This training will be offered 4 times! 3/8 is the final opportunity to attend.

Participants will gain an understanding of the role of coordinated entry, housing authorities, low-income housing, and various types of housing support that exist in their local communities. We will review the definitional misalignment between Department of Education (DOE) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and its impacts on students and families experiencing homelessness accessing housing resources. Through conversation and a provider panel, participant will learn how to partner with housing providers and community-based organizations to support the whole-child.  

Building Changes, a statewide agency that works across systems to advance equitable responses that address housing and education crises experienced by children, youth, and families. The Education Strategy team transforms ideas into action, fostering the supportive relationships and healthy environments needed to improve student centered services for the more than 40,000 students experiencing homelessness in Washington. 

This training will be offered 4 times! 3/8 is the final opportunity to attend.

Samie Iverson 

Samie Iverson (she/her) is a Senior Manager of Education Strategy at Building Changes. Her work explores the intersections of education and housing systems, with a focus on statewide efforts to prevent and end student and family homelessness.  She currently provides support and technical assistance for community-based organizations implementing school/housing partnership with Homeless Student Stability Program funds. She spends most of her role-related energy advocating for inclusive and equitable practices and encouraging collaboration across systems to best meet the needs of students and families faced with housing instability. 

Samie brings over ten years of non-profit and government experience centered on serving students and families experiencing homelessness. Her past work as a non-profit housing service provider, housing authority case manager, and as a school district McKinney-Vento liaison have informed and shaped her passion for cross-systems work. She holds a BA in Urban Studies and a Master’s of Social Work, both from University of Washington, Tacoma. She loves spending time with her family (partner Garrett, son Luka, and dog Capo) and friends, soaking up live music, and laughing as much as possible.  

Kayla Blau

Kayla Blau (she/her) is a writer and youth advocate with over ten years of experience working with youth that have experienced complex trauma. She braids her passions for youth work, equity, and writing together as a Writing Consultant, and supports Building Changes and other non-profits with writing and facilitation support. Previously, Kayla worked as a youth advocate at a domestic violence shelter and supported students experiencing homelessness at school districts across King County. She deeply values the self-determination of students and families and strives to center equity in her work.

She holds a Master's of Social Work from University of Washington, and was awarded the 2019 Bonderman Travel Fellowship, which funded six months of solo travel to seven countries, exploring global responses to gender-based violence. In her free time, Kayla enjoys sampling all the delicious cuisine in the Pacific Northwest, and is a freelance journalist. More of her work can be found here.

Joey Heilman 

Joey Heilman (she/her) is an Education Strategy Specialist at Building Changes. She brings a passion for fostering cross-system collaborative partnerships to better serve students and families. Joey has a background working in schools through a nonprofit academic support program and experience with youth program development.  

She holds a BA from the University of Colorado and a Master’s of Social Work from the University of Washington, Seattle. Outside of work, Joey loves rock climbing, eating good food with friends and family, and trying to make things on her sewing machine. Her most recent sewing challenge was a quilt!