Tool: Outreach Policy Guide

The BFZ Outreach Policy Guide aims to guide communities in creating comprehensive outreach policies and procedures that align with the BFZ Quality Data standards for the Single Adult population. Communities can use this guide as a starting point for developing their own outreach policies and are encouraged to adapt it to their local context.

The Outreach Policy Guide includes the following components:

• Things to consider when creating outreach policies
• Suggested sections of inactive policies and procedures

Companion Workshopped Community Examples

The three examples of outreach policies listed below were developed by BFZ communities nationwide. Each linked policy is not highlighted because it aligns perfectly with the Outreach Policy Guide. It was selected because it is a real example of how communities approached the task of developing an outreach policy. 

These examples are provided as inspiration or sample text to accompany the guidance outlined in this guide. Each example includes 1) a brief summary of the context of the community who created the policy, 2) suggestions for continuous improvement for the policy, 3) the adapted policy itself, and 4) an annotation added by BFZ coaching staff that describes how the text aligns with the suggested information to include in within the guide. 

• Workshopped Outreach Policy Example 1: This is a great example of how a community managed to coordinate efforts and solidify communication pathways across many outreach teams (modified from Thurston, Washington) (Google Doc version, Word version)
• Workshopped Outreach Policy Example 2: This is a great example of how a community with one outreach team ensured community members had the information needed to make a referral for service (modified from Douglas County, Colorado) (Google Doc version, Word version)
• Workshopped Outreach Policy Example 3: This is a great example of how a community standardized the flow of service and data collection expectations (modified from Kent County, Michigan) (Google Doc version, Word version)
• Example-not workshopped: Greater Kansas City (MO-604) Street Outreach Policies and Procedures