Connect LA (previously known as Youth Family Reconnection or YFR) is a therapeutic intervention program designed to assist Transition Age Youth with building and strengthening positive and healthy relations with biological, non-biological family, or the creation of a chosen family. The primary objective of Connect LA is to reduce the amount of time TAY are experiencing homelessness by establishing or (re)establishing strong supportive positive relations with adults and/or peers and by linking them to community resources. This intervention enables them to achieve housing stability while rebuilding family support. When linked to housing stabilization goals establishing permanent connections with adults is a core outcome for youth experiencing homelessness that positively impacts youths’ ability to maintain permanent housing. Due to the nature of this program, dual enrollment is allowable. Participants must be between the ages of 18-24 (with or without dependent children). Unaccompanied Minors are not eligible for enrollment or services. Participants who are enrolled before their 25th birthday are eligible for the maximum allowable length of stay.
The program is outlined in the Scope of Required Services (SRS) here.
If you are a youth between 18-24 or an agency looking to contact Connect LA staff in your area, please use our updated countywide flyer.
For new staff, or staff supporting the Connect LA program, you can take the Connect LA onboarding training by scheduling a meeting with Chris Jenne cjenne@chriswaldegar.com. We will soon have a recording to the training linked here. In addition to the training, a form was created to support on inputting information into HMIS for Connect LA
Additional information on Connect LA
In the winter of 2023, the Connect LA Workgroup was formed as part of the broader Youth Work Plan for 2023. Connect LA made the official name change from the previous YFR due to youth feedback. The work group made recommendations to the SRS to include the creation of a chosen family and move towards Key Performance Indicators that captured outcomes on positive youth development. The Youth Development Survey Tool was created by the work group to measure this outcome. In addition, the work group developed strategies to increase marketing of the program, create more robust training for Connect LA staff, and simplify the intake process by reducing duplicative paperwork for a better experience for enrolling youth. The memos below capture some of the work during calendar year 2023.
CONNECT LA 23.24 MEMO
CONNECT LA PROGRAM DOCUMENTS 23.24 MEMO
List of Required Connect LA Program Documents
Household Composition and Income Eligibility Form
Participant identification & Income Documentation
LA CoC Homeless Certification Form
Youth Development Survey (located in HMIS)
Youth Family Reconnection Plan
Exit Summary Form
Connect LA Documents If Applicable
Transportation Verification Form
Reunification Verification
YFR Cost Exception Form
Data and Performance
To get more information on how your agency is doing on Key Performance Indicators or Contracted to Serve numbers, please contact Chris Jenne cjenne@chriswaldegar.com to review from the Connect LA Dashboard.