HOMELESS YOUTH: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS - Storage

HOMELESS YOUTH:

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

Lynn Morison – Policy Director for Ending

Youth and Family Homelessness

Juan Cooper – Program Manager, Crisis

Residential Program

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OVERVIEW

∗ Goal: End youth and family homelessness by 2020

∗ Defining the Challenges: how many youth, who

are they, what are their needs

∗ Framework for Accomplishing the Goal:

intervention strategies, program design, funding

needs

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Goal: End Youth and Family

Homelessness by 2020

∗ United States Interagency

Council on Homelessness

(USICH)

∗ Opening Doors: Federal

Strategic Plan to Prevent

and End Homelessness

(2010)

∗ All federal departments

committed to working in

partnership with state and

local governments and

service providers.

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Defining the Challenges

∗ A confident estimate of

youth homelessness

∗ Better data on needs and

characteristics of youth

experiencing homelessness

∗ Using the biennial homeless

Point In Time count to do a

targeted youth count and

youth specific survey

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Framework for Accomplishing the

Goal

∗ Family Reunification

∗ Transitional and

Permanent Supportive

Housing

∗ Crisis Shelter

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Resources

∗ United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

(USICH) www.usich.gov

∗ California Homeless Youth Project

∗ “More Than a Roof: How California Can End Youth

Homelessness” calhomelessyouth.library.ca.gov

∗ 2011 Santa Clara County Homeless Census and Survey

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Crisis Residential

• Licensed 20-bed Coed

Facility

• Ages 11 to 17 years

• Host Homes throughout

the county

• Average length of stay is

2 to 4 weeks

• The goal is family

reunification

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Family Reunification

“Where it Begins”

∗ Begins with a staff that believe in the value of

family

∗ Starts at intake by achieving buy-in towards

this goal

∗ Infuses strength-based approach by “starting

with what's working”

∗ Continuous individualized treatment planning

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Youth Schedule

∗ Medical and dental

appointments

∗ School enrollment,

complete with an academic

plan

∗ Formal groups, clubs,

hobbies, and activities

∗ Creating, implementing and

managing the youth’s daily

schedule - “working their

life plan”

∗ Supervision & mentoring by

staff

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Counseling

∗ Individual and

Primary Youth

Counseling

∗ Family Counseling

∗ Parenting Classes

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Groups

∗ Drug and Alcohol

treatment group

∗ Anger Management

group

∗ Healthy Relationships

group

∗ Art Therapy group

∗ Life Skills group

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Aftercare

∗ Individual counseling

∗ Family counseling

∗ Groups

∗ Additional or out of

agency referrals

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For More Information

Lynn Morison: Lmorison@bwcmail.org

Juan Cooper: Jcooper@bwcmail.org

or visit our website at:

www.billwilsoncenter.org

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