Incorporating Youth Voice into Services for Young People Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract

Homeless youth are young people who have no safe, permanent place to live. Young people who are unable to live safely at home with their families leave home to find alternative living arrangements. Some will find shelter in formal services, such as emergency youth shelters or in transitional housing; some will sleep on a friend's or acquaintance's couch; and some will live on the streets, sleeping in abandoned buildings, cars, or parks. There are many reasons young people become homeless. Despite common depictions of the adventuresome or rebellious traveler, only a small proportion of young people choose to leave home for aspirational reasons, seeking adventure, and novel social situations. This chapter focuses on developing young people holistically, recognizing their need for skill- and relationship-building, acknowledging the goals youth have beyond meeting their basic needs, and partnering with youth to accomplish those goals. Such approaches may prioritize building trust and rapport with young people by establishing them as partners in agency programming and processes. Three alternative approaches are particularly helpful in thinking about expanding youth voice in services for homeless young people: positive youth development, empowerment practice, and trauma-informed care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)