ReImagine
ReImagine: Pioneering Equitable Standards in Homelessness Care and Advocacy.
ReImagine envisions a future with equitable and established standards of care that prioritize transparent and humanitarian practices. We know this is possible inside a consistent system of accountability that elevates and promotes the health and wellbeing of all, with an emphasis on housing stability, and the prevention and ending of homelessness in our community.
About ReImagine
The 2021 Reimagine project goal was to define the vision and priorities of optimal homeless system components, centering people on the frontline and those who have experienced housing instability and/or homelessness. An intentionally crafted Implementation Team co-designed the experience of “Reimagine Workshops” and invited participants that represented cross-sector work within homelessness services, from shelters, outreach, supportive services, and eviction prevention, as well as agencies serving specific populations. What could homeless system responses be if they were completely re-imagined, centering the human experience over existing performance outcomes or funding restrictions?
Strategy
Systemwide Training and Auditing
This is the team’s guiding light and first priority. There is a fundamental cultural shift necessary within the Omaha metro homeless response system, and this strategy supports providers and leadership within this shift, while simultaneously holding accountability for critical change on behalf of unhoused people.
Through qualitative and quantitative data gathering, such as 1-on-1 interviews, focus groups, secret shops, and already available data, our team will identify the needs and gaps in services, as well as create and offer system wide training based off identified seeds and gaps.
Innovative Project Host
This strategy offers a supportive “host home” to innovative, mission-aligned projects and initiatives that further Reimagine’s vision to establish a standard of care that prioritizes innovative and humanitarian practices. Reimagine hosts projects that contribute to the mission of rebuilding systems that impact unhoused people and housing programs in the Greater Omaha Metro Area such as MHC.
Elevate And Uplift Lived Experience
WHY:
Advise and inform meaningful system change
Stories and experiences are valuable data that drive decision making
Lived expertise enriches our system to help drive goals and strategies
“Nothing about us without us”: decisions within the system should always include impacted individuals
Empowers and supports unhoused individuals to meet their needs
HOW:
Systemwide structure for people with lived experience to be supported in their roles, with Reimagine partnership in addressing challenges and tokenism
Systemwide structure for people with lived experience to have a paid expert role in decision making, design and implementation activities without being employed by traditional non-profit
Housing Stability
The Housing Stability Program helps individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community by emphasizing prevention, diversion and rapid exit. Through a human-centered approach, Reimagine Housing Stability Specialists will ensure that each person experiencing homelessness has a say in identifying goals and needs through shared accountability. The goal is to empower clients to tap into their own strengths and encourage connection to supports and wrap-around services to achieve long-term housing stability.
Trainings
ReImagine offers a series of trainings that include:
Meaningful Engagement
Introduction to Homelessness
Empathy and Listening
Understanding and Mitigating Secondary Trauma
Self-care and Managing Stress for people who care
Strategic Storytelling
For information, check out full descriptions here