How can stakeholders help?

A Youth Count – particularly one happening over multiple days – will require a number of volunteers. Stakeholders familiar with vulnerable youth should be encouraged to volunteer, especially as Team Leaders. However, stakeholders will also be invaluable throughout the planning process. Essential information to gather from stakeholders includes:

• Where do youth stay during the day? At night?
• Are there youth encampments in your community? 
• Where can we recruit youth to participate in the planning and implementation of the count?
• How can we best advertise the count to youth?
• What do we need to know about youth homelessness?
• Is the Youth Count survey appropriate? A reasonable length?

As you plan for your Youth Count, seek input from the following stakeholders:

TABLE 1. PRIORITY STAKEHOLDERS

Youth Shelters and Transitional Housing	To conduct a sheltered count – a key component of a Youth Count – you must partner with youth shelters and transitional housing units. Without their cooperation, you will be unable to determine the number of youth experiencing homelessness during the PiT Count. Shelter providers can help you to identify unsheltered locations where youth hang out or sleep.
Youth Outreach Workers	Youth outreach workers can help you to identify known locations or “hotspots” where youth reside, a key component of the unsheltered count. Further, outreach workers can help to promote the count among youth, alleviating any concerns or misconceptions that youth may have about the process. Communities without youth outreach workers should work with general outreach workers, who will possess much of the same knowledge.
Youth Drop-in Centres	Not all youth experiencing homelessness will utilize homeless-serving agencies. Thus, partnering with youth drop-in centres to run events during the Youth Count (see magnet events) will improve the accuracy of your count. Further, drop-in staff can provide input on popular gathering spots for youth.
Police Departments	Your local police force will be an important partner as you plan for your Youth Count. As you identify locations for your unsheltered count, police can provide input as to where youth gather and/or sleep. At a minimum, the police should be aware of the count and be on standby, in the unlikely event of an emergency. Police should refrain from “clearing away” any encampments prior to the count. Finally, carefully consider police involvement during the count. Some communities invite plain-clothes officers to volunteer for the count, while others discourage this type of involvement by police.
Schools and/or School Boards	Communities that seek to administer the Youth Count survey in schools will need to build close partnerships with the local school boards. Communities without a school component should still consult with school officials to gain their input on the Youth Count methodology and survey. Encourage school staff to volunteer for the Youth Count; doing so may improve their awareness and understanding of youth homelessness.
Services/Programs for Indigenous Youth	Across Canada, Indigenous Peoples are overrepresented among individuals experiencing homelessness – so too are Indigenous youth. Partner with Indigenous-serving agencies – ideally those that work with youth – to better understand the unique causes and conditions of homelessness faced by Indigenous Youth. Partner with Indigenous leaders to ensure that Indigenous Youth are accurately and respectfully enumerated as part of your Youth Count.
Services/Programs for LGBTQ2 Youth	It is estimated that between 25-40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ2S (Abramovich, 2013). Despite this overrepresentation, many LGBTQ2S youth avoid homeless-serving agencies out of fear for their safety or of discrimination. To ensure that LGBTQ2S youth are accurately enumerated, identify and partner with organizations or agencies that provide services to LGBTQ2S youth. Program staff can provide input on the survey instrument and volunteer training to ensure that the Youth Count is conducted respectfully and safely.

Building Alignment: Tips & Strategies

In a separate Youth Count, organizers are responsible for all components of the methodology, including the sheltered and unsheltered counts. As indicated in the table above, stakeholders are particularly useful when designing these methodologies. If you are building alignment with a general PiT Count, it is almost certain that the unsheltered and sheltered count will be covered through the general methodology. Further, many of the stakeholders listed above may already be involved in the general count. Nonetheless, it is important that there is also a core group of stakeholders to inform the youth portion of the count. Don’t rely solely on the general PiT Count stakeholders. Work with Indigenous Youth services, LGBTQ2 youth services, schools and other youth-focused providers.

Building Alignment Spotlight Some parts of the Youth Count methodology will be covered by the general PiT Count methodology, most likely the unsheltered and sheltered count. Work with the general PiT Count organizers to determine who is doing what. It may be that parts of the general PiT Count methodology, such as the youth shelter count, become part of the Youth Count methodology. For more information refer to Where to Count.

More information

For a full list of key stakeholders and ideas for engagement, refer to COH PiT Count Toolkit: Stakeholder Engagement