Youth/Young Adult Homelessness: Engagement, Supports, and Options - - PDF document

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Youth/Young Adult Homelessness: Engagement, Supports, and Options

Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio Sam Jones Evette Bethel

Factors For Why Youth End Up Homeless

• Family Dysfunction
• Economic Problems
• Transition from a System (child

welfare/juvenile justice)

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Experienced and survived trauma

Trauma vs. Homeless Youth… Most Vulnerable and Overly Represented

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Specific Populations Once Homeless…

• Runaway and homeless youth

experience rape and assault rates 2 to 3 times higher than the general population of youth (Robertson

& Toro, 1998)

• More than one third of

homeless youth engage in survival sex (Ray, 2004)

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Non-Service Connected Youth

• Less than 10% of homeless youth access

community resources meant to serve them (Kelly & Caputo, 2007)

• Only 20-30% of homeless youth report ever having

stayed at a crisis shelter, 9% report having ever accessed mental health services, and 15% report ever having received substance abuse treatment (Ray,

2006; Springfield’s Housing Collaborative, 2007)

Transition

• Transition to independence is an extremely

vulnerable period.

• Increased supports and interventions are

crucial.

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Identifying and Engaging Youth

• Language
• Careful not to ‘out’ homelessness
• Authenticity and trust
• Meet youth where they want to be met

Models / Evidence-Based Practices

• Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)
• Positive Youth Development (PYD)

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What is Trauma?

Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

From “What’s Wrong?” To, “What’s Happened?”

• What is your

diagnosis?

• What are your

symptoms?

• How can I best help
• r treat you?
• What is your story? How

did you end up here?

• How have you coped

and adapted?

• How can we work

together to figure out what helps?

VS.

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• All behavior has meaning
• Symptoms are ADAPTATIONS
• We build on success not deficits

Almazar Consulting

Problems or Adaptations?

• Fight – Non-compliant or combative OR struggling to hold on

to some personal control/power?

• Flight – Treatment resistant, uncooperative OR disengaging,

withdrawing or titrating external stimulus/demands

• Freeze – Passive, unmotivated OR giving in to those in power,

repeating cycle of surrender in order not to get hurt

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Power of Empathy

• Dr. Brene – Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jz1g1SpD9Zo

Positive Youth Development (PYD)

• Youth Centric
• Choices
• Options
• Solutions

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It Takes A Community!

Continuum of Care (CoC)

• CoC, a geographically based group of representatives that

carry out the planning responsibilities of the HUD’s Homeless Assistance Program.

• The Continuum of Care Program is designed to promote

communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness

• Coordinate local homeless systems & programs

Supports

• Kin or family – Keep in mind family can be

non-traditional

• Community
• Mentors
• Youth friendly spaces

Think outside of the box!

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Tangibles

Clothing Food Identification Transportation Supplies Place to shower Clean laundry

Intangibles

Feeling of safety Sense of belonging

Peer support Permanent

connections

Choice Voice

Equal involvement in activities

A Cross-Systems Approach

• Collaboration
• Coordinated effort
• Linking housing and services

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Thank You!

Sam Jones Youth Initiative Specialist samjones@cohhio.org Evette Bethel Youth Initiative Coordinator evettebethel@cohhio.org