Diversion
The information and resources here are intended to support your efforts to develop and sustain a strong practice of diversion in your community.
diversion Resources
See below for links to information, program examples and tools as well as the BFZ-C Diversion webinar series. Remember, you can also always search on the Homeless Hub and the Homelessness Learning Hub for further information.
Keep checking back here as we will be regularly updating materials and adding further resources.
OrgCode
- Introduction to Shelter Diversion (CSTN & OrgCode, 2019) (1 hour) and PowerPoint PDF
- Housing Focused Sheltering – Diversion pg. 2-5 (OrgCode, 2017)
- Prevention/Re-Housing VI-SPDAT Version 2 (PR-VI-SPDAT v.2) – Single Adults and Families (released 2020)
- Characteristics of an Exemplary Diversion Specialist – Blog (OrgCode, 2016)
- Diversion: Making it Work – Blog (OrgCode, 2015)
- Diversion 101 Video – 16 min (OrgCode) (2013)
National alliance to end Homelessness (NAEH)
- Role of Emergency Shelter in Diversion – Webinar (2018) (90 min) Download Slides and tools:
- The Three C’s of Diversion – Blog (2015)
- Creating a Successful Diversion Program for Homeless Families (2011)
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH)
- Prevention, Diversion and Rapid Exit Guide (2019) – developed collaboratively by the USICH, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Veterans Affairs this document clarifies the definitions for “prevention,” “diversion,” and “rapid exit.”
- Adopting Housing Problem-Solving Approaches with Prevention, Diversion, and Rapid Exit Strategies (2019)
Youth Reconnect
- Youth Shelter Diversion and Youth Reconnect (Homeless Hub)
- Youth Reconnect Program Guide (Making the Shift, 2020) – a 29 page guide that describes the program, considerations for implementation, and highlights programs in practice. Youth Reconnect (YR) is a community-based early intervention program that is designed to help young people (ages 13–24) who are at risk of or in the early stages of homelessness by helping them to stay connected to their family, community and school, and to strengthen natural supports.
- Hamilton Youth Reconnect Program (Blog, June 2020)
Host Homes
- Respite Housing and Host Homes (Homeless Hub)
- Host Homes Handbook (Point Source Youth 2018)
- Host Homes Canada Toolkit (an on-line toolkit from Raising the Roof)
- Bridging the Gap – Host Homes Program (2019) – evaluation of the first Host Homes program in Ontario, operating in Halton Region for the past decade
- Edmonton – see webinar series below & 7 Cities Conference Presentation (2018) & 24/7 Crisis Diversion
- King County – Family Shelter Diversion Pilot Report (2015) & Integrating Diversion into Homeless Response System Presentation (2017) & Overview and Case Study Reports Homeless to Housed in a Hurry: Extending Diversion to Help Families Exit Homelessness (2018) (read blog)
- Waterloo Region – see webinar series below for youth and family diversion & Family Shelter Diversion Pilot Report & 2 Page Summary (2015) & Raising the Roof Blog (2016)
- Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness – Shelter Diversion – includes a number of links to further information, tools and resources
- Veteran’s Health Administration – Webinar Presentation – Using Conflict Resolution for Effective Prevention and Diversion (2016)
- Diversion Best Practices Presentation (2015 NAEH Conference) – FocusStrategies, Montgomery County, and Connecticut
- Summary of Diversion Practices from Other Communities (Abt Associates 2015) – Hennepin County, Los Angeles, Montgomery County, and Cleveland
- Prevention/Re-Housing VI-SPDAT – Single Adults and Prevention/Re-Housing VI-SPDAT – Families
- Community Diversion Forms and Tools:
- End Homelessness St. John’s Coordinated Access Diversion Pre-Screener (2019)
- Hamilton – Shelter Diversion Flow Chart and Diversion Assessment Tool (2019)
- Peel Salvation Army Diversion Assessment (fillable Word version) (2018)
- Columbus Shelter Screening and Diversion Form (2016)
- Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness – Diversion Resources and Tools – website
- Georgia Prevention and Diversion Screening Tool (2017)
Currently available HIFIS 4 reports (see these and other available reports at ACRE):
The following Diversion Webinar Series took place over April – June 2018.
Diversion Series | Topic and Links | Presenters |
---|---|---|
Part 1 | Introduction to Diversion (40 min) | Iain De Jong from OrgCode |
Part 2 |
Diversion Programs – Edmonton & Waterloo (recording issues – separate Webinar/Speaker Intro) (5 min) |
Community and Program Leads from Edmonton and Waterloo |
Part 3 |
Diversion and Data (60 min) |
David Tweedie from OrgCode |
Program Areas
Emergency Shelter | Diversion | Outreach | Housing Help and Landlords | Housing with Support | Prevention | Partnering with Other Systems | Peers and Lived Experience | Indigenous Resources