Adams County Street Outreach Network

Working Together to HELP OVERCOME Homelessness

Adams County Street Outreach Network

By Lisa Nordholt, PRG Strategic Initiatives Supervisor, Commerce City Parks, Recreation & Golf

“Most innovation comes from people working together, collaborating in teams.”

Walter Isaacson Most of us know the importance of working together. In Adams County, we have used this approach for helping people experiencing homelessness. The multijurisdictional approach within Adams County has agencies working together towards common practices. While we all have our own internal staff, representatives from Adams County, Aurora, Commerce City, Northglenn, Thornton, and Westminster meet regularly (one to three times per month) to discuss ideas, challenges, and shared resources. Bennett, Brighton, and Federal Heights also participate but do not have dedicated staff for outreach services. In 2019, Adams County applied for, and received an Emergency Solutions Grant. This grant has helped to fund the street outreach initiative. The grant provides all jurisdictions with outreach supplies (food, clothing, blankets, first aid kits, etc.); a storage unit for shared supplies; allows for jurisdictions to have a P.O. Box where people without a mailing address use to receive mail; mobile showers and laundry; and helps fund Adams County Day Works, a program that provides nobarrier day labor and support services for people living outside. As more of the cities hire people dedicated to homelessness outreach, this network has been significant for training and program start-up assistance. All staff are quick to offer help with resources and new staff bring additional knowledge to the table. We have a Community of Practice for training such as motivational interviewing, trauma-informed considerations, inclusive language, and self-care. Commerce City just hired our first Community Navigator-Homeless Outreach employee who started April 5. This network has helped us identify job duties, interview candidates, and share resources as we start the program. In the interim, they took time from their duties to come to our city to perform outreach with our unsheltered residents and allowed us to shadow them. The staff that provide street outreach visit encampments in parks, trails and open spaces to offer resources and guidance to transition to housing and assist them in acquiring benefits and work. It is an emotional job and they often hear that there is no solution to homelessness. This does not deter these community front-runners and they work tirelessly to help secure stability for those who need assistance. Homelessness knows no boundaries and neither do we.

The staff that provide street outreach visit encampments in parks, trails and open spaces to offer resources and guidance to transition to housing and assist them in acquiring benefits and work. It is an emotional job and they often hear that there is no solution to homelessness.