Youth REACH MD (Reach out, Engage, Assist, & Count to end Homelessness) is an effort to obtain accurate, detailed information about unaccompanied homeless youth in Maryland, both to understand the size and scope of homelessness among Maryland’s youth and young adults and the current support system available to them. Through two pilot surveys of unaccompanied homeless youth, Youth REACH MD will develop an toolkit of methods jurisdictions in Maryland can use to monitor the scope of youth and young adult homelessness over time. 

 

The project was established during the 2014 legislative session by the Maryland General Assembly under Chapter 425 of House Bill 794. The first pilot count occured in the Fall of 2015. A second, larger pilot count is set to occur in early spring of 2017.

 

PROJECT GOALS  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

Ultimate Goal

Supporting Maryland to end and prevent homelessness for youth and young adults

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1 To engage youth, young adults, local community members, and federal, state and local constituencies in preventing and ending youth homelessness through participation in the design and implementation of the Demonstration Youth Count and the associated policy and evaluation activities;

 

2 To conduct an effective Demonstration Youth Count as an ongoing way for federal, state and local constituencies to track progress in understanding and meeting the needs of unaccompanied homeless youth and young adults that will result in programmatic, budgetary, and policy changes to end and prevent youth homelessness; and,

 

3 To incorporate housing and homeless services and programs into the multi-agency data collaborative at the University of Maryland to provide quality, up-to-date, longitudinal data and information related to overall program efficiency and effectiveness in serving the children, youth, and families of Maryland.

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SUMMARY OF THE FIVE PHASES  ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

Phase 1:  Design August 2014 – January 2015

Phase2:  Pilot Implementation February 2015 – October 2015

Phase 3:  Analysis and Evaluation October 2015 – January 2016

Phase 4:  Pilot Replication and Expansion January 2016 – October 2016

Phase 5:  Evaluation and Systemic Recommendations October 2016 – April 2017

 

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ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED  /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

Lead Government Agency:  

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)

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Coordinating Organization: 

The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work (The Institute)

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Implementing Organizations:  

Local Continuums of Care (CoCs) for each participating jurisdiction - A CoC is a planning body comprised of local nonprofit organizations and government entities who work together to coordinate funding & services for those experiencing homelessness in their area.  They are federally mandated to track and monitor homelessness in their area.

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Would you like to know more? Please email Amanda Miller at amanda.miller@ssw.umaryland.edu.