DTP Connects
Homeless Outreach Program
In collaboration with various Tucson nonprofits, Downtown Tucson Partnership (DTP) is making an effort to assist people experiencing homelessness.
Right now through a partnership with La Frontera, individuals experiencing homelessness receive on-site interviews and assessments provided by a dedicated community engagement specialist. A DTP Ambassador accompanies the La Frontera specialist in a DTP Connects mobile unit. The assessment determines whether the individual has completed a Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization and Decision Assessment Tool (VI SPDAT). To be eligible for supportive housing, a client must first complete the VI SPDAT. The mobile unit continues to make contact with individuals every Wednesday.
Are you a nonprofit service provider that would like to get involved? Email Russ Stone at russ@downtowntucson.org.
What else does DTP do to help individuals experiencing homelessness?
- We provide water and/or electrolyte supplements
- We provide care kits which can include, water, sunscreen, hygiene products and information on where to find food, shelter, and other services
- We provide clothing items new socks and underwear, and second-hand clothing like clean shoes, shirts, pants, hats and more - usually and graciously donated by ReThreads Thrift
- DTP Ambassadors perform wellness checks on individuals who may be in distress or in need of help:
- people laying face down and/or unconscious
- people resting in direct sunlight for long periods of time
- people displaying symptoms of overdose, especially opioid overdose
- people with visible injuries
- people who are visibly upset or crying
- people or a group of people in an altercation
- DTP Ambassadors will take action if a wellness check determines an individual requires additional assistance:
- call 911 if someone requires emergency medical care
- perform life-saving CPR until emergency medical personnel arrives
- administer Naloxone nasal spray (Narcan) on someone with overdose symptoms
- escort someone to a shaded area, shelter, heat respite center, soup kitchen or another service provider
- attempt to de-escalate an altercation and/or continue to observe in case a situation turns violent
- contact Tucson Police Downtown District officers if someone requires non-emergency law enforcement support
- stay on-site and serve as a witness for either emergency medical care or law enforcement
DTP Connects - an internationally awarded program
International Downtown Association (IDA) Presents Pinnacle Award Recognizing DTP Connects Program
DTP Ambassadors have taken the following trainings:
- Narcan (Naloxone) Overdose Response Training through the Pima County Health Department, Community Mental Health and Addiction Program
- De-Escalation Training through the Tucson Police Department
Past nonprofit partners of DTP Connects:
DTP Connects In The News:
- Downtown advocates to help homeless find jobs and housing
- IDA Presents Pinnacle Award Recognizing DTP Connects Program
- DTP Connects Goes Mobile
- Downtown’s Jacome Plaza Undergoes Amazing Transformation
- Renovations made to Jacome Plaza in downtown Tucson
- Downtown plan clears homeless from Jacome Park
- Homeless Numbers Decreasing as More Find Housing
- Outdoor Office Created at Downtown Library Homeless Hang
- Jacome Plaza Transformed