Santa Clara Countys Homeless Youth Homeless Youth in San Jose San - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Santa Clara Countys Homeless Youth Homeless Youth in San Jose San Jose has the 4 th largest unsheltered homeless population in the nation It includes approximately 1,000 homeless youth , some parenting small children, most former
San Jose has the 4th largest unsheltered homeless population in
It includes approximately 1,000 homeless youth, some
Almost 750 homeless youth accessed BWC’s Drop In Center for
Over 400 accessed the Drop In Center’s comprehensive services 30% college students unstably housed & food insecurities 30% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ Majority are youth of color
2
3
Suicide is the leading cause of death
among street youth – 32% have attempted suicide
40% have drug/alcohol problems 61.8% report mental health problems 71.7% reported experiencing major
trauma
75% of homeless youth have dropped
95% report being sexually active More than 1/3 engage in survival sex 50% have had a pregnancy experience
4
Sex Trafficked Youth Gang-Impacted Youth LGBTQ Youth Runaway Youth Immigrant Youth Street Youth College-bound youth
5
6
What Works
Youth-friendly setting and activities Non-institutional setting Trained staff in street culture, LGBTQ
culture, gang culture, ethnic cultures, and trained in CSEC
Peer staff in outreach and in direct
service
Co-located services Scheduled and “drop-in”
appointments
Knowledgeable psychiatrist regarding
street drugs and prescription drugs
Harm reduction approach
Challenges
Homeless youth are transient Many are in survival mode Most distrust “systems” Many deny mental health issues Many self-medicate Majority have no personal or legal
documents (ID’s, birth certificates)
Some fear deportation Many have no insurance or even
Medi-cal
Some have experienced
harassment and rejection from medical/mental health services
7
Outreach Basic Needs – Drop In Center Comprehensive Services – DIC
> Mental Health Services > Medical Care > Employment Training & Placement > Education Services > Substance Abuse Treatment > Health Workshops > Life Skills Workshops > Document Retrieval > Parenting Classes > Access to Housing > Family Acceptance Project
8
Major reason why LGBTQ youth are
homeless is due to family rejection
FAP demonstrates how the negative
impact family rejection can have on LGBTQ youth
Shows the importance of involving
parents, teaching them how acceptance of their LGBTQ child impacts their lives
Even the smallest indication of
support makes a difference
Importance of “re-connecting”
homeless LGBTQ youth with family
9
10
11
For further information and a tour of BWC programs, please contact: Lorraine Flores, LMFT Senior Director of Program Development and Impact 408 850-6131 Lflores@bwcmail.org www.BillWilsonCenter.org
12