Preble Street
Maine's Homeless Youth Count
Addressing the Needs of Rural Youth Jon Bradley, DSW, LCSW Preble Street Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, PhD University of New England
www.preblestreet.org
With support from the
Butler Family Fund
Preble Street The mission of Preble Street is to provide accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty and to advocate for solutions to those problems.
2
Preble Street Youth Services • Low barrier drop-in and shelter • Non time-limited transitional living program for youth experiencing chronic homelessness • Consistent presence of legal, sexual assault, domestic violence, family mediation, and HIV/AIDS service providers in the drop-in center • On-site collaboration and daily team service planning with the health clinic, mental health and substance abuse program, and educational/vocation partners • Anti-trafficking Coalition (funded through DOJ) consisting of local partners, state, and federal law enforcement
3
Quantitative Study Methodology • 45-item survey created, based on studies conducted in New York, Los Angeles, and West Virginia • Survey questions piloted with youth on two different occasions • Use of a research assistant and local data collectors • Data collected in May 2015 over a two week period
4
Study Findings • The data suggests the number of youth under 21 who are homeless or unstably housed is significantly higher than the 51 reported during the annual Point-in-Time counts. • The results in 7 of 15 counties: 105 youth met the HUD definition of homeless with an additional 127 youth who were unstably housed in situations such as couch surfing or temporarily staying with extended families.
5
Highlights from the Data The issues of homeless rural youth that are different than those of urban homeless youth.
Rural/Urban
Urban
Rural
Average Age
19.12
18.14
Length of time 464 days 343 days homeless Couch surfers In school
31%
31%*
89% 42%
6
Qualitative Follow-up Why? • To better understand what youth experience and want to tell us about their challenges and hopes. • To hear from local partners and community members how they perceive the issue and assess possible strategies for meeting youths’ needs.
7
Qualitative Study Methodology 1. Focus groups with rural youth in two counties: Knox and Oxford 2. Interviews and group meetings with community leaders in two rural communities: Rockland in Knox County and Rumford in Oxford County
8
Study Findings Theme 1: Youth are motivated to work or remain in school regardless of consistently changing housing conditions. “I stay here because I grew up here. When my mom first kicked me out, I went to Lewiston to stay at the shelter and that freaked me right out. I wasn’t used to all those people, and I didn’t really know anyone. I only went there because I was kicked out and got a ride from a friend. I came back here after a week and stayed at my boyfriend’s house for a while. His family wasn’t doing very well, and I couldn’t stay there. I’ve been staying with other friends and going back to school.”
9
Study Findings, cont…. Theme 2: While familial connections may be strained, youth remained connected to their parents or former caregivers. “My mom told me to get out when I came home one day. The place where we were staying was only for two people and there were three of us [the mom, her boyfriend, and participant]. She said the landlord was going to kick all of us out if one of us didn’t leave. I stayed in an empty house that my mom told me about for a month and then moved to an apartment next to a place where my mom works. She told me that her friend said it was okay to live there.”
10
Study Findings, cont…. Theme 3: Lack of employment opportunities impedes their ability to stabilize “I just lost my job at the pizza shop, but I have enough money to get through the end of the month. I’ll need a new job before the end of the month so that I don’t get into trouble next month. There aren’t really any jobs here that are year-round. My mom works at Dunkin Donuts, and she says I can probably get a job there next month, when I turn 18. If I can get a good job that is year-round, I can stay in this apartment, and everything will be okay.” “I went to Job Corps, and I can do a lot of different work things; but I can’t find a job. I’ve been living with my girlfriend, but I really need to find a job so we can move out and get a place of our own.” “If I could just get a job, I can save enough money to get a place to live. I need help with how to save money.”
11
Community Interviews •
Interviews conducted with the following community members:
•
Local school officials, including the superintendent, principals, guidance counselors, social workers, special education/alternative school teachers, and school board members
•
Law enforcement, including local police leadership
•
Local mental health and substance use providers
•
State child welfare “youth” specialists covering the local area
•
Members of the faith community engaged in meetings about community youth
•
Local youth service providers, including local sexual assault and violence prevention agencies, and organizations offering educational or youth empowering activities
•
Community volunteers and “benefactors”
12
Community Interview Themes • Communities can work on this issue but need to organize across sectors with clear structure and goals • Strategies for early identification are critical • A challenge for families and youth in poverty is lack of employment opportunities • Emergency shelter/housing options need to be available in local communities
13
Recommendations • A recently enacted law, Maine LD 1065, can provide the impetus and a blueprint for developing host homes for youth in rural counties and communities • Local communities or regions should assess local needs and resources for serving unstably housed youth, taking into account evidence-supported interventions and the unique characteristics of individual communities • Once local resources have been assessed, communities should develop a planning process that includes participation by key community sectors and participation of local youth • Provide inter-professional training on risk factors by runaway and homeless youth providers 14
Recommendations, cont…. • The state Department of Education should develop a strategy for improved consistency and monitoring of school district activities related to homeless youth and families, including local training and support • A new statewide system or regional programs should provide consultation and support when local school, law enforcement, and community sectors identify unstably housed youth
15
Addressing the Needs of Rural Youth Jon Bradley, DSW, LCSW Preble Street Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, PhD University of New England
www.preblestreet.org
With support from the
Butler Family Fund
Preble Street The mission of Preble Street is to provide accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty and to advocate for solutions to those problems.
2
Preble Street Youth Services • Low barrier drop-in and shelter • Non time-limited transitional living program for youth experiencing chronic homelessness • Consistent presence of legal, sexual assault, domestic violence, family mediation, and HIV/AIDS service providers in the drop-in center • On-site collaboration and daily team service planning with the health clinic, mental health and substance abuse program, and educational/vocation partners • Anti-trafficking Coalition (funded through DOJ) consisting of local partners, state, and federal law enforcement
3
Quantitative Study Methodology • 45-item survey created, based on studies conducted in New York, Los Angeles, and West Virginia • Survey questions piloted with youth on two different occasions • Use of a research assistant and local data collectors • Data collected in May 2015 over a two week period
4
Study Findings • The data suggests the number of youth under 21 who are homeless or unstably housed is significantly higher than the 51 reported during the annual Point-in-Time counts. • The results in 7 of 15 counties: 105 youth met the HUD definition of homeless with an additional 127 youth who were unstably housed in situations such as couch surfing or temporarily staying with extended families.
5
Highlights from the Data The issues of homeless rural youth that are different than those of urban homeless youth.
Rural/Urban
Urban
Rural
Average Age
19.12
18.14
Length of time 464 days 343 days homeless Couch surfers In school
31%
31%*
89% 42%
6
Qualitative Follow-up Why? • To better understand what youth experience and want to tell us about their challenges and hopes. • To hear from local partners and community members how they perceive the issue and assess possible strategies for meeting youths’ needs.
7
Qualitative Study Methodology 1. Focus groups with rural youth in two counties: Knox and Oxford 2. Interviews and group meetings with community leaders in two rural communities: Rockland in Knox County and Rumford in Oxford County
8
Study Findings Theme 1: Youth are motivated to work or remain in school regardless of consistently changing housing conditions. “I stay here because I grew up here. When my mom first kicked me out, I went to Lewiston to stay at the shelter and that freaked me right out. I wasn’t used to all those people, and I didn’t really know anyone. I only went there because I was kicked out and got a ride from a friend. I came back here after a week and stayed at my boyfriend’s house for a while. His family wasn’t doing very well, and I couldn’t stay there. I’ve been staying with other friends and going back to school.”
9
Study Findings, cont…. Theme 2: While familial connections may be strained, youth remained connected to their parents or former caregivers. “My mom told me to get out when I came home one day. The place where we were staying was only for two people and there were three of us [the mom, her boyfriend, and participant]. She said the landlord was going to kick all of us out if one of us didn’t leave. I stayed in an empty house that my mom told me about for a month and then moved to an apartment next to a place where my mom works. She told me that her friend said it was okay to live there.”
10
Study Findings, cont…. Theme 3: Lack of employment opportunities impedes their ability to stabilize “I just lost my job at the pizza shop, but I have enough money to get through the end of the month. I’ll need a new job before the end of the month so that I don’t get into trouble next month. There aren’t really any jobs here that are year-round. My mom works at Dunkin Donuts, and she says I can probably get a job there next month, when I turn 18. If I can get a good job that is year-round, I can stay in this apartment, and everything will be okay.” “I went to Job Corps, and I can do a lot of different work things; but I can’t find a job. I’ve been living with my girlfriend, but I really need to find a job so we can move out and get a place of our own.” “If I could just get a job, I can save enough money to get a place to live. I need help with how to save money.”
11
Community Interviews •
Interviews conducted with the following community members:
•
Local school officials, including the superintendent, principals, guidance counselors, social workers, special education/alternative school teachers, and school board members
•
Law enforcement, including local police leadership
•
Local mental health and substance use providers
•
State child welfare “youth” specialists covering the local area
•
Members of the faith community engaged in meetings about community youth
•
Local youth service providers, including local sexual assault and violence prevention agencies, and organizations offering educational or youth empowering activities
•
Community volunteers and “benefactors”
12
Community Interview Themes • Communities can work on this issue but need to organize across sectors with clear structure and goals • Strategies for early identification are critical • A challenge for families and youth in poverty is lack of employment opportunities • Emergency shelter/housing options need to be available in local communities
13
Recommendations • A recently enacted law, Maine LD 1065, can provide the impetus and a blueprint for developing host homes for youth in rural counties and communities • Local communities or regions should assess local needs and resources for serving unstably housed youth, taking into account evidence-supported interventions and the unique characteristics of individual communities • Once local resources have been assessed, communities should develop a planning process that includes participation by key community sectors and participation of local youth • Provide inter-professional training on risk factors by runaway and homeless youth providers 14
Recommendations, cont…. • The state Department of Education should develop a strategy for improved consistency and monitoring of school district activities related to homeless youth and families, including local training and support • A new statewide system or regional programs should provide consultation and support when local school, law enforcement, and community sectors identify unstably housed youth
15
