Youth homelessness is a major public health problem that garnered increased interest and focus in recent years in Canada and the United States. The connections between youth homelessness and child welfare, foster care, and juvenile justice have been well established (Bender, Yang, Ferguson, & Thompson, 2015; Dworsky & Courtney, 2009; Zlotnick, 2009). Similarly, service providers and policy makers have become aware of the high rates of homelessness among sexual and gender minority youth and among young people of colour (Corliss, Goodenow, Nichols, & Austin, 2011; Keuroghlian, Shtasel, & Bassuk, 2014). Youth who experience homelessness also have high rates of traumatic stress and the mental health consequences that result from physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and other traumatic experiences (Whitbeck, Hoyt, Johnson, & Chen, 2007; Wong, Clark, & Marlotte, 2016). Despite these high rates of traumatic exposure among young people experiencing homelessness, service providers often feel ill-equipped to understand and respond to the trauma-related needs of the young people they serve. This chapter reviews trauma and youth homelessness, discusses specific strategies to implement trauma-informed care in service settings, and provides excerpts of interviews with youth and service providers that illustrate the challenges these youth face and how trauma-informed services address their unique needs.
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The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
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- Preface
- Foreword
- 1. Approaches & Interventions
- 1.1 Substance Use & Mental Health Interventions for Youth Who Are Homeless: The Community Reinforcement Approach & Motivational Enhancement Therapy
- 1.2 Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to Enhance Emotional Regulation & Resilience Among Street-Involved Youth
- 1.3 Mindfulness Approaches for Youth Experiencing Homelessness
- 1.4 Trauma-Informed Care for Street-Involved Youth
- 1.5 Ecologically Based Family Therapy for Adolescents Who Have Left Home
- 1.6 Crisis Response with Street-Involved Youth
- 2. Specific Groups
- 2.1 Supporting Indigenous Youth Experiencing Homelessness
- 2.2 Responding to the Needs of LGBTQ2S Youth Experiencing Homelessness
- 2.3 Engaging with Newcomer Youth Experiencing Homelessness
- 2.4 Anti-Racist Praxis with Street-Involved African Canadian Youth
- 2.5 Ecologically Based Treatment for Mothers Experiencing Homelessness Who Have Children in Their Care
- 2.6 Developing a Trauma-Informed Mental Health Group Intervention for Youth Transitioning out of Homelessness
- 3. Contexts & Considerations
- 3.1 Preventing Burnout Among Service Providers
- 3.2 Responding to mental health concerns on the front line: Building capacity at a crisis shelter for youth experiencing homelessness
- 3.3 Strengths-based outreach & advocacy for non-service-connected youth experiencing homelessness
- 3.4 The individual placement & support model of supported employment for street-involved youth with mental illness
- 3.5 Beautiful trouble: Possibilities in the arts with street-involved youth
- 3.6 Peer support work to enhance services for youth experiencing homelessness
- 3.7 The digital lives of youth who are homeless: Implications for intervention, policy, and services
- 3.8 Partnerships that support mental health intervention for street-involved youth
- 3.9 Resilience-based mental health intervention for street children in developing countries
- 4. Assessment & Evaluation
- Mental Health & Addictions Interventions for Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Practical Strategies for Front-line Providers
- 1. Approaches & Interventions
- 1.4 Trauma-Informed Care for Street-Involved Youth