Opportunity Youth Needs Assessment December 2017 Coalition - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Coalition Supporting Young Adults

Support Provided by the Community Foundation of Louisville

Opportunity Youth Needs Assessment

December 2017

Boys & Girls Haven Bridges of Hope Neighborhood Place Coalition for the Homeless Family & Children’s Place Family Scholar House Jewish Family & Career Services KentuckianaWorks Kentucky Youth Career Center Home of the Innocents Louisville Metro Baxter Community Center Louisville Metro Project Life Louisville Metro Youth Development Louisville Urban League Louisville Youth Group Peace Ed

• St. Vincent DePaul

TAYRLD True Up YMCA Safe Place Youth Build Louisville Uspiritus Volunteers of America

Made Possible by the Youth People from …

Fiscal Agent: Matt Reed, YMCA Safe Place Project Director: Elizabeth Senn-Alvey, Emerging Workforce Research Principal: Stacy Deck, PhD, MSSW, Spalding University Research Coordinator: Cassandra Webb, Louisville Urban League Fiscal Mapping Coordinator: Erin Smith, YMCA Safe Place Research Assistants: Midaya Marshall, TreyVon Neely, LaDonna Kennedy Project Committee: Matt Reed, Nikki Thornton, Heather Dearing, Natalie Harris

Project Team

Project Components

Youth Voice 197 Youth and young adults at 24 events 61 Participated in 9 focus groups 117 Completed in paper/online survey 8 Interviewed for the video Fiscal & Program Mapping Interviewed community organizations Identified federal sources for disconnected youth Established process for ongoing tracking Recommendations Membership survey Work groups in education, employment, housing Strategic planning meeting

• 1. Who are Louisville’s opportunity youth?
• 2. What are the primary real-world challenges our youth face?
• 3. How does access to currently available services and systems

compare with the needs of our youth?

• 4. What are the dynamics of local, state, federal and private funding

to reconnect Louisville’s most vulnerable youth?

• 5. What are the collective, systemic and specific actions we can take

to improve support to our opportunity youth.

Core Questions

Who are Louisville’s “Opportunity Youth”?

Approximately 15,200 (10.9%) of Louisville’s 16 to 24 year olds are neither in school nor working.

2013 2015

total number disconnected percent of 16 to 24 year olds total number disconnected percent of 16 to 24 year olds

Louisville 21,750 14.0% 15,200 10.9% Nashville 29,283 12.8% 22,000 9.3% Indianapolis 35,539 15.8% 25,400 11.1% Cincinnati 38,312 12.8% 33,400 12.4% Kentucky 81,850 15.2% 75,600 13.9% United States 5,527,000 13.8% 4,881,500 12.3%

Number and Percentage of Disconnected Youth

54 Homeless young people (16 to 24) report they are a victim of sex trafficking (2017).

15,200 16 to 24 year olds neither in school nor working

5,026 Juveniles referred to court for criminal or status offense (2016). 2,591 High school students received ECE services in Jefferson Co Public Schools (2016-17). 971 young people (10 to 17 years old) experienced abuse or neglect (2016). 399 young people 14 to 18+ years lived in out-of-home foster care (Oct 2017). 3,649 Students were enrolled in JCPS district alternative schools (2016-17). 1,538 JCPS high school students reported being homeless (2015-16). 15,494 JCPS students in comprehensive high schools qualified for free or reduced lunch (2016-17). 2,580 13 to 17 year olds were admitted for inpatient psychiatric treatment in Jefferson Co (2016). 2,058 16 to 19 year olds were not in school and haven’t earned a diploma (2015). 10,268 18 to 24 year olds have not completed high school (2015). 443 Unaccompanied 18-24 year olds were living in emergency shelter, transitional shelters or on the streets (2016)

What are the real-world challenges our youth face?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxyUKvDHWzM

How does access to current services compare with the needs of our youth?

• Connect with mentors that are available as needed,

particularly positive male role models.

• Access effective treatment for addiction, depression,

loss, trauma, and anxiety.

• Learn practical skills such as how to manage money.
• Find a job that pays family-supporting wages, offers

consistent and adequate hours, and is accessible.

• Get help with learning and focusing better in school.
• Connect with positive peer networks that “really have my back”.

Youth Voice: Create more opportunities to…

Flexible: Reduce barriers to participations in entrance criteria, scheduling, and policies for re-enrolling. Youth Friendly: Staff programs with consistent, qualified, and caring adults. Easy to Find: Promote effective programs and resources in multiple ways and several times. Lead by Youth: Create meaningful ways for young people to get involved in decisions that impact them. Reliable: Follow through on commitments. Let young people know their concerns have been heard.

Youth Voice: Ensure programs and systems are…

3.02 3.01 2.97 2.83 2.77 2.75 2.65 2.46 2.42 2.30 2.22 2.08 2.01 1.90 1.86 1.83 1.65 1.63 1.62 1.53

2.91 3.05 2.56 2.71 2.28 2.81 2.69 2.34 2.43 2.22 2.49 2.21 2.10 2.26 1.84 2.38 2.21 2.00 1.87 1.93

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Summed Mean Ratings

Potential Needs (See list in Table 5)

Need Access (reverse coded)

Need this resource? Hard to access this resource on your own?

No need at all Not an important need An important need A critical need Very hard Somewhat hard Somewhat easy Very easy Resource not needed 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1

Top Five Needs Identified by Young People Five Most Difficult Resources to Access by Youth People Top Priority Areas (High Need/Low Access)

• 1. Transportation
• 2. Housing
• 3. Planning for the

future

• 4. Financial resources
• 5. Getting and keeping

a job

• 1. Housing
• 2. Transportation
• 3. College/training

programs

• 4. Financial resources
• 5. Food
• 1. Housing
• 2. Transportation
• 3. College/training

programs

• 4. Financial resources
• 5. Planning for the

future

Disconnected Youth: How to Help

▪ Develop options for safe and affordable housing and transportation. ▪ Make resources (services, job opportunities, emergency help) easier

to find.

▪ Help young people plan for their future. ▪ Connect youth with caring and consistent adults. ▪ Create meaningful ways for young people to get involved in

decisions that impact them.

What are the dynamics of local, state, federal and private funding to reconnect Louisville’s most vulnerable youth?

Fiscal Map Next Steps

• 1. Complete the data base of programs, outcomes, and funding.
• 2. Increase the unrestricted fund, managed by the Coalition for the Homeless.
• 3. Fully fund public programs that serve vulnerable youth.
• 4. Establish an “Opportunities for Youth” Fund.
• 5. Explore options for collaborative funding.

What are the collective, systemic and specific actions we can take to improve support to our

• pportunity youth?

• 1. Develop a collaborative “opportunity youth” services funding

strategy.

• 2. Strengthen cross-agency work groups in education, employment,

housing and health & wellness

• 3. Address barriers to accessing services, particularly mental health,

mentors, transportation, housing, planning for college/training, and high school credentials.

• 4. Develop opportunities for young people to be heard during

institutional decision-making processes.

• 5. Advocate to make opportunity youth a priority in Louisville.

Coalition Next Steps

“These young people want to be self-sufficient, contributing members of society. They are asking us for support and mentorship in finding their way along this path to success.”

Stacy Deck, PhD Spalding University School of Social Work