November is National Homeless Youth Awareness month. As we think about the young people who may be cold, hungry, and living on the streets, one asks the question, “What more can be done?” Providing shelter for the night is a step in the right direction, but it is only a short term solution. Many homeless youth have problems that challenge the social services system. Often they are runaways that have escaped abusive family environments and leave to avoid physical and or sexual abuse. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates 46% of homeless youth had been physically abused and 17% had been forced into unwanted sexual activity. The remaining homeless youth either fell victim to a family financial crisis or left because of neglect or a family dispute. A large number of homeless youth were once in foster care. An estimated 50% of foster youth end up homeless once they age out of the foster care system. Many young runaways lack the education and age requirements to hold jobs. Therefore, they are forced to beg or turn to prostitution for survival. An estimated 25% of these at-risk youth will end up incarcerated. Many suffer from drug and alcohol addictions, as well as mental health issues. Without adequate life skills and adult role models these youth have difficulty adjusting on their own and end up unemployed and potentially living in poverty.
When it comes to transitional living programs for homeless youth, there is no one size fits all solution. A combination of programs ranging from substance abuse rehabilitation, vocational job skills, independent living skills training, mentoring, and counseling is often needed. Additionally, educational programs have to take into account possible learning disabilities, lower reading comprehension levels, and different learning styles of the students. When one includes possible emotional and behavioral issues, a traditional classroom approach can present more challenges than benefits. This assumes students even show up for training, as younger at-risk youth do not always have access to transportation. Additionally, young adults who are single parents have the added problem of daycare, since many transitional living programs do not offer childcare services. This is particularly true in rural areas where access to services may be limited.
Most traditional training programs for the at-risk population are directed towards a younger audience without considerations for the needs of those in the 19-25 age groups. Research on brain development indicates that the process of becoming an adult lasts well beyond the teen years and extends into the mid-twenties. The emerging adulthood stage of development must be met with adequate support and education that is significantly different than how a younger school aged child develops. Education and training must be planned to develop critical skills sets and knowledge. However, these young adults need information and skills to be provided in a way that allows them to drive their own direction in life. Self-paced programs reinforced with group instruction, and one-on-one skills development can be critical to transitioning young people into adulthood.
Six interrelated factors have been identified as crucial in transitioning young people into functional adults: family support, education and training, employment, opportunities to contribute to one’s community, adequate health care and mental health support, and supportive relationships. Each factor requires repetitive reinforcement in the individual over a longer period of time than previously thought. Youth who have been homeless are often behind their peers in personal development. The transition to adulthood may not happen until age 25 or even their early thirties. Programs that meet the unique needs of young adults to help them adjust to a life of self-sufficiency is a long term solution that benefits not just the individual but society at large.
References:
The Adolescent Brain: New Research and Its Implications for young People Transitioning from Foster Care, Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, 2011
Sara v. Jarvis and Robert M. Robertson, Transitional Living Programs for Homeless Adolescents, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993
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