Staci Perlman, MSW, PhD University of Delaware, Newark

1. Youth Experiencing Homelessness: An Innovative Method for Identifying Youth Experiencing Homeless Joe Willard People’s Emergency Center, Philadelphia Staci Perlman, MSW, PhD University of Delaware, Newark

2. INTRODUCTIONS Who are you? What brings you to this workshop? Any community collaborations on using data? HMIS? YRBS? CoC?

3. Focus for Today • Background and Overview • Study Findings • Implications & Conclusions • New Methods for Replication

4. Why We Did This • Developing regional focus on children and youth • Reluctance to share or collect data • National Definition of Who is Homelessness • 100% families per-shelter double up • Advocacy for EHCY

5. Youth Experiencing Homelessness… • Report high rates of physical and sexual abuse • Are more likely to have experienced foster care • Report high rates of substance use • Evidence worse academic achievement and engagement than their peers

6. Homeless Youth in the National Spotlight Opening Doors Report • Better understanding of the number of youth experiencing homelessness • Build the evidence base • Support access to services for specific populations First Youth Point in Time Count

7. Understanding the prevalence and experiences of youth who are homeless

8. Differing Definitions…

9. …and Differing Methods Approaches • Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Sheltered Count • Based on EH/TH administrative data over a year • Point-In-Time (PIT) Count • At least once each year (January) • Sheltered & Unsheltered • Children Served Under McKinney Vento Act • Students identified by district liaisons

10. …Yield Different Counts

11. Rates of Child Homelessness/100 Children Based on Children Served under McKinney-Vento .71 .58 .54 .54 .59 .43 .62 1.2 Total = 18,231 Children

12. Rates of Child Homelessness/100 Children Based on Children Served by EH/TH Programs .28 .21 .13 .31 .13 .11 .15 .31 .10 .31 .12 1.2 .29 Total = 9,098 Children .42

13. Side by Side Comparison of State Shelter (EH/TH) McKinney-Vento (School)

14. Side-by-Side Comparison for One Region *Estimated

15. Finding Youth Who are Homeless Almost Certainly Family / Friends Streets Shelters Most Definitely! School

16. Can we find homeless students by asking at school?Sheltered? Doubled-up? Unaccompanied?Are these groups all at-risk?

17. Study Purpose Develop a better understanding of youth homelessness in Philadelphia and strategies for addressing the needs of these youth

18. Mixed Methods Study Using publicly available data: • What is the prevalence of youth homelessness in Philadelphia? • To what extent is youth homelessness associated with physical safety, mental health, substance use and sexual risk behaviors? Through stakeholder interviews: • What are strategies for supporting youth experiencing homelessness?

19. Part 1: Philadelphia Youth Risk Behavior Survey

20. Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) • Largest survey of youth risk behaviors in the U.S. • Conducted biennially - usually during the spring • Completed in one class period (45 minutes) • Anonymous, no “skip-patterns”

21. Risk Behaviors Physical Safety • Carried a weapon • Missed school due to feeling unsafe • Threatened at school • Hit by significant other • Bullied • Forced to have sex Substance Use • Ever smoked • Smoked < 13 years of age • Smoked daily for the last 30 days • Ever drank alcohol • Alcohol <13 years of age • Ever used marijuana • Used marijuana <13 years of age • Tried cocaine Mental Health • Sad for two or more weeks • Considered suicide • Attempted suicide • Self-injury Sexual Risk Behaviors • Ever had sex • Had sex <13 years of age • Had sex with multiple people • Used a condom • Did not use birth control • Got pregnant

22. Philadelphia YRBS • Conducted since 1991 • Asks about an array of youth risk behaviors • In 2009 and 2011, Philadelphia included three questions on housing status – making it one of few locations in the country to do so…

23. Philadelphia YRBS Housing Status Questions During the past 30 days, did you live away from your parents because you were kicked out, ran away, were abandoned, or removed from your parents? Have you ever considered yourself to be homeless?

24. Philadelphia YRBS Housing Status Questions Where do you typically sleep at night? • At a friend's or relative's home with my parents or guardians • In a supervised shelter with my parents or guardians • In a hotel or motel, car, park, campground, or other public place with my parents or guardians Housed • At home with my parents or guardians Homeless with Family • At a friend's or relative's home without my parents or guardians • In a supervised shelter without my parents or guardians • In a hotel or motel, car, park, campground, or other public place without my parents or guardians Homeless Without Family (Unaccompanied Youth)

25. YRBS Sampling Strategy • Two stage cluster method • Schools • Classrooms within schools • The response rate in 2011 exceeded 60% • These data are representative of the district population

26. YRBS 2011 Sample (n = 1,539) Data are representative of the more than 43,000 children attending public high schools in Philadelphia

27. Snapshot of Findings: Prevalence of Youth Homelessness in Philadelphia

30. Traditional Counts Compared to YRBS Count * Note: Ever homeless; **Estimate based on annual count; *** YRBS only involves 9th – 12 graders, so not a clean comparison

31. Family Homelessness or Unaccompanied:Does the risk differ?

37. Question 3: Is the risk more than just other factors? (race/ethnicity, gender, age)

38. Multiple Logistic Regression Physical Safety Mental Health Sexual Risk Behaviors Substance Use Youth Demographics GenderEthnicity Age Housing Status (With Family or Unaccompanied compared to Housed Youth)

39. Controlling for the influence of age, race/ethnicity, and gender, youth who were homeless with family were 2.3 times more likely than housed youth to have carried a weapon to school. Controlling for the influence of age, race/ethnicity, and gender, unaccompanied youth were 3.9 times more likely than housed youth to have carried a weapon to school.

43. Summary of YRBS Findings Prevalence of Youth Homelessness At least one out of twenty youth experienced homelessness Locating Youth Experiencing Homelessness Homeless with Family Compared to Unaccompanied Youth

44. Youth Experiencing Homelessness:PIT Compared to YRBS Massachusetts PIT: 68 YRBS: 12,541 Philadelphia PIT: 17 YRBS: 2,163 Los Angeles, CA PIT: 366 YRBS: 34,370

45. Summary of YRBS Findings Prevalence of Youth Homelessness At least one out of twenty youth experienced homelessness Locating Youth Experiencing Homelessness Most doubled-up with family or friends. Many still going to school. Homeless with Family Compared to Unaccompanied Youth Across most indicators, unaccompanied youth evidenced the highest prevalence of risk

46. Limitations of YRBS Data • Only includes youth enrolled and present the day of the survey • Self Selecting: extent of underreporting or over-reporting of behaviors cannot be determined • Secondary data – limited to questions in the YRBS

47. Part 2: Stakeholder Interviews Based on the YRBS data, what are strategies for addressing the needs of youth experiencing homelessness?

48. Stakeholder Feedback Thirty semi-structured interviews with an array of stakeholders were conducted between November 2012-February 2013

49. Policy Suggestions: 10 Broad Themes • School-community partnerships • Information/training • Schools & mental health • Safe schools • Peer support • Integrated services/interagency collaborations • Housing • Community • Legal/Implementation of McKinney-Vento • Access to services

50. Specific Suggestions • Schools as community gathering places • Access to behavioral and mental health services • Ensure educational rights of youth • Increase service access • Emphasis on safety