Outreach: Difference between revisions

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== Homeless Street Outreach ==
The concept of street outreach to individuals that are experiencing homelessness is a classic example of a form of outreach. There are multiple governmental and non-governmental agencies that have sought to engage in this work because of the understanding that unhoused people tend to have increased barriers to access traditional services. Street outreach comes in different forms, from people walking around carrying supplies or offering resources, to mobile health clinics with teams of medical volunteers driving around and offering services. Regardless of its form, the essence of street outreach is the desire to meet people where they are at, build deep trust and connections, offer support, and reinforce the human dignity and respect that is deserving of all people.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Olivet|first1=Jeffrey|last2=Bassuk|first2=Ellen|last3=Elstad|first3=Emily|last4=Kenney|first4=Rachael|last5=Jassil|first5=Lauren|date=2010-04-07|title=Outreach and Engagement in Homeless Services: A Review of the Literature~!2009-08-18~!2009-09-28~!2010-03-22~!|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1874924001003020053|journal=The Open Health Services and Policy Journal|volume=3|issue=2|pages=53–70|doi=10.2174/1874924001003020053|issn=1874-9240}}</ref> The core elements of effective street outreach include being systematic, coordinated, comprehensive, housing-focused, person-centered, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, as well as emphasizing safety and reducing harm.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2006|title=State Interagency Council to End Homelessness and Interagency Council on Hunger and Homelessness: Executive Order No. 06-05|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/e544532010-001|access-date=2021-01-08|website=PsycEXTRA Dataset|doi=10.1037/e544532010-001}}</ref>
 
=== Goals of outreach ===
The purpose of street outreach is heavily debated. Most agree that outreach serves a vital function, filling in a gap in access to services and helping those who face heightened barriers to care. However, proponents of outreach argue whether it is better to emphasize process (outreach as seeking to establish a personal connection that provides the spark for the journey back to a vital and dignified life) or to emphasize goals (meeting individuals on the street to increase their access to services).<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last=Lee|first=Wonhyung|last2=Donaldson|first2=Linda Plitt|date=2018-09-03|title=Street Outreach Workers’ Understanding and Experience of Working with Chronically Homeless Populations|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/10875549.2018.1460737|journal=Journal of Poverty|volume=22|issue=5|pages=421–436|doi=10.1080/10875549.2018.1460737|issn=1087-5549}}</ref> Outreach is not intended to be a one size fits all answer to homelessness, as the population of people who are unhoused is very multifaceted in their needs and backgrounds and the majority of outreach programs face significant limitations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition|url=https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2021/|url-status=live|access-date=12/17/21|website=National Alliance to End Homelessness}}</ref> A lingering concern in the field of street outreach to unhoused is whether “downstream” service work outweighs the need for “upstream” advocacy work.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hardill|first=Kathy|date=2007-01|title=From the Grey Nuns to the Streets: A Critical History of Outreach Nursing in Canada|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1525-1446.2006.00612.x|journal=Public Health Nursing|language=en|volume=24|issue=1|pages=91–97|doi=10.1111/j.1525-1446.2006.00612.x}}</ref>
 
=== Current Available Outreach Services Based on Services Provided ===