# Presentation: 013067

## 
“The scary part is, every day out here, it gets easier. It gets easier because you learn how to survive. You get used to the cold, used to not washing every day, used to not having clean clothes. That’s the scary part.”
Glenn E. Monast
Homeless in Providence

*“**The scary part is, every day out here, it gets easier. It gets easier because you learn how to survive. You get used to the cold, used to not washing every day, used to not having clean clothes. That’s the scary part.”*
***Glenn E. Monast***
***Homeless in Providence***

**Notes:**
Providence Journal Bulletin, Friday, October 3, 2003

## 
“To me recovery is about getting back to work. I mean, it’s not like I don’t appreciate the Twilights Program. I think I’ve gotten a lot out of coming here. But this isn’t recovery. It makes me depressed just to come here every day and do nothing to support myself. For some people, this is enough, but not for me. I’ve worked before, and I know I can do it.” 
Eric
Venice, CA

*“**To me recovery is about getting back to work. I mean, it’s not like I don’t appreciate the Twilights Program. I think I’ve gotten a lot out of coming here. But this isn’t recovery. It makes me depressed just to come here every day and do nothing to support myself. For some people, this is enough, but not for me. I’ve worked before, and I know I can do it.” *
***Eric***
***Venice, CA***

## 
“ Much of what we are doing to end homelessness is right. If we bring these efforts to scale and fine-tune our approach, the solution is within our grasp.”

Nan Roman
Washington, DC 
1999

*“ **Much of what we are doing to end homelessness is right. If we bring these efforts to scale and fine-tune our approach, the solution is within our grasp.”*
***Nan Roman***
***Washington, DC ***
***1999***

## Strategies for Linking Systems: Creating Community Employment Pathways for Homeless Job Seekers

## A Pathways Project

- A local coordinated, supported process to engage stakeholders across systems to gather information about job seekers, employer needs & available supports to establish action opportunities that increase employment outcomes for homeless individuals

## Purpose

- Focus on employment & training services for homeless people
- Develop collaboration between workforce and housing personnel
- Promote use & understanding of best practices
- Increase the availability of employment services needed by homeless individuals
- Prepare homeless job seekers for jobs they want & available in the local economy

## Establish Oversight Leadership

- Possesses the authority to launch project
- Sets Pathways Project goals
- Develops strategic activities
- Engages local leaders
- Secures project funding & resources
- Contracts with expert consultant
- Manages the project thru regular communications

## Involve Decisionmakers

- Public acknowledgement – jobs are important to end homelessness
- Local decisionmakers in government, key nonprofits & foundations
- Representing workforce, economic development, social services, TANF, mental health, & substance abuse
- Prepare them to identify funding
- Keep people informed – no surprises

## Recruit Field Research Workgroup

- Identify key local workforce experts from One Stops
- Include manager and supervisors from CoC, homeless employment providers, supportive housing, VR, MH/SA, etc.
- Set expectations
- Be clear about time commitments

## Establish Task Groups

- _Demand Siders_ – Labor market & employers
- _Supply Siders_ – Job seekers & training programs
- _Support Siders_ – Supportive services, treatment, & housing
- _Program Design_ – Best practices & implementation issues

## Expand Stakeholder Support

- Downtown business association
- Other State initiatives – transformation, Medicaid Infrastructure Grants, etc.
- State interagency council on homelessness
- State WIB
- Local WIB

## Tell the Story

- _Compile Findings_ – A massive report detailing the current environment, the challenges to be addressed and the opportunities ahead
- _Analyze Data_ – Interpret information so that it is useable to decisionmakers and stakeholders
- _Identify Early Victories_ – Report included “early quick victories”: where the systems could begin...
- _Tougher Challenges_ – Identify strategies requiring more effort

## Seattle & King County, WA

- Launched Pathways Employment Initiative
- Engaged 60+ stakeholders to own Pathways
- Identified 11 early victory action opportunities
- Identified additional long-term strategy opportunities
- Researched employer needs in key industries

**Notes:**
Note the initiative also propelled the oversight group to make employment related suggestions to the State ICH regarding the preparation of their Plan to end homelessness

## Early Action Opportunities in King County

- Offer cross-system training
- Invite workforce representative to Homeless Action Council
- Use WIA funded training for those most work-ready participants in McKinney services
- Establish a boundary spanner position

## Cross-system Planning

- State WIA Plan
- State FSET Plan
- State Voc Rehab Plan
- State ICH Plan
- State MH & SA Plan(s)
- Local Plans

**Notes:**
Good Beginnings 
Here are some elements of State and local workforce plans regarding homelessness. 
The California plan identifies priorities and set-aside funds for homeless and disabled adults and details efforts to help homeless and low-income youth.

The Massachusetts Plan directs local planners to address the needs of disabled and special needs populations through special memoranda. This State plan encourages innovations and partnerships with faith-based and community groups.

The New York State plan stresses training of workforce staff on issues related to disabled and homeless people. 

In order to better serve disabled and homeless people, the plans in Portland (Oregon), Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and Seattle call for Individual Training Accounts (ITAs), intensive services at One-Stops, and innovative partnerships with community services.

In large and diverse States, plans are written on a regional basis supplemented by local needs assessments. Most plans concentrate on labor markets and involvement and recruitment of employers. Hence, business representatives usually outnumber people from the workforce system.
California and Massachusetts, however, have plans drafted by a diverse set of representatives from throughout the State bureaucracy. Among their exemplary elements, these plans:
Specify disabled and homeless people in the vision and priority Statements and stress these groups for funding. California does so through the Governor’s “15 Percent” Set-Aside Funds.
Identify service requirements to serve these groups. 
Direct local plans to make limited resources available first to these populations.
Include representatives from these groups on the LWIB and the State WIB
Coordinate work with the State Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Localities
Communities have more directly tackled the needs of this population.  Of the plans we reviewed, most make these populations a priority. Certain plans are more comprehensive and more likely to succeed due to specific elements, such as: 
Stress the need to participate in other local planning processes involved with reducing homelessness or serving disabled people (10 Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, Continuum of Care, Local Consolidated Housing Plan, and the Mental Health Plan).
Define services that support employment such as housing, clinical and case management services, benefits counseling, and childcare. 
Cultivate partnerships with understanding and sympathetic employers.
Fund programs that serve these groups in community settings. 
Stipulate that One-Stop Center staffers be culturally competent; responsive and flexible; accessible to homeless or disabled people; well-trained to meet these needs; and ready with customized employment or other services.

## 
“Having employment opportunities in the building is also very important, because it gives people a chance to get work experience and build their self-esteem by dealing with people who are that person’s peers.”
Michelle Wallace
Tenant
Canon Kip
San Francisco 

*“**Having employment opportunities in the building is also very important, because it gives people a chance to get work experience and build their self-esteem by dealing with people who are that person’s peers.”*
***Michelle Wallace***
***Tenant***
***Canon Kip***
***San Francisco ***

**Notes:**
1998 quote from Michelle

## CHETA

**Doreen Straka, Co-Director**
**Corporation for Supportive Housing**
**50 Broadway**
**New York, NY  10004**
**212-986-2966**
**www.csh.org/cheta**

- Work to End Long-term Homelessness Through Employment and Housing

**John Rio, Co-Director**
**Advocates for Human Potential**
**13 Herbert Avenue**
**White Plains, NY  10606**
**914-328-2399**
**www.ahpnet.com**