National Training Day 2 - November 18, 202011:00 a.m. ET - 6:00 p.m. ETVirtual Display Center OpenThe Virtual Display Center allowed participants to interact with exhibitors and other participants.
12:00 p.m. ET - 12:50 p.m. ETSelf Care Session: Cultivate Hope and ResilienceKatelyn Song, Somatic Therapist, led attendees through a series of somatic practices that help cultivate resilience and mutual connection. Song is a private practice Somatic Therapist in unceded occupied Duwaish Territory. Song has more than a decade of experience as a youth worker and received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington School of Social Work. Virtual Display Live SessionsDuring this hour exhibitors were live in their exhibit booths to share about their organizations and services, and connect one-on-one with participants. Participants visited virtual exhibit booths of companies and organizations that provide resources and supports to RHY Grantees. Exhibitor videos and live sessions highlighted services relevant to youth serving organizations 1:00 p.m. ET - 2:10 p.m. ET - Workshop Session IIIBridge2Home: Creation of a Host Home Model in Western PennsylvaniaSummary Valley Youth House Bridge2Home program was initially created with Home4Good funding awarded in January 2019. Additional funding was awarded from FYSB RHY/BCP in October 2019. With this funding, the Host Home Model is being used as an innovative approach for emergency sheltering of youth under age 18 for up to 21 days. Bridge2Home is implementing a promising program model. The workshop will address the successes, challenges, and barriers to building a continuum of Host Homes. A host and youth experience will be presented that will assist the program moving forward to guide a path for youth success. Participants will:
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Bridge2Home PresentationTransitioning from the Basic Center Program-Overcoming Barriers Through Evidence-Informed PracticesSummary Youth must have a support system and an orchestrated plan to aid in the transition into adulthood. This workshop will focus on the components involved in that transition from the Basic Center Program (BCP). Critical areas for transitioning youth will be explored. Participants will:
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Transitioning from the Basic Center Program PresentationStrategic Planning for ResultsSummary The workshop will identify the necessary steps for developing and following a comprehensive Strategic Plan that drives organizational successes and outcomes. Board involvement, buy-in from staff, and the importance of establishing a strong mission statement and values will all be covered in this workshop. Tips and practices for keeping the plan alive within a changing organization will also be useful as many organizations are adjusting to new external factors and influences in communities. Objectives Participants will:
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Strategic Planning for Results PresentationThe Necessity of Authentic Engagement: 5 Strategies to Build Connection with Youth Facing AdversitySummary A foundational and essential component of effective practice in RHY work is the ability to engage youth in services on an ongoing basis. We must be able to answer the often-unasked question: "What's in it for me to accept what you have to offer?” This workshop will aid participants in tailoring a practical approach that is responsive to the unique needs of youth who are experiencing circumstances such as homelessness, sexual exploitation, and social disconnection. Objectives Participants will:
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The Necessity of Authentic Engagement PresentationResponding to Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in a Small City or Rural AreaSummary For 15 years, Covenant House Alaska has been a leader in the state of Alaska in identifying and serving runaway and homeless youth (RHY) victims/survivors of human trafficking and creating a systemic response to the commercial sexual exploitation of these youth. There are only 750,000 people living in the whole state of Alaska, and nearly half of those people live in Anchorage. Even with so few people, sex trafficking is a major issue impacting youth, including RHY. This workshop will discuss the systemic response implemented in Anchorage to address this issue with vulnerable youth who grew up in small urban areas, rural areas from across the state, and who are disproportionately Indigenous young people.
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Responding to Commercial Sexual Exploitation PresentationBuilding Clinical Confidence in RHY Staff: Lessons Learned From a Staff Training Curriculum in Problem-Solving, De-Escalation, and Crisis ResponseSummary Building the confidence and ability of RHY staff in providing practical problem-solving interventions improves outcomes for youth experiencing homelessness. However, many programs struggle to meet the training and supervision needs of the staff. In this workshop, participants will learn conventional approaches to staff training in RHY programs and perceptions of staff concerning their needs around clinical training. Participants will then learn the steps to an evidence-based intervention around problem-solving, de-escalation, and crisis response. Participants will also review a curriculum for staff training along with outcomes from the implementation of this curriculum at two RHY agencies. Objectives Participants will:
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Building Clinical Confidence in RHY Staff Presentation2:30 p.m. ET - 3:40 p.m. ET - Workshop Session IVUnprecedented Times: How can RHY Programs Support Youth Well-Being In and Beyond the Pandemic?Summary The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges and created new ones for RHY grantees and the young people they support. In this session, the presenters will discuss emerging evidence about the effects and circumstances of the pandemic related to youth homelessness. Participants will have an opportunity to share with each other and provide input into potential training and technical assistance, assessments, and resources warranting further exploration by RHYTTAC. What we learn through this pandemic, and our response, has important potential to inform preparation for future public health crises and other disasters. Objectives Participants will:
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Unprecedented Times PresentationTargeted Assertive Outreach: An Innovative Outreach Method That Can Support Efforts to End Youth HomelessnessSummary In this session, presenters will describe an innovative outreach effort used to identify youth who had self-resolved their homelessness and connect those who remained homeless to available services. This systematic approach to outreach, termed "Targeted Assertive Outreach,” helped to inform a more accurate projection of resources and staffing needed to end youth homelessness. Data from outreach efforts showed that Black youth and youth who slept outdoors or couch-surfed were less likely to self-resolve homelessness compared to non- Hispanic White youth and youth who slept in shelters. Presenters will discuss the implications of their findings within the context of community efforts to end youth homelessness. Participants will:
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Targeted Assertive Outreach PresentationEmpowering and Engaging Youth in Crisis - Strategies for Runaway and Homeless Youth SettingsSummary Empowering and engaging youth in crisis is a critical skill. Youth served by RHY programs have experienced difficult and overwhelming situations, which sometimes lead to crisis. It is important to utilize approaches that can empower youth to make healthy and safe decisions. This workshop will take a deep dive into the concept of engagement, strategies to empower and engage youth in crisis, identify barriers to engagement, and how to move beyond resistance. This interactive workshop will provide participants an opportunity to practice skills, have meaningful discussions, and learn to incorporate empowerment and engagement strategies into a solution-focused crisis intervention model. Participants will:
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Empowering & Engaging Youth in Crisis PresentationWe Think TwiceSummary We Think Twice is a digital media campaign designed to provide support and encouragement to help adolescents avoid adverse risk-taking behaviors. Co-designed with youth, for youth, the campaign seeks to empower adolescents in making smart decisions around sex, relationships, and setting goals for their future. The campaign is targeted to youth ages 13-19 through Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. The campaign website features digital products such as Buzzfeed-style quizzes, listicles, videos, games, a motivational playlist and other tools as well as user-generated content. This workshop will highlight the lessons learned from the first year of the We Think Twice campaign and will showcase the tools and products that have been developed with and for youth. Participants will:
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We Think Twice PresentationFederal Research and Resources to Support Transition-Age YouthSummary The purpose of the presentation is to provide information on federal research, supports, and programs all designed with the goal of supporting communities to end youth homelessness. The presentation highlights the ways communities work together to serve transition-age youth. Time will be reserved at the end for a short conversation by the presenters highlighting some promising practices in communities across the programs. Objectives Participants will:
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Federal Research & Resources PresentationWhat Can Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs Do to Identify and Prevent Labor Trafficking Among RHY?Summary Runaway and homeless youth are at increased vulnerability to labor trafficking. A study conducted by the Modern Slavery Research Project at Loyola University demonstrated that runaway and homeless youth are particularly vulnerable to being recruited into labor trafficking. Scam traffickers who pose as job recruiters approach RHY and offer them lucrative work opportunities in commission-based, seemingly legitimate industries, such as sales, modeling, domestic work, and agriculture. Force, fraud, or coercion are used to compel RHY to work against their will or without pay or in exploitative conditions. Objectives Participants will be able to:
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Labor Trafficking PresentationLabor Trafficking Recording4:00 p.m. ET - 5:00 p.m. ET - General Federal SessionThe annual session featured updates from the Family and Youth Services Bureau on activities directly impacting the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program. Updates included upcoming funding opportunity announcements, plans for virtual program monitoring, and a discussion of data and program trends across RHY programs.
General Federal Session PresentationGeneral Federal Session Recording5:00 p.m ET - 6:00 p.m. ET - Consultations (T/TA and RHY-HMIS)Abt Associates offered 15 minute consultations on program and reporting needs. Sixteen sessions were offered on a first come, first served basis during this hour. 5:10 p.m ET - 6:00 p.m. ET - Virtual NetworkingParticipants connected with RHY Grantees, youth service organizations, youth and young adults, and allies in these virtual networking sessions. They heard directly from providers and young people about their experiences with RHY programs. Participants discussed trends and brainstormed solutions to challenges. They received ideas and supports from colleagues doing the work. Facilitators welcomed participants and provided guiding discussion questions and prompts, then provided instructions for how to use the video-chat feature to connect one-on-one.
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