Do more to promote best practices
Objective 10 of Opening Doors includes the following strategy: Develop and promote best practices for crisis response programs and increase their adoption by agencies receiving federal funds.
There is a great need in communities for best practices. This is an area that should become a priority in the upcoming year. Activities under this strategy might include the following:
• Identify and document the most promising models of preventing homelessness.
• Promote coordination of homelessness prevention resources with programs/systems that are functioning as the “front door” of the homeless shelter system.
• Identify and document effective homelessness diversion strategies that expand options to individuals and families facing a housing crisis but do not create impediments to accessing shelter.
• Provide guidance on how coordinated assessment/coordinated homeless service systems can effectively work with mainstream providers of assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, school systems, and other providers of services to low income families.
• USICH should work with VA and HUD to develop models to ensure local communities are coordinating VA and HUD resources, to facilitate rapid connection to VASH/SSVF and expedite reconnection to housing for those eligible for those resources.
• A crisis response system should include outreach functions to connect with those who may not be presenting/requesting assistance.
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Anonymous commented
Include the best practices of ALL SYSTEMS working with homeless populations. Housing is not the only system with practices that impact the housing stability of individuals, families or youth. We need to use all the tools in our toolbox!
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Anonymous commented
Do more research to figure out what the best practices in any domain are.