />
for youth.<br />
b) Employ a proactive approach to responding to youth at risk of homelessness, rapidly<br />
connecting youth to supports, services, and/or housing.<br />
c) Adopt an approach grounded in trauma-informed care, LGBTQ2S+ allyship, antioppression,<br />
cultural competency, and respect for the human rights of youth.<br />
d) Mobilize the principles of youth voice, youth choice, and self-determination in their work<br />
w<strong>it</strong>h youth.<br />
e) Employ equ<strong>it</strong>able, evidence-based approaches to supporting youth w<strong>it</strong>h disabil<strong>it</strong>ies,<br />
addictions, or mental health issues.<br />
f) Rapidly connect youth experiencing health, mental health, or addiction issues to<br />
appropriate supports and services.<br />
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 129