Systems Alignment to Optimize Health Services for Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Systems for Action
Overview
The Youth Health and Housing Lab has been awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Systems for Action grant for 2023 to engage an existing multi-sector consortium to develop, implement and assess the feasibility of an integrated system of healthcare and public health programming for youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) in and around Hennepin County, Minnesota. The title of our project is Systems Alignment to Optimize Health Services for Youth Experiencing Homelessness. This project builds on the findings from our Optimizing Health Services for Youth Experiencing Homelessness project.
Project Aims
Engage an existing multi-sector consortium, as well as YEH, to develop and implement an integrated system of public health programming and health services for YEH in and around Hennepin County.
Describe the complex barriers to data systems alignment in the current systems, and beginning to identify potential opportunities for systems alignment to create a more equitable data ecosystem
Assess the feasibility of implementing and, if successful, scaling an integrated system of public health programming and health services for youth experiencing homelessness.
What Did We Learn About How to Improve Health Services for Youth Expericing Homelessness?
After many interviews, focus groups, and multi sector consortium meetings, our team developed a four strategy systems alignment plan to optimizing health services for youth experiencing homelessness, with equitable data systems as its own aim that runs throughout each of the other four systems alignment aims. Our strategies include:
Youth-driven trainings for Youth Serving Agency Staff and Healthcare Professionals
Youth Health Connect: A Digital Community Health Resource Map
Expanding Mental Health Supports for Youth
Improving and Expanding Site-Based Health Services for Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Once we finalized our systems alignment plan, we began developing, piloting and implementing each of the aims. Check out Youth Health Connect here!
More information about our work on the other aims will be added soon, as we finish our evaluation of the project.
Related Publications and Dissemination Products
Our RWJF Systems for Action webpage
American Public Health Association 2023 Conference Poster Presentation: Optimal Sexual Health and Gender-Affirming Care Services for LGBTQ+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine 2024 Conference Poster Presentation:
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine 2024 Conference Runaway and Homeless Youth Special Interest Group Presentation
Systems for Action ResProg Webinar, March 2024: Recording and Powerpoint
University of Minnesota Pediatric Research, Education & Scholarship Symposium Poster Presentation, April 2024: Optimizing Mental Health among Youth Experiencing Homelessness
American Public Health Association 2024 Conference Poster Presentation: Optimizing mental health among youth experiencing homelessness: youth participatory action research to rebuild trust and advance equity across sectors
2024 Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Conference Presentation: Youth-driven Strategies for Supporting Health among Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Working Across Sectors to Advance Health Equity and Healthcare Access
Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, July 2024, Caring for Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Sharing our work with the community!
Bridge for Youth Juneteenth Event, June 2024