SIROW Provides LGBTQ+ Equity Technical Assistance and Consulting to Local Homeless Service Organizations (Fall 2022 through present- still finishing up tasks with Emerge)

Through an in-kind grant opportunity sponsored by the Tucson-Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness, SIROW provided 25 hours of LGBTQ+ equity technical assistance and consulting to each of three local organizations from fall 2022 through fall 2023. The goal of this opportunity was for local homeless service organizations to further their work and the community’s collective impact as it relates to identifying and addressing barriers to equity and inclusion. Technical assistance and consulting services were provided by Courtney Waters and Shannon Fowler and included SIROW’s 8-10-hour LGBTQ+ Equity Deep Dive training, supervisor debrief meetings, property manager consultation, website and marketing review, review of internal forms, and survey distribution. In total, more than 80 staff received training on social justice and intersectionality, LGBTQ+ history, terminology and language, organizational policies and practices that support LGBTQ+ clients, best practices for workplace inclusion, and how to be in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people. Immediate positive shifts were reported in staff attitudes toward LGBTQ+ communities and comfort serving LGBTQ+ members. Other immediate changes included revisions to intake forms using more inclusive language and posting affirming signage in public spaces and offices within the organizations. Staff shared numerous intentions for behavioral change such as sharing and asking for pronouns, thinking more about privilege and power in the workplace, speaking up when being witness to injustice or discrimination, and forming committees to continue and advance equity work.