Housing Outreach Program – Collaborative (HOP-C)

Youth between the ages of 16-25 who have recently transitioned out of homelessness

For children/adolescents ages: 16 - 25

HOP-C is a critical time intervention that was developed in response to research outlining the psychosocial challenges faced by youth in the transition out of homelessness. HOP-C involves wraparound supports (e.g., intensive case management, specialized mental health support, and peer workers) that youth can engage with flexibly throughout their time in the project. HOP-C workers also coordinate with other professionals/agencies (e.g., existing case workers, housing workers, employment workers, etc.) to provide individualized support to each youth. Furthermore, peer workers organize and facilitate social outings and drop-ins for youth. The desired outcomes of this program relate to maintaining stable housing, pursuing/maintaining school/employment, improving mental health outcomes and promoting greater well-being and quality of life.

Sean A. Kidd
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

• Email: sean_kidd@camh.net
• Phone: 416-535-8501 #36295

The goals of Housing Outreach Program – Collaborative (HOP-C) are:

• Stabilize and improve trajectories in areas of housing, employment, and education
• Learn skills that enable self to not lose progress in other areas (e.g., losing housing, dropping out of school) while having a crisis (e.g., mental health)
• Learn how to access to peer-based knowledge and support
• Build leadership and advocacy skills
• Create and share projects that benefit other youth
• Understand cultural relevance of peer support
• Increase empowerment and self-efficacy
• Learn how to access initiatives addressing youth homelessness

The essential components of Housing Outreach Program – Collaborative (HOP-C) include:

• Collaborative multiagency team from an academic health center and two large youth service agencies
• Interdisciplinary team includes case managers, psychologists, and peer support workers with lived experience
• Case managers carry caseloads of up to 15 youth for intensive outreach-based support in community and home settings
• Case management is goal-driven, focused on skills-building and system navigation (justice, housing, employment, health, education)
• Monthly 90-minute open mental health and wellness group facilitated by a psychologist and peer support worker
• Group content includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness skills tailored to youth needs, including topics like interpersonal skills and justice navigation
• Optional individual psychotherapy provided by psychologists using CBT, DBT, ACT, and relapse prevention
• Peer support workers provide one-on-one support, co-lead groups, organize social activities, and lead youth-driven projects
• Weekly team meetings coordinate care, discuss challenges, and plan programming
• Flexible participation model requires engagement in case management, with mental health and peer supports optional but encouraged

Child/Adolescent Services

Housing Outreach Program – Collaborative (HOP-C) directly provides services to children and addresses the following:

• Adolescents and young adults (16-25) who experience:
• Homelessness and housing instability
• Complex trauma related to past experiences
• Mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation
• Substance use and addictions
• Difficulties with interpersonal relationships and trust
• Barriers to accessing justice, health, education, and employment services
• Social isolation and lack of supportive peer connections
• Challenges related to navigating multiple service systems
• Trauma-related symptoms
• Suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors
• Psychosis and other severe mental illnesses
• Interpersonal conflict and relationship difficulties
• Housing instability and homelessness-related stress
• Social isolation and lack of community connection
• Functional impairments in daily living skills

Recommended Intensity

Typically can include Case management: 1–2 contacts per week, 1–3 hours each; Mental health and wellness group: Monthly, 90 minutes; Individual psychotherapy (as needed): Weekly or biweekly, 50–60 minutes; Peer support: Variable, typically 1–2 contacts per week, 1–2 hours each

Recommended Duration

Up to 12 months, flexible based on participant needs

Delivery Settings

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider
• Hospital
• Shelter (Domestic Violence, Homeless, etc.)
• Virtual (Online, Smartphone, Zoom, Telephone, Video, etc.)

Homework

This program does not include a homework component.

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• Private office or meeting space for individual sessions
• Group room large enough for up to 10 participants, with seating arranged to support discussion
• Community/outreach space access (e.g., for home visits or meetings in neutral locations)
• Personnel: case managers, psychologists, and peer support workers with lived experience
• Basic office equipment (computers, phones, internet access) for case management and documentation
• Materials for group activities including flip charts, pens, and handouts
• Transportation supports for outreach (e.g., transit passes, mileage reimbursement)
• Refreshments for group sessions and activities (optional but beneficial for engagement)
• Games and activity supplies for social outings (e.g., board games, arts and crafts materials)
• Budget for reimbursing participation in community activities (e.g., arcades, holiday markets, sports events)

Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

Service Providers:

• Case Managers: Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, child and youth care, or related field, or equivalent experience; minimum 2 years’ experience with youth experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, and/or system involvement.
• Peer Support Workers: Lived experience of youth homelessness and/or mental health challenges, with demonstrated housing stability; prior peer support or youth engagement experience preferred; completion of peer support training or willingness to complete.
• Psychologists: Doctoral degree in clinical or counselling psychology; registered/licensed or under supervision; experience with evidence-based interventions for youth with complex trauma, addictions, and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Supervisors:

• Master’s degree or higher in social work, psychology, or related field, or equivalent experience; minimum 5 years’ experience supervising multidisciplinary teams serving marginalized youth; knowledge of trauma-informed, harm reduction, and recovery-oriented approaches.

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Program Manual(s)

Manual details:

• HOP-C Working Group. (2020). Stabilizing pathways out of youth homelessness: A practice guide. Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press. https://www.homelesshub.ca/stabilizingyouthpathways

Training Information

There is no training information available for this program.

• There are currently no published, peer-reviewed research studies on outcomes with the appropriate target population for the topic area(s) in which Housing Outreach Program – Collaborative has been reviewed.

• de Pass, T., Dada, O., Lund, J., John, J., & Kidd, S. A. (2023). A scoping review of housing stabilization interventions for youth experiencing homelessness. Children and Youth Services Review, 155, Article 107193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107193
• Kidd, S. A., Vitopoulos, N., Frederick, T., Leon, S., Karabanow, J., & McKenzie, K. (2019). More than four walls and a roof needed: a complex tertiary prevention approach for recently homeless youth. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 89(3), 248–257. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000335
• Toombs, E., Mushquash, C .J., Lund, J. I., Pitura, V. A., Toneguzzi, K., Leon, S., & Kidd, S. A. (2021). Adaptation and implementation of the Housing Outreach Program-Collaborative (HOP-C) North for indigenous youth. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 91(1), 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000520