Children, Youth & Families

National and State Data

  • National Survey of Programs and Services for Homeless Families | Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness – This website maps state-level approaches to ending family homelessness and outlines governmental, nonprofit, and voluntary sector work in homeless issues, both at the national and local levels. The National Survey also compiles nationwide and local demographics of family homeless populations, tracks available funding sources for homeless services, and highlights community programs that serve homeless families.
  • 2011 Hunger & Homelessness Survey | US Conference of Mayors – This report presents the results of a survey of 29 of the cities which comprise The U.S. Conference of
    Mayors’ Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. Respondents were asked to provide information on emergency food assistance and homeless services provided between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011.
  • The Heterogeneity of Homeless Youth in America: Examining Typologies (2011) | National Alliance to End Homelessness
  • America’s Youngest Outcasts 2010: State Report Card on Child Homelessness | National Center on Family Homelessness – This report presents the clearest snapshot yet of the 1.5 million children who are homeless each year—where they live and the consequences of their precarious situations.  The report documents the extent of child homelessness, child well-being, risk for child homelessness and policy and planning efforts for each state.  Recommendations for state and federal action are also included.

Clinical Guidelines

  • Pediatric Protocols (2009) | Public Health-Seattle & King County Health Care for the Homeless Network – These Pediatric Protocols were developed by a group of providers – including nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants – to standardize outreach health care to homeless pediatric clients. Outreach clinicians who are interested in adapting these protocols to their own practice should first review them with the agency’s medical director. For more information regarding the protocols, contact 206/296-5091.
  • Measures Review Database | National Child Traumatic Stress Network (SAMHSA funded) – Free online searchable database that provides clinicians and researchers with in-depth information to enable them to choose the best instrument to assess children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. The Measures Review Database fills an important gap in the field. Its purpose is to promote the use of state-of-the-art measures for improved clinical intervention and research on child trauma.
  • Screening and treatment for major depressive disorder in children and adolescents (2009) | US Preventive Services Task Force
  • Adapting Your Practice: Treatment & Recommendations for Homeless Children with Otitis Media (2008) | HCH Clinicians’ Network – The treatment recommendations in this guide were compiled to assist clinicians that provide primary care for children who are homeless or marginally housed, living in cars or shelters, on the streets, or doubled up with friends or relatives.Primary care providers who routinely care for homeless children recognize the need to take their living situations, the mobility of this population, and difficulty with follow-up into consideration when developing a plan of care.
  • Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care & Schools: A Quick Reference Guide  (2008)| Edited by Susan S. Aronson, MD, FAAP, and Timothy R. Shope, MD, MPH, FAAP, American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Immunization Action Coalition – Vaccination information for health care professionals. Sign up for free e-mail news, download free materials, stay current on vaccine recommendations for childhood and adolescents, access patient education materials in many languages, and much more.

Health Care Delivery Strategies

  • Designing Developmentally-Based Services for Young Homeless Families (2012) | Conrad N. Hilton Foundation – Younger mothers have unique needs based on their age and stage of development. This brief is designed to offer service providers a developmental framework for service delivery, highlighting targeted interventions that will ensure better outcomes for this subgroup.
  • Home Visiting Program for Underserved Families – Administrators (2011) | Soedad Martinez – This webinar will teach administrators about a Home Visiting Program based in New Mexico and the resources necessary to run this type of program, including needs assessments, funding, community partnerships and staffing.
  • Home Visiting Program for Underserved Families – Clinicians (2011) | Paula Marechal – This webinar will teach clinicians about the services, tools and challenges involved in working within a Home Visiting Program in New Mexico.
  • Reconnecting At-Risk and Homeless LGBTQ Youth with Family (2011) | National Alliance to End Homelessness
  • Strengthening At-Risk & Homeless Young Mothers & Children Initiative Issues Briefs (2009) | National Center on Family Homelessness, National Alliance to End Homelessness, ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families – Technical assistance briefs focusing on the implications of home visiting with families experiencing homelessness, as well as the Family Unification Program. Read the brief on the Family Unification Program. Read the brief on Early Education Home Visiting.
  • Providing Mental Health Services to Youth in Chronically Homeless Families (2009) | Courtney Smith, Children & Families Work Group, HCH Clinicians’ Network – This presentation includes current statistics and useful definitions; lists common mental health diagnoses and risk factors for mental illness in homeless children; and presents findings from a survey of the Network’s Pediatrics Interest Group.
  • Treating Adolescents with HIV: Tools for Building Skills in Cultural Competence, Clinical Care & Support (2007) – Free online training series for MDs, NPs, PAs, RNs, psychologists, social workers, case managers and other health professionals.
  • Homeless Young Adults Ages 18-24: Examining Service Delivery Adaptations (2004) | National HCH Council – Young adults (ages 18 – 24) are especially vulnerable to homelessness. The estimated numbers of young adults who experience an episode of homelessness each year range from approximately 750,000 to two million, and are believed to be increasing; families as well as individuals are affected. This document is organized around four main topics: health care, housing, education and employment, and social support. Testimonials from homeless assistance providers and their clients and examples of recommended interventions are interspersed with program descriptions and proposed strategies, and a list of resources, including references that illustrate the issues described, is appended.
  • Pathways to Prevention: A Comprehensive Guide for Supporting Infant & Toddler Mental Health (2002) | Early Head Start National Resources Center, US Department of Health and Human Services
  • Street Yoga – Yoga classes for youth living on the streets, girls in foster care, children of homeless families and young people recovering from abuse and trauma. Learn how to start a program like Street Yoga or review the Street Yoga training curriculum.

Health Care Needs

  • A Tangled Web: Homeless Family Subpopulations and Their Overlapping Needs (2011) | Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness – Homeless families often have intense service needs resulting from mental illness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, and veteran status. Unfortunately, most reports depict families as a homogenous group or lump them with homeless singles, which has resulted in a very limited picture of families. This report sheds light on the diversity and interconnectedness of homeless family subpopulations and stresses the importance of comprehensive data collection.
  • Trauma Among Homeless Youth (2007) | National Child Traumatic Stress Network – The prevalence of homeless youth is difficult to determine, but researchers estimate that 1 million to 1.6 million youth per year experience homelessness. Not surprisingly, homeless youth have significant mental health problems, including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse disorders. These youth struggle to recover from both previous and new traumatic experiences while trying to survive in a hostile street environment.
  • Homeless Children: What Every Health Care Provider Should Know (2002) | Catherine Karr, MD, HCH Clinicians’ Network Children & Families Work Group – The goals of the presentations are to help viewers recognize homelessness and the risks of homelessness in families with children; to understand specific health problems of homeless children; to modify health care plans and prevention strategies appropriately; and to be able to find resources for homeless patients and their families.

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