Building Bridges: Creating Effective Cross-Systems Partnerships for Youth Housing Providers
Building Bridges: Creating Effective Cross-Systems Partnerships for Youth Housing Providers
Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024 | 3:00 - 4:30 PM ET
Join us for an engaging and insightful 90-minute webinar designed specifically for youth housing providers who are eager to expand their impact through strategic cross-systems partnerships. As a key player in supporting vulnerable youth and young adults, you understand that meeting their complex needs often requires collaboration beyond the boundaries of housing alone. This session will provide you with practical tools and strategies for forging and strengthening partnerships with mental health networks, juvenile justice systems, public education, child welfare, healthcare providers, and other housing organizations.
Objectives
- Identify Key Intersections and Resources
Participants will gain a clear understanding of how different systems such as mental health, juvenile justice, public education, child welfare, and healthcare intersect with youth housing, and will learn to identify and leverage the resources and expertise of each system to create a comprehensive support network for vulnerable youth and young adults. - Develop Strategies for Effective Collaboration
Attendees will acquire practical strategies and best practices for initiating, building, and maintaining successful cross-systems partnerships. This includes techniques for aligning goals, defining roles, establishing effective communication, and addressing common challenges to ensure collaborative efforts are productive and mutually beneficial. - Design and Implement a Coordinated System of Care
Participants will learn how to design and implement a robust system of care that integrates contributions from various partners. They will develop actionable plans to enhance their organization's role within a coordinated system, using insights from case studies and interactive discussions to address local needs and improve outcomes for the youth they serve.
Our Presenter
Kendel DeHart (she/her) is a passionate advocate for youth housing justice, with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of housing and youth-based systems. Since 2012, she has focused on youth housing, including foster care, runaway and homeless youth programs, and HUD-funded initiatives such as YHDP, permanent supportive housing, and transitional housing. Kendel holds dual BAs in Sociology and History from Berea College and brings a deep commitment to addressing the unique needs of Appalachian and Indigenous communities through culturally informed practices.
Her career has been centered on building effective partnerships across diverse stakeholders and systems, particularly in rural communities. Kendel’s expertise spans outreach, foster care, cross-system collaboration, and developing creative housing solutions for marginalized youth. She has firsthand experience navigating the challenges and successes of multi-system coordination, giving her invaluable insight into creating stronger community partnerships.
In her role as Training and Capacity Building Manager with the Youth Housing Justice Team at Youth Collaboratory, Kendel continues to drive innovation in youth housing justice, ensuring programs are culturally informed and responsive to community needs.
This project is supported by Grant # 15PJDP-22-GK-04981-PROT awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.