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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

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