Youth Homelessness

Who are they?

Youth living alone on the street under the age of 18 Runaways, throwaways, or independent youth who feel they have no home to return to 46% of youth have been physically or sexually abused 62% of youth indicated that a member in their family or household let them know they were no longer wanted 25% are foster children who have existed foster care in the past 2 to 4 years Nationally there are 1.6 million youth living on their own who have experienced homelessness

In Arizona alone 1,780 youth under 18 are on their own and homeless each day.

In reality .

o Violence at home is one of the major predictors of whether children and youth will experience homelessness.
o The majority of youth in runaway and homeless youth programs report their mothers as a main perpetrator of maltreatment. o Homeless unaccompanied youth tend to have weak or unstable social supports. o Youth in foster care are at a higher risk of homelessness.

The impact of homelessness on a population of youth. Food Insecurity & Health concerns STDs, skin disorders, anemia Mental Health Higher rates of depression, suicidal ideation, disorders of behavior, personality & thought Nearly 1 in 5 attempted suicide Exposure to Violence or Trauma 42% of female runaways are sexually assaulted More than 1/3 have met the lifetime criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder Education Almost of sheltered homeless children merit a special education evaluation

Juvenile Delinquency Frequent runaways are more like to be involved in delinquent survival strategies
Substance Abuse 80% use alcohol, 75% use marijuana

The goal of this project is to provide support for the homeless youth who are served by the Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development. Tumbleweed is a private, nonprofit agency founded in 1972 to provide emergency shelter and services for runaway and homeless youth. Having grown in size and services since that time, currently Tumbleweed provides care for over 3,000 homeless, conduct disordered, abused, abandoned, neglected, and at risk youth annually, ages 11-22. Tumbleweed provides: Emergency shelter Transitional housing Counseling Skill Development Education & employment assistance Family reunification using Functional Family Therapy Independent living skills training Street outreach and drop-in center resources Certified school, vocational and work placement center

Using a framework of Positive Youth Development, young people are prepared to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood, helping them to become socially, morally, emotionally, physically and cognitively competent and responsible members of society.

Tumbleweeds vision is that every young person is valued, has a safe place to live, and the support necessary to grow and thrive.

Homelessness, especially that of those youth who are alone on the streets, crosses all socioeconomic barriers in society. However, the incidence of homelessness is greater in the vulnerable populations where poverty is rampant and resources are scarce. The 1,780 youth that are homeless in Arizona each day often come from situations where abuse has been a way of life. In leaving, and turning to the street, they have visions of a life that can be better than the one they are enduring. The same youth know that they do not deserve the treatment they are receiving in their current living environment. They have hopes and dreams of a better life. Understanding where this population comes from, what brings them to life on the street, and how they can be helped to achieve lives in which they can be successful is the ultimate goal of this project.

References
Aratani, Y. (2009). Homeless Children and Youth Causes and Consequences [Brief]. Retrieved from National Center for Children in Poverty: http://nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_888.pdf
Childrens Action Alliance. (2009). Homeless Youth in Arizona. Retrieved from http://www.azchildren.org/MyFiles/09%20Issues/Homeless%20Youth%20in%20Arizon a,%204-09.pdf Department of Economic Security. (2011). Homelessness in Arizona 2011 Annual Report [Annual report]. Retrieved from https://www.azdes.gov/InternetFiles/Reports/pdf/2011_homelessness_report.pdf

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2011). Community/Public Health Nursing (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development. (n.d.). Arizona homeless youth. Retrieved from http://www.tumbleweed.org/az_homeless_youth.php

Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development. (n.d.). Current objectives. Retrieved from http://www.tumbleweed.org/current_objectives.php