User:AustinePeng/Outreach/Bibliography

Original Article

Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meeting someone in need of an outreach service at the location where they are. [Add, "Compared with traditional service providers, outreach services are provided closer to where people *may reside, efforts are very often* voluntary, and have fewer, if any, enforceable obligations.]In addition to delivering services, outreach has an educational role, raising the awareness of existing services. It includes identification of under-served populations and service referral. [Add, "and the use of outreach tools like leaflets, newsletters, advertising stalls and displays, and dedicated events"][Combine the next sentence into this paragraph]

Outreach is often meant to fill in the gap in the services provided by mainstream (often governmental) services, and is often carried out by non-profit, nongovernmental organizations. This is a major element differentiating outreach from public relations. Compared with staff providing traditional services, outreach staff can potentially be less qualified but more highly motivated.[I do not feel like these two sentences add to the article, and provide a generalization that does not significantly add to the reader's understanding of the subject]

[Create New Headings, reword] [*There are many different types of outreach, but they can be categorized into these four groupings*] Three different types of outreach have been identified: domiciliary (undertaken at individual homes), detached (undertaken in public environments and targeting individuals), and peripatetic (undertaken at public or private environments and targeting organizations rather than individuals). Satellite outreach is where services are provided at a dedicated site.

Outreach tools include leaflets, newsletters, advertising stalls and displays, and dedicated events.[Move to the beginning, conglomerated paragraph] Outreach commonly takes place physically at local community institutions such as libraries, community centres and markets. [Again, is repetitive, does not add much to the reader's understanding of the subject] Compared with traditional service providers, outreach services are provided closer to where people live, are voluntary, and have fewer, if any, enforceable obligations.[Move to the beginning, conglomerated paragraph]

Outreach can target various populations, from sex workers and drug users to museum goers.[Again, is repetitive, does not add much to the reader's understanding of the subject ~ also can be seen as negative stereotyping, with the first two specific examples and the hyperlinks]

Proposed Article

Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services. A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meeting someone in need of an outreach service at the location where they are. Compared with traditional service providers, outreach services are provided closer to where people may reside, efforts are very often voluntary, and have fewer, if any, enforceable obligations. In addition to delivering services, outreach has an educational role, raising the awareness of existing services. It includes identification of under-served populations and service referral and the use of outreach tools like leaflets, newsletters, advertising stalls and displays, and dedicated events. Outreach is often meant to fill in the gap in the services provided by mainstream (often governmental) services, and is often carried out by non-profit, nongovernmental organizations.

Categories

There are many different types of outreach, but they can be categorized into these four groupings: domiciliary (undertaken at individual homes), detached (undertaken in public environments and targeting individuals), peripatetic (undertaken at public or private environments and targeting organizations rather than individuals) and satellite outreach (where services are provided at a dedicated site).

Homeless Street Outreach

The concept of street outreach to folks that are experiencing homelessness is a classic example of a form of outreach. There are multiple governmental and non-governmental agencies that have seeks to engage in this work because of the understanding that unhoused people tend to have increased barriers to access traditional services. Street outreach comes in different forms, from people walking around carrying supplies or offering resources, to mobile health clinics with teams of medical volunteers driving around and offering services. Regardless of it's form, the essence of street outreach is the desire to meet people where they are at, build deep trust and connections, offer support, and reinforce the human dignity and respect that is deserving of all people. The core elements of effective street outreach include being systematic, coordinated, comprehensive, housing focused, person centered, trauma informed, culturally responsive, as well as emphasizing safety and reducing harm.

Housing First Model

Going hand in hand with street outreach is the Housing First Model. It is often the state provision towards homeless street outreach because it gives tangible results, gets people off the streets, and is overall beneficial for a cities economy. Government officials that perform street outreach with the Housing First Model in mind can sometimes be faced with backlash because these outreach services can be seen as a way for the government to expand control over a previously hard to govern group, or a method by which unhoused community members are pushed out of sight for the benefit of their housed counterparts.

Territory

Issues surrounding territory, respect, and understanding regarding the homes of the unsheltered when engaging in homeless service outreach is often a factor that is considered by outreach workers. Volunteers aim to affirm the territories of those that are unsheltered by acts of respect for privacy (including asking for permission to enter a person's space, knocking on the frame of the tent to notify residents about potentially entering the homes of the unsheltered). Instead of coming from a place of governance and regulation that often results of Housing First centered street outreach, community outreach by volunteers are often focused on giving dignity and respect to the unhoused.