Reaching non-system connected, substance abusing homeless youth

描述（由申请人提供）：正如前联合国秘书长科菲·安南所指出的，“年轻人应该站在全球变革和创新的最前沿。如果赋予她们权力，她们可以成为发展与和平的关键推动者。然而，如果他们被留在社会的边缘，我们所有人都将陷入贫困。让我们确保所有青年都有充分机会参与其社会生活。“无家可归的青年是世界上最脆弱的人口之一。对每年无家可归的青年人数的估计是粗略的，因为很难确定这些青年。然而，无家可归在美国并不罕见，估计有170万无家可归的青年（Sedlak，Finkelhor，Hammer，& Schultz，2002年）鉴于青年无家可归与药物使用，艾滋病毒风险，缺乏教育，精神和身体健康问题有关，确定战略，使无家可归的青年参与是预防/干预工作的一个重要重点。这种关注可能会防止长期无家可归，物质使用和精神疾病进入成年期，并可能产生重大的公共卫生后果。那些为干预与家庭和系统隔绝的青年无家可归的轨迹提供指导的人，建议以社区为基础的方案和资金，使这些青年重返学校、住房和就业（Chamberlain和麦肯齐，2004年）。许多人指出，需要为流落街头的青年提供外展、救助中心和重返社会服务（Robertson，1991年; Slesnick等人，2008年）。这项研究提供了第一个正式的测试外展干预 帮助那些滥用药物的无家可归的年轻人，他们与服务无关。无服务联系的无家可归青年（N = 60）将被随机分配到两个外展条件之一，目标是让青年进入危机庇护所或救助中心。外展工作者将与青少年会面6个月，以帮助青少年导航服务系统。将在基线后3、6和9个月进行随访。如果成功，这项研究将提供重要的文件，说明成功的战略，以达到和吸引这些弱势青年参加服务。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): As noted by Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General "Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society's margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies." Homeless youth are one of the mot vulnerable populations worldwide. Estimates of the number of youth that experience homelessness each year are crude given difficulties identifying such youth. However, homelessness is not uncommon in the United States with an estimated 1.7 million homeless youth (Sedlak, Finkelhor, Hammer, & Schultz, 2002).Given that youth homelessness is associated with substance use, HIV risk, lack of education, mental and physical health problems, identification of strategies to engage homeless youth is an important focus of prevention/intervention efforts. Such focus might prevent chronic homelessness, substance use and mental illness into adulthood and can have significant public health consequences. Those who provide guidance for intervening in the homeless trajectory of youth who are cut-off from family and the system, recommend community based programs and funding to link these youth back to school, housing and employment (Chamberlain & MacKenzie, 2004). Many note the need for outreach, drop-in centers and reintegration services for street living youth (Robertson, 1991; Slesnick et al., 2008). This study provides the first formal test of an outreach intervention for substance abusing homeless youth who are not connected to services. Non- service connected homeless youth (N = 60) will be randomly assigned to one of two outreach conditions with the goal to engage youth to either a crisis shelter or to a drop-in center. The outreach worker will meet with the youth for 6 months to assist the youth's navigation of the service system. Follow-up will be conducted at 3, 6 and 9 months post-baseline. If successful, this study will provide important documentation of successful strategies to reach and engage these vulnerable youth into services.