The Community Partners Collective (CPC)—a collective composed of 50+ member organizations— began another year of collaboration by meeting to renew energy and strengthen connections. The CPC exists to close the service gap for young people ages 18 to 24 by sharing resources and discussing topics that impact the youth we work with.

The PCP invited a panel of experts to discuss the point of entry for young people experiencing housing insecurity called the Coordinated Entry System (CES). Panelists were Joe O’Connor, Director of Residential Programs at Teen Living Program, Kaysa Jarrard, Admissions Case Manager at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, Deja Davis, Lead Drop-In Case Manager at Casa Norte/Casa Corazon, and Stephanie Sideman, Senior Program Manager at CSH. It was an opportunity for members to learn about how the system is designed, how it continues to be refined, and to identify where changes need to be made to better connect young people to housing options in a timely fashion.

Alexa Frenn, the moderator and program manager at Mercy Home, generated a conversation that was positive and solutions focused. Additionally, Kaysa spoke about the Mercy Home and how it plays a critical role in the supportive housing spectrum. As the organizing member, Mercy Home continues to create the space for organizations to come together to coordinate resources and collaborate to remove barriers to the systems of care. Huge thanks to Safe Heaven for hosting the event!