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Work Groups

Older Youth System of Care

Common Agenda

Coordinate and align services of agencies serving unconnected youth ages 14-25.

Activities

  • Youth Leadership

    - Why: Unconnected youth don’t have similar opportunities to learn and exhibit leadership

    - Who: Unconnected Youth (young people ages 14-25 who have been in foster care, but are not aging out of the system to qualify for Bridges to Independence, and youth who have received in home & out of home from the Department of Health and Human Services as a result of abuse of neglect, and youth who have multiple system involvement (Department of Health and Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, and/or homeless/near homeless with unmet needs) without traditional leadership opportunities

    - How: through 1) Youth leadership institute 2) Youth in leadership 3) Service learning 4) Activities

  • Opportunity Passport

    - Why: Program had success in Eastern Nebraska and was adopted in the Panhandle. Financial case management has been identified as a huge need in unconnected youth.

    - Who: Embedded financial case management through training in Panhandle agencies who serve unconnected youth.

    - How: Transitional process beginning with basic education around money that moves towards asset acquisiton-specific training.

  • Transitional Services

    - Why: Gaps exist in available resources and transitional services try to fill these gaps

    - Who: Panhandle providers

    - How: Developed from original asset maps

  • Regional Training Plan

    - Developed during collective meetings with all providers present

    - Agency and system needs identified
    - Overlapping of needs are often discovered
    - Trainings are rolled out to meet these needs

Measurements

Click here for more Youth Thrive information

Biannual surveys conducted twice a year to all agencies and their clients

Short-term host homes are an intervention for youth who are currently experiencing homelessness for any variety of reasons, including but not limited to family conflict, poverty, gender identity and sexual orientation.  The goal of short-term host homes is to provide a safe, temporary, welcoming space. The time spent in the home will be a case-by-case basis and as long as funding allows, where the young person has time to repair their relationships with self-identified family or make decisions about other housing options with the support of a caring case manager.  Providing short-term host homes are a cost-effective and successful model for preventing youth homelessness in a wide range of cases.

Communication

Monthly meetings – Please visit our calendar to see when the next Connected Youth System of Care Meeting is taking place

For more information about this work group, please contact Liz MacDonald.

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