When engaging with youth, the outreach worker completes an assessment of every youth’s safety and well-being through a trauma-informed lens by asking questions about his/her housing situation, behavioral and physical health, and through direct observation of behaviors.  The youth outreach team is trained in trauma-informed principles and utilizes community resources to address crises/emergencies as they arise. A large population of the youth served in FY21 presented with severe behavioral health issues that required greater intensity of supportive services.

To ensure client safety and well-being, the outreach team utilizes 911 or Baltimore County’s Mobile Crisis Team (Affiliated Sante) as needed.  The outreach team has also worked with hospitals and crisis centers in their discharge planning to ensure youth clients have a safe place to return to, however housing options are limited and can take an extended period of time to secure.

The outreach team is trained in the principles of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), trauma-informed care, and de-escalation techniques.  The team relies on the aforementioned providers to address and respond to health-related emergencies, and works directly with after-care professionals to continue to provide youth with supportive services.

The annual target percentage for youth safety assessments completed upon engagement in the community is 100%. A total of 100% or 110 of 110 youth received a safety assessment upon engagement during FY21. While not all engagements were face-to-face, we utilized trauma-informed questions to assess an individual’s safety and well-being during all forms of contact.