Transcript Everyone Counts

Point In Time
Count 2015
Volunteer Training
South Carolina Coalition for the Homeless
Introductions
• Name and County
• Employer and Position
• Count Experience or Experience with
Homelessness
Everyone Counts
Why PIT Count?
• Better understand the size and scope of
homelessness and how it shifts over time
• Improve services and identify gaps
• Use data to justify new services/programs
• Public education and advocacy efforts
Everyone Counts
Who We Count
Sheltered Homeless
• Emergency shelters, transitional housing,
rescue missions, and seasonal shelters
• Domestic violence shelters
(Kept Confidential)
• Hotel or motel paid for by public or
private funds in lieu of a shelter bed
Everyone Counts
Who We Count
Unsheltered Homeless
• Places not meant for human habitation:
• Cars
• Under bridges
• Tents
• Abandoned or inadequate buildings
• Public restrooms
• Garages
• Streets
Everyone Counts
Subpopulations
To better serve persons experiencing
homelessness, it’s important to understand:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Serious and Persistent Mental Illness
Substance Abuse
HIV/AIDS
Severe Mental Illness
Veterans Status
HIV/AIDS
Domestic Violence
Length of Homelessness
Everyone Counts
2015 PIT Strategies
• Sheltered Count:
• HMIS (no interview needed)
• Paper surveys for shelters that do not use HMIS
• Unsheltered Count:
• Paper surveys through one-on-one interactions with
persons at:
• Pre-scouted and other known locations where
people are living unsheltered
• Service sites
Everyone Counts
State-Wide Effort
Everyone Counts
2014 PIT Count
State Total: 5040
•Emergency Shelter: 1781
•Transitional Housing: 1453
•Unsheltered: 1806
Everyone Counts
16%
From
2013
New In 2015
• Compassionate, participant focus
• Common Assessment to connect
persons with housing services
Everyone Counts
Initiating the Interaction
Initiating the conversation is very important
• Introduce yourself and be respectful, calm
• Speak clearly
• Explain the PIT Count Project and why you are
counting
Everyone Counts
Initiating the Interaction
Explain the PIT and Why You are Counting
“Hi, I’m Tom, a volunteer with the PIT Count. Have you heard of
that before?”
“Every year area service providers and volunteers try to learn
more about persons who do/did not have a place to stay
tonight/January 28th. Is it OK to explain a few things and then
ask you some questions?”
“Do you have a hard time finding your own place to stay?”
Everyone Counts
While Interviewing
• Practice and feel comfortable with questions
• Repeat/explain questions if necessary
• Don’t Judge – yourself or others, avoid
language like “That’s terrible” “Oh my God” etc.
Instead use “I see” or “OK, can you tell me more
about….” etc.
• Try to avoid Don’t Know / Refused
Everyone Counts
After the Interaction
• Thank the participant
• Offer incentive packs or provide information
• Put the form in a safe place
• Keep interviewing and return all forms to
county coordinator(s) w/in 24 hours
Everyone Counts
Helping Someone
• Information = access to sustainable help
• Recommended that volunteers do not carry
money with them, or give money away
• Putting someone in need in front of a
knowledgeable provider is more valuable
Everyone Counts
Helping Someone
Everyone Counts
The Instrument
Everyone Counts
The Instrument
• Capture ZIP Code for the location where you are
completing surveys
• Length of time homeless and episodes of
homelessness may require further clarification
• An episode = stably housed, then experienced
homelessness
Everyone Counts
The Instrument
Everyone Counts
The Instrument
• SSN NOT REQUIRED
• Full name is excellent, initials and DOB is minimum requirement to include
in our official numbers
• If a participant insists on not providing any name information, use:
• First Name: “ANON”
• Last Name: Your initials plus digits 1-9
• Example: if Joe Smith is interviewer, then names would be:
• ANON JS1
• ANON JS2
• ANON JS3
• Etc.
Everyone Counts
The Instrument
Everyone Counts
The Instrument
Everyone Counts
The Instrument
Everyone Counts
Practice!
Yolanda H. Peterson is a white non-Hispanic woman, born 7/17/1956 who has
been sleeping on her sister’s couch for the last three days. She doesn’t think
she will be able to stay for more than a month. She and her 12 year old son
were evicted from her apartment in Columbia three weeks ago at which time
they were living on the streets. She and her son went to stay with her sister on
January 29th. She has a history of alcohol and substance abuse. She is doing
better now, having been clean for 9 months and is seeing a psychiatrist at a
local clinic, where she receives treatment for depression. She is not HIV
positive and has never served in the military. This is the first time she has been
homeless since 1970 when she left her husband because of domestic abuse.
Everyone Counts
Practice!
Daniel B. Stevens is an Asian Hispanic/Latino man born 5/3/1980 who has been
homeless for the past year or so, but this is his first episode of homelessness.
He had been sleeping on friends’ couches for a few months but now has been
living on the streets for the past six months. He has no children or spouse. He
became homeless because he lost his job and then couldn’t keep up his rent
payments so began staying at friends’ apartments. He began using drugs and
alcohol a few months ago which has led to him no longer being allowed to stay
with friends. His health has continued to deter ever since living on the streets,
but doesn’t stay at shelters because they require sobriety. He served in the
military 4 years ago.
Everyone Counts
Count Safety
• Stay with your team
• Make sure you understand the plan for the
event
• If you have questions about it, ask the team
leader
• Know your fellow volunteer’s and team leader’s
contact information
Everyone Counts
Count Gear
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pens
Clipboards
Plenty of count forms
Backpack or other safe place to store forms
Volunteer team roster and contact list
Charged cell phone
Adequate clothing
Everyone Counts
Q&A
QUESTIONS?
Everyone Counts
THANK YOU!
Everyone Counts