1. Volunteer Training
[Community and Location]
[Date and Time]

2. Agenda Detail the process for conducting the youth count
Outline roles and responsibilities
Review data collection forms and protocols
Discuss next steps

3. Who will you survey?
UNACCOMPANIED youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability ages 13 through 25
Youth who are living on the street, in shelters, or in transitional housing programs
Youth who are doubled up, couch surfing, staying in hotels/motels, living in cars, or who are involved in the sex trade
Includes youth counted within county lines on the day/night of the count

4. What will you be doing as a Volunteer?
At Organizational Count and Come and Be Counted Locations (shelters, transitional living programs, drop-in centers, youth-serving agencies, and community locations)
Survey youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability who receive services from the provider
Survey youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability who come to the site to be surveyed
If any youth walks away or refuses the survey, do not follow them

5. What will you be asking about in the Brief Youth Survey?
Birth date and initials
Current living situation
Characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation)
History of foster care or detention/jail
If currently pregnant or parenting
Current school enrollment and employment

6. What do youth get for taking the survey?
Each youth who takes the survey will receive a $5 gift card
Youth receive a gift card as long as they answer the first 5 questions
Each youth can receive only ONE gift card

7. What will the process look like?
Read the consent statement on the top of survey and obtain verbal consent
If a youth refuses: Check the refusal box on the survey, thank them, and move on to the next person. Do not give the youth a gift card.
If a youth agrees: Move to step 3
Read the questions aloud in English or Spanish if the youth agrees to take the survey
Skip any questions youth do not want to answer
Repeat each question only once
Thank the youth
When finished with the survey, give the youth one gift card
Place completed surveys into a sealed envelope

8. What if… A youth who took the survey wants to take it again?
Youth cannot take the survey more than once
A youth walks away or stops responding in the middle of taking the survey?
Check “refused to answer” for the rest of the questions and place the survey into your envelope
A youth feels uncomfortable answering a question?
Youth can refuse to answer any question they feel uncomfortable answering.

9. What if… A youth does not respond to a question?
Repeat the question once and move on to the next question if the youth does not respond
A youth gets upset or emotional while taking the survey?
Ask if the youth if he or she would like some help and offer him or her a resource list. Contact the Team Captain with any questions.

10. Brief Youth Survey: Let’s Review
Screen
Read
Thank

11. Important Reminders

12. Voluntary Participation
Read the consent statement in full for each youth that you approach to take the survey
You must get their verbal consent (yes or si) to continue with the survey
Never pressure youth to take the survey, answer a question they do not want to answer, or finish the survey.

13. Respect Privacy
Survey youth a safe distance from others to ensure the privacy of their answers
Place each survey in the envelope immediately after it is completed
Keep completed surveys safe, covered, and clean
Never leave them visible or unattended
Return all blank and partially completed surveys to the Team Captain
Do NOT throw any surveys away!
Seal the envelope when you are done at a location
Inform the Team Captain right away if any materials are stolen or lost

14. Thank You