Rural and Remote Content
Select a task below to get more information:
Task 1: Hiring staff and involving people with Lived Experience
Task 2: Establishing staff supervision and communication protocols
Task 3: Training staff
Task 4: Housing/re-housing participants and providing support
Task 5: Providing ongoing supervision and support
Task 6: Offering ongoing/advanced training and technical assistance
Task 7: Assessing and improving the program: evaluation and fidelity
TASK 1: HIRING STAFF AND INVOLVING PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE
Please review the information on this topic in the main tasks. Additionally review information from the planning task for the rural and remote addendum .
TASK 2: ESTABLISHING STAFF SUPERVISION AND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
Please review the information on this topic in the main tasks.
Because of the variations in staffing models to accommodate rural and remote situations, team meeting schedule may have to be augmented. Due to travel and distance challenges, it may be difficult to meet often. However, virtual methods such as Zoom, Webex, Teams, and others should be explored.
TASK 3: TRAINING STAFF
Due to the smaller pools of money generally available in rural and remote communities, projects are often competing for smaller pots of money which impacts flexibility in training dollars and abilities in budget negotiations. This, however, does not mean that every opportunity should be taken to seek out as many training options as possible. Some options that may be available would include things like:
- Subsidized training through training consultancies such as CAEH TTA. The TTA has some ability to provide various trainings at rates based on availability of funds within a rural and remote stream. In addition, the TTA is developing an online self-paced platform which will allow communities access to onboarding modules for immediate and low-cost training to help new staff get started in their roles.
- Partnering with other communities doing training and work out cost sharing opportunities.
- Connecting with CEs to get access to group trainings they are offering for urban centres, particularly with the virtual options available now.
Please review the information on this topic in the main tasks.
TASK 4: HOUSING/RE-HOUSING PARTICIPANTS AND PROVIDING SUPPORT
Please review the information on this topic in the main tasks.
TASK 5: PROVIDING ONGOING SUPERVISION AND SUPPORT
Please review the information on this topic in the main tasks.
TASK 6: OFFERING ONGOING/ADVANCED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Please review the information on this topic in the main tasks.
In addition to the trainings listed in the main tasks, these trainings should be considered as important and necessary for all people working in a Housing First context or with those experiencing homelessness.
- Intensive Case Management
- Person-Centred Practices
- Assertive Engagement
- Motivational Interviewing
- Home Visits
- Landlord Relations
TASK 7: ASSESSING AND IMPROVING THE PROGRAM: EVALUATION AND FIDELITY
Please review the information on this topic in the main tasks.
Once Housing First projects or teams have been operating for 6 months or more, it is important to consider some sort of fidelity evaluation. As discussed previously, the rural and remote specific version of the Housing First Fidelity Checklist is available for internal review. There is also a more robust and rich way to do a fidelity self-assessment described here.
It is also valuable at some point to engage in an external fidelity review. These can be done from a peer perspective having another Housing First program come in to provide their assessment using a standard Housing First fidelity review process. This can then lead to returning the favor. But a program can also employ the services of trained experts to provide this type of review.
