Employment Strategies to End

Homelessness

National Alliance to End

Homelessness

January 21, 2013

National Transitional Jobs Network The National Transitional Jobs Network (NTJN) exists to ensure that policies account for the hard-to-employ, that programs are able to effectively serve as many individuals as possible, and that best practices and technical assistance are widely shared and implemented throughout the network.

Activities include:

▫ Technical assistance and field building

▫ State and federal advocacy

▫ National conferences and convenings

The NTJN is a project of Heartland Alliance in Chicago, IL

Working to End Homelessness Initiative (WEH)

• Launched in 2011 with support from the Butler Family Fund to:

▫ Highlight the importance of employment in addressing homelessness

▫ Showcase what works in workforce solutions to homelessness

▫ Identify systems and policy challenges to service delivery

• In 2012 we began fielding training and technical assistance requests from around the country.

WEH Briefs for Providers ▫ Employment Program Models for People Experiencing Homelessness

- Different approaches to program structure

▫ Employment Program Components - Considerations for modifying

programming for people experiencing homelessness

▫ Service Delivery Principles and Techniques - Helping people

experiencing homelessness engage in services and succeed in work

▫ Populations Experiencing Homelessness - Diverse barriers to

employment and how to address them

▫ A directory of providers in the WEH community of practice and

descriptions of their program models Download able for free at

www.transitionaljobs.net

Why Employment? Evidence and Experience Supporting Employment as an Anti-

Homelessness Strategy

Employment

+

Housing

ENDS

HOMELESSNESS

Most people experiencing

homelessness want to work.

People experiencing homelessness consistently rank paid

employment alongside healthcare and housing as a primary

need.*

People experiencing homelessness often attribute their

homelessness to unemployment and insufficient income.**

*Burt, M.R., Aron, L.Y., & Lee, E. (1999). Homelessness: Programs and the people they serve. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.

**Mojtabai, R. (2005). Perceived reasons for loss of housing and continued homelessness among homeless persons with mental

illness. Psychiatric Services, 56:172-178

Employment is an important factor in

preventing and ending homelessness.

Numerous studies find that increased income is a strong

predictor of a person exiting homelessness.*

Earned income and current or recent employment are

associated with shorter duration of homelessness.**

*Zlotnick, C., Robertson, M.J., & Lahiff, M. (1999). Getting off the streets: Economic resources and residential exits from homelessness. Journal

of Community Psychology, 27(2), 209-224.

**Caton, C.L., et. al. (2005). Risk factors for long-term homelessness: findings from a longitudinal study of first-time homeless single adults.

American Journal of Public Health, 95(10), 1753-9.

Employment impacts wellbeing, health

and quality of life.

Employment and income are associated with improved quality of life

among people experiencing homelessness.*

Income from work improves access to food, clothing, housing, and

healthcare-increasing personal, family, and community wellbeing.*

Employment shows promise in supporting recovery from mental

illness and addiction†, reducing recidivism, and reducing reliance on

public benefits.††

*Lam, J.A. & Rosenheck, R.A. (2000). Correlates of improvement in quality of life among homeless persons with serious mental illness.

Psychiatric Services, 51:116-118.

†Schumacher, J.E. et. al. (2002). Costs and effectiveness of substance abuse treatments for homeless persons. Journal of Mental Health Policy

Economics, 5, 33-42.

††Redcross, C., Bloom, D., Azurdia, G., Zweig, J., & Pindus, N. (2009). Transitional Jobs for ex-prisoners: Implementation, two-year impacts, and costs

of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Prisoner Reentry Program. New York, NY: MDRC.

Key Factors in Planning Employment

Approaches

Be aware of barriers to employment

Low education and literacy

Work history gaps

Lack of transportation

Family obligations

Lack of stable address or

phone

Lack of hygiene or clothing

Low self-esteem

Poor health

Physical disabilities

Mental health issues

Substance use issues

Fear of losing public benefits

Criminal records

Weak labor markets

Weak social skills or

networks

Discrimination

Populations aren’t mutually exclusive

Consider the

varying needs

of diverse

populations

experiencing

homelessness

Low-income single parents

Disadvantaged youth and older adults

Military veterans Individuals with

criminal backgrounds

Individuals with disabling conditions

Who is “ready to work?”

Explore a “Housing First” approach to employment

• Nearly everyone can work if given the appropriate

supports

• Meet people where they are with regard to their

readiness for employment

Cultivating a spectrum of program models can help

accomplish this

Promising Models and Practices

“Attachment to work” approaches

• Transitional Jobs

• Supported Employment

• Alternative Staffing

• Customized Employment

Advancement strategies

• Contextualized Basic Adult Education

• Adult Education Bridge Programs

• Sector-based training

Promising employment program models

▫ Combines time-limited, wage-paying subsidized jobs, skill development, and supportive services to transition individuals to employment

▫ Proven to get people with significant barriers successfully working, reduce recidivism after release from prison, and reduce reliance on public assistance.

Transitional Jobs

“Attachment to work” approaches

CARA Cleanslate,

Chicago, IL

• Social enterprise specializing in

neighborhood beautification and property

maintenance

• High emphasis on participant motivation

and peer support

• Video

▫ The standard evidence-based model for helping individuals with mental health issues transition to employment

▫ Supports rapid entry to the competitive labor market integrated with support services as soon as the participant feels ready

Supported Employment (IPS)

“Attachment to work” approaches

Central City Concern, Portland, OR

www.ccconcern.org

• Provides rapid access to employment for individuals experiencing homelessness with primary addiction disorders and felony convictions

• Placement in sectors including construction, business and professional services, hospitality and tourism, and retail

• Ongoing support including on-the-job training

• Integrated service team including supportive housing, primary health care, addiction treatment, and peer case managers

• Video

▫ Brokers temporary entry-level job placements for at-risk populations

▫ Shows promise in helping individuals learn workplace skills, build confidence, and leverage temporary placements to permanent jobs

Alternative Staffing

Chrysalis Enterprises, Los Angeles

www.ChangeLives.org

• Offers both transitional jobs in a work-crew setting, and alternative staffing placements in light industrial, hospitality, retail, warehousing, construction, janitorial and special event jobs

• Comprehensive support services include mentoring, life-skill classes, communication services, work tools, and retention support groups.

• 400 participants served per day

• Video

▫ Helps participants begin self-employment or negotiate restructured job positions that meet their strengths and the employer’s needs

▫ Shows promise in helping at-risk populations including people with a physical disability carve out work that meets their needs

Customized Employment

“Attachment to work” approaches

• Contextualized Basic Adult Education

▫ Employs real-life materials, situations and issues that are relevant to the learner’s life to illustrate lessons

• Sector-based training

▫ Delivers occupation-specific “hard skills” training in high-demand, high-growth industries

• Adult Education Bridge Programs

▫ Combine basic skills instruction with sector strategies to give low-income workers access to jobs with advancement and benefits

Advancement Strategy Examples

Core components of employment services

– across models

• Assessment

• Work-readiness and soft skills training

• Employment-focused case management and supports

• Job development and job search assistance

• Retention services and incentives

Next Steps for Employment Program

Implementation

What you can implement now, and what

you can plan for the future

What you can do now at little or no

additional cost ▫ Incorporate employment goals into existing counseling

and case management activities

▫ “Vocationalize” the organization by applying workplace

standards and prioritizing employment

▫ Identify and partner with employment service providers in

your area

Public workforce system: “One-Stops”

Community-based organizations

What you can do in the near term at little

cost

▫ Co-locate employment and housing services

▫ Provide on-site work readiness training and job

search assistance

▫ Offer participants on-site transitional employment in

maintenance, reception, etc. in supportive housing

buildings

▫ Create facilities/areas to support job search such as

phone banks, computers, and professional clothing

Long-term planning for best-practice

programming

▫ Determine service delivery model

Based on population needs, current organizational capacity

and expertise, funding, and sustainability

▫ Key planning considerations:

Staffing: job developer, retention specialist, etc.

Facilities & equipment

Employer partnerships and outreach

Long-term planning for best-practice

programming, continued

▫ Apply best practices:

Make multiple employment and training options available

Provide long-term engagement with retention follow-up

Include employment-focused case management and support

services to remove barriers

Make employment a system priority by writing employment service objectives into plans to end homelessness and other systems agendas

Potential Funding Sources

▫ CDBG

▫ SNAP E&T

▫ TANF

▫ SAMHSA

▫ DOL Veteran’s Initiatives

▫ Private foundations and donors

Get Connected. Stay Connected.

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