Content by Keyword: Youth

The study sites’ approaches to gathering information on sexual orientation and gender identity include asking direct questions on intake and assessment forms and relying on youths’ self-disclosure during less formal conversations with staff. Staff at all agencies reported that they consider sexual orientation and gender identity information, w

Agencies collect demographic information on youth during initial intake sessions and subsequent meetings or conversations with youth. Staff conducting intake sessions for shelter or housing services use forms to gather such information as a youth’s name, age, birth date, race and ethnicity, disability and marital status, and last permanent addre

Understanding the number and characteristics of homeless youth is important for policy and planning at the provider, local, and national levels. Reliable data on who experiences homelessness can help researchers identify population groups that are at higher risk. Providers can consider information on the size and characteristics of the local homel

The rest of this report is organized into the following sections, addressing each of the study’s research questions:

During spring 2013, the research team completed calls and visits to the four selected sites.

In selecting study sites, we aimed to identify federally funded RHY programs that provide a range of services, operate in different regions of the country, and have experience serving LGBTQ youth. We used three main criteria to identify potential case study sites:

Because homeless youth can be involved in many public systems (such as child welfare, juvenile justice, and homeless assistance), many policies and programs can affect them. With respect to shelter, housing, and outreach services for RHY, key elements of the federal policy and program context include the RHY Program structure, U.S. Department of H

Research suggests that young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning their sexuality (LGBTQ) face a disproportionate risk of homelessness.

The case study findings point to four issues related to serving LGBTQ RHY for policymakers and practitioners to consider:

We asked staff in case study agencies to identify the kinds of information and research that might help them understand the characteristics and experiences of LGBTQ RHY more completely and provide effective services to this population. Staff recommended future research in six general areas:

All agencies visited implement some organizational strategies that focus on LGBTQ youth, including adopting nondiscrimination and nonharassment policies and protecting the confidentiality of information shared by youth. Agencies differ in the extent to which they have implemented other organizational strategies, such as establishing a safe and aff

Agency staff conduct assessments during initial intake sessions and subsequent meetings with youth to determine immediate needs, detail personal circumstances, and identify risk factors or barriers that may need to be addressed through longer-term services. Assessment tools used by some agencies inquire about sexual orientation and gender identity

The study sites’ approaches to gathering information on sexual orientation and gender identity include asking direct questions on intake and assessment forms and relying on youths’ self-disclosure during less formal conversations with staff. Two of the four agencies collect information on sexual orientation through questions on intake or asses

Some government and private organizations are interested in improving services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth who run away from home or experience homelessness. These efforts are prompted, in part, by research suggesting LGBTQ youth may be at greater risk for experiencing homelessness and, if they become hom

This report, which summarizes findings from four case studies of Runaway and Homeless Youth Program grantees serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth, benefited from the contributions of many people. The case studies were conducted by Mathematica Policy Research and its subcontractor, the Williams Institute, under contrac

Brodowski, M. L., Counts, J. M., Gillam, R. J., Baker, L., Spiva Collins, V., Winkle, E., et al. (2013). Translating evidence-based policy to practice: A multilevel partnership using the Interactive Systems Framework. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 94 (3), 141–149. DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983)

Measures of Organizational Readiness (2005)   This http://www.nri-inc.org/reports_pubs/2005/EBPMeasuresOrgReadiness2005.pdf , developed by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) Research Institute, reviews measurement instruments that can be used to assess the readiness of organizations to implement EBI

To increase the number of grantees that will succeed at implementing EBIs and achieving positive outcomes, it is important to understand what grantees should have in place before and during implementation. Scholarly work suggests that in order to be successful grantees should be willing (motivated) and able (have the general and intervention-speci

Several approaches to practice and intentional research could enhance knowledge on these topics. Although there has been a focus on linking science with practice across agencies, grant programs, and grantees, this effort has been sporadic. An assessment of FOAs across federal agencies could help ensure the proper exploration of commonalities and d

Although scholarly work has identified several core components of readiness and this brief presented some policy implications, gaps still exist in the field’s understanding of how readiness relates to scaling up and implementing EBIs. Future research directions could include (a) how to measure the relative importance of motivation, general capac