Outreach is the activity of providing services to any population that might not otherwise have access to those services.[1][2] A key component of outreach is that the group providing it is not stationary, but mobile; in other words, it involves meeting someone in need of an outreach service at the location where they are.[1][2][3] Compared with traditional service providers, outreach services are provided closer to where people may reside, efforts are very often voluntary, and have fewer, if any, enforceable obligations. In addition to delivering services, outreach has an educational role, raising the awareness of existing services.[3] It includes identification of under-served populations and service referral and the use of outreach tools like leaflets, newsletters, advertising stalls and displays, and dedicated events. Outreach is often meant to fill in the gap in the services provided by mainstream (often governmental) services, and is often carried out by non-profit, nongovernmental organizations.[1]

Outreach Program for Women

Categories

edit

There are many different types of outreach, but they can be categorized into these four groupings: domiciliary (undertaken at individual homes), detached (undertaken in public environments and targeting individuals), peripatetic (undertaken at public or private environments and targeting organizations rather than individuals),[4] and satellite outreach (where services are provided at a dedicated site).[3]

Homeless street outreach

edit
The concept of street outreach to individuals that are experiencing homelessness is a classic example of a form of outreach. Those who experience homelessness have a variety of complex issues that incite the need for specific forms of care.[5] As such, street outreach is challenging work. There are multiple governmental and non-governmental agencies that have sought to engage in this work because of the understanding that unhoused people tend to have increased barriers to access traditional services. Street outreach comes in different forms, from people walking around carrying supplies or offering resources, to mobile health clinics with teams of medical volunteers driving around and offering services. Regardless of its form, the essence of street outreach is the desire to meet people where they are at, build deep trust and connections, offer support, and reinforce the human dignity and respect that is deserving of all people.[6] The core elements of effective street outreach include being systematic, coordinated, comprehensive, housing-focused, person-centered, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, as well as emphasizing safety and reducing harm.[7]

Science outreach

edit
Science outreach, also called education and public outreach (EPO or E/PO) or simply public outreach,[citation needed] is an umbrella term for a variety of activities by research institutes, universities, and institutions such as science museums, aimed at promoting public awareness (and understanding) of science and making informal contributions to science education.[8]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Kate Hardy; Sarah Kingston; Teela Sanders (16 December 2010). New Sociologies of Sex Work. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7546-7986-8. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b Legal Services Research Centre (30 March 2009). Reaching Further: Innovation, Access and Quality in Legal Services. The Stationery Office. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-0-11-706724-0. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Maximising the Role of Outreach in Client Engagement", Dewson S, Davis S, Casebourne J. Research Report DWPRR 326, Department for Work and Pensions, 2006.
  4. ^ Tim Rhodes (1996). Outreach Work with Drug Users: Principles and Practice. Council of Europe. pp. 25–26. ISBN 978-92-871-3110-2. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  5. ^ Fonseca Viegas, Selma Maria da; Nitschke, Rosane Gonçalves; Tholl, Adriana Dutra; Bernardo, Lucas Andreolli; Potrich, Tassiana; Arcaya Moncada, Maria Josefa; Nabarro, Marta (June 2021). "The routine of the street outreach office team: Procedures and care for the homeless". Global Public Health. 16 (6): 924–935. doi:10.1080/17441692.2020.1810297. ISSN 1744-1706. PMID 32841072. S2CID 221326764.
  6. ^ Olivet, Jeffrey; Bassuk, Ellen; Elstad, Emily; Kenney, Rachael; Jassil, Lauren (2010-04-07). "Outreach and Engagement in Homeless Services: A Review of the Literature~!2009-08-18~!2009-09-28~!2010-03-22~!". The Open Health Services and Policy Journal. 3 (2): 53–70. doi:10.2174/1874924001003020053. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  7. ^ "State Interagency Council to End Homelessness and Interagency Council on Hunger and Homelessness: Executive Order No. 06-05: (544532010-001)". 2006. doi:10.1037/e544532010-001. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ Varner, Johanna (2014). "Scientific outreach: toward effective public engagement with biological science". BioScience. 64 (4): 333–340. doi:10.1093/biosci/biu021.
edit

  Media related to Outreach at Wikimedia Commons