Street Outreach: Show the Way Mobile App
Show the Way is designed to support homeless people where they are – both physically and emotionally.
The Show the Way app allows street outreach teams, first responders, and others (“Navigators”) to quickly capture information about the exact location of an interaction, identify the person they are engaging with, conduct a “light touch” assessment, and track whatever services or resources were provided.
Navigators are able to provide coordinated care with the aid of the following features:
- Real-time data capture of geospatial survey data (who, what, when, and where)
- Custom surveys to assess vulnerability, identify needs, track services, and obtain consent
- ID card scanning to support rapid intake on the streets or in shelter
- Optional ability to integrate facial recognition tech to quickly identify a person
- Ability to review details of past interactions by any member of the navigation team
- Navigators can log observations about people that cannot be engaged
- Locations of encampments, along with details such as pictures and notes, can be tracked
- Follow ups and alerts inform the navigator of any actions that need to be taken
- All contacts and engagements are recorded in real-time and can be used to support a person’s chronic homeless status.
The Regional Command Center, which receives the data collected from the Show the Way app, contains dashboards, maps, reports, and data management tools geared towards providing a comprensive overview of street homelessness within the community.
Key features include…
- Team Leaders are provided with an overview of the work being done in the field
- Data can be integrated with what is being collected in HMIS
- Interactive maps support outreach planning by highlighting areas in particular need of attention
- Reporting features help quantify resource needs (i.e. food, water, socks, etc.)
Thank you to the street outreach workers, clinicians, and volunteers in Charlotte, San Antonio, and Houston for their willingness to field test the app. Show the Way would not be able to have the same impact without their constructive feedback, and we are grateful for their time, support, and enthusiasm throughout the development process.
Learn more on the Show the Way Website.
Access the app at ShowTheWay.org