UAlbany's School of Social Welfare is developing a National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services, devoted to improving services and support for homeless individuals throughout the United States. Assistant Professor of Social Welfare Heather Larkin explains the center will be launched over the next year, using donor funding to partner with homeless agencies around the country with the goal of making a national impact. John Records will serve as a Public Service Professor and co-Principal Investigator to co-direct the Center with Larkin.
The Center will utilize the “Restorative Integral Support” (RIS) model (developed by Larkin and Records) to improve the effectiveness of homeless service agencies throughout the United States. It will provide training for agency directors to build more effective intervention and support programs. In addition, the center will educate and guide social service agencies personnel in best practices for the prevention of homelessness.
Larkin says UAlbany will initially workshop with four homeless service providers, offering webinars, and creating a website as one avenue for sharing information. The Center idea stems from an existing partnership between the School and the Committee on the Shelterless of California.
