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Empowering At-risk Individuals to Plan and Realize a Better Future for Themselves

STH-Webmaster   |   October 22, 2021

Streetohome has created the Life Intentions Action Planner (LIAP) – a new resource that helps vulnerable individuals including youth, seniors, low-income families, immigrants and refugees, and their support networks such as families or peers, to prioritize their personal goals and find free resources and services that fit their unique needs and preferences. The LIAP empowers these people to plan and realize a better future, one step at a time.

“Everyone should be able to experience life in the way they want, and this tool really gives our city’s most vulnerable individuals the opportunity to help themselves by seeking out the supports they would like to access, creating an action plan and building the skills they need to achieve their personal goals,” says Karen Ott, Streetohome volunteer.

Individuals are able to set goals and find resources in the City of Vancouver categorized in 6 domains: housing; employment & volunteering; education, skills & training; health & wellness; legal & advocacy; and community & belonging. Streetohome verifies and updates services every six months with the help of volunteers and students.

Get Your Copies Now
If you are a service provider and would like free copies of the tool (boxes of 30) delivered to you, please contact Arielle at [email protected] or 604-629-2711 ext. 103.

We Know It Works
The tool has been focused tested with multiple target demographic groups including vulnerable adults, youth, and an Indigenous-specific group to ensure appropriate language, graphics and ease of use. The tool was piloted with 200 supportive housing tenants in eight buildings.

“I’ve learned so much by helping to focus test the paper tools and subsequently pilot them with almost 200 tenants. There was a woman who got glasses after she went through the Life Intentions Action Planner – that small thing made such a positive impact in her life and she was so proud of the goal that she set and achieved for herself,” says Sarah, Streetohome volunteer. “Along the way, we’ve gotten so much positive reinforcement from tenants and service providers alike.”

Streetohome has distributed copies to shelters, supportive housing, hospitals, police, outreach teams, addiction treatment programs, social services, corrections and agencies serving people new to Vancouver.

Contact Arielle ([email protected] or 604-629-2711 ext. 103) for more information.