Exploring the Relationship Between Homelessness and Delinquency: A Snapshot of a Group of Homeless Youth in San Jose, California

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study examining the relationship between homelessness and delinquency in adolescents. Researchers collected data from interviews of 42 homeless youth contacted through a drop-in center in San Jose, California. Participants responded to a structured interview as well as two vignettes describing situations in which crimes were committed. The most striking findings are that (1) reported rates of delinquency are higher than expected based on past research, and (2) despite the high rates of delinquency, answers to a “three wishes” question describe wishes and ideals that are largely consistent with mainstream societal values. This paper provides a survey of existing research on homeless youth and delinquency, a comparison of our findings to those of previous studies, and two detailed case studies that highlight the patterns we observed in the broader survey.     

A follow-up study of homeless women

This article presents an in-depth analysis of the changes observed in 25 homeless women with drug and alcohol abuse problems participating in a case management program. Participation in the program ranged from 6 to 44 months. Thirty-two percent of all participants' situations were considered to have improved, while 20% remained stable. Less improvement was noted in the situations of women followed for 3 years or more (14.3% improved, 28.6% stable). Domains showing the most improvement were housing, financial situation, and substance abuse. Deterioration was primarily attributable to physical and mental health problems. These findings could indicate that although a case management program can initially contribute to improving the living conditions of its clients, acquisitions are difficult to maintain over an extended period. Health and substance abuse play a crucial role in the deterioration process.     

Homeless Careers: A Framework for Intervention

Abstract

The present paper identifies three ‘homeless careers’ abstracted from the diversity and complexity of individual cases and pathways. These are the ‘youth career’, the ‘housing crisis career’ and the ‘family breakdown career’. The paper discusses the usefulness of the career typology for framing interventions. A core argument is that early intervention involves different forms of practice in each pathway. For young people, early intervention has to occur when they are at the ‘in-and-out’ stage, before they have made a permanent break from family. For adults experiencing housing crisis, early intervention is about providing assistance to people before they lose their accommodation. The family breakdown career commonly involves domestic violence, so although early intervention may involve family reconciliation, in many cases it involves supporting victims of domestic violence to move to alternative, secure accommodation.     

Houston Homeless Street Outreach

Abstract

Several cities in the nation have developed innovative programs to assist the homeless who are “living on their streets.” This paper describes one such program developed in Houston, Texas. The Homeless Street Outreach was a collaborative project of several service agencies in the greater Houston area. The outcome of this outreach project indicates that a coordinated effort can bring about delivery of more comprehensive services to the homeless population. The principles that emerge from the outreach include involvement of the homeless in planning and development, service agencies taking “ownership” of the project, and agency flexibility in delivering services to the homeless.     

A Community-Based Multiple Family Group Intervention for Sheltered Families

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a multiple family group intervention developed to improve familial functioning and decrease the frequency of children's behavior problems while families are living in shelters and as they prepare to transition back into more permanent living conditions. The skill-based curriculum focuses on diminishing stress, while helping strengthen families' beliefs, cohesion and structure. Nineteen adults and thirty-five children from five shelters across a mid-south metropolitan area participated in the study. The results showed significant reductions in parents' perceived stress and improvements in families' level of cohesion and their children's maladaptive behaviors. Moreover, effect sizes showed that these changes were clinically significant as well.     

Assessing Health Care Needs Among Street Homeless and Transitionally Housed Adults

ABSTRACT

This study examined the health services received and needed among homeless persons in Hillsborough County, FL (N = 823). Lifetime and current need and receipt of health services were assessed with a cross-sectional survey. Participants reported extensive lifetime and current needs for physical and behavioral health care services. Nearly a third of participants reported current unaddressed health problem(s); an inability to obtain needed health care; and feelings of unaddressed mental health issue(s) as well as substance abuse problem(s) in the past year. Future research on homelessness and health should focus on identifying different pathways to health and mental health services for this vulnerable population and the outcomes of these interventions.     

A 12-Month Follow-Up Evaluation of Integrated Treatment for Homeless Individuals With Co-Occurring Disorders

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effectiveness of the Comprehensive, Continuous, Integrated System of Care (CCISC) model in addressing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Clients were eligible for participation if they had co-occurring disorders and were homeless or at risk of homelessness. Forty-eight clients received a comprehensive array of services consistent with the CCISC model. Measures assessing housing, employment, mental health, and substance use were completed at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Results demonstrated significant improvements in housing, employment, mental health, and substance use at 12-month follow-up. These results underscore the effectiveness of implementing evidence-based care.     

Applied Nonparametric Instrumental Variables Estimation

Instrumental variables are widely used in applied econometrics to achieve identification and carry out estimation and inference in models that contain endogenous explanatory variables. In most applications, the function of interest (e.g., an Engel curve or demand function) is assumed to be known up to finitely many parameters (e.g., a linear model), and instrumental variables are used to identify and estimate these parameters. However, linear and other finite‐dimensional parametric models make strong assumptions about the population being modeled that are rarely if ever justified by economic theory or other a priori reasoning and can lead to seriously erroneous conclusions if they are incorrect. This paper explores what can be learned when the function of interest is identified through an instrumental variable but is not assumed to be known up to finitely many parameters. The paper explains the differences between parametric and nonparametric estimators that are important for applied research, describes an easily implemented nonparametric instrumental variables estimator, and presents empirical examples in which nonparametric methods lead to substantive conclusions that are quite different from those obtained using standard, parametric estimators.     

The experiences of “aging” among formerly homeless adults with chronic mental illness: A qualitative study

Little is known about the life course of older adults with serious mental illness who have also been homeless. Using 44 life history interviews with 25 study participants ages 40 to 62, this study used case study and thematic analysis to examine the lived experience of such individuals as they enter their mid- and later-life years. Participants, whose lives were marred by early-onset substance abuse, symptoms of mental illness and a descent into homelessness, spoke of an awareness of aging and premature mortality. Major themes that emerged were: (1) reflecting on losses, (2) growing older and wiser, (3) struggling with normality, (4) having space and time to reevaluate, and (5) awareness of the future and “time left.” Life histories which focus on the person-in-context and their subjective experiences provide a viable research method to further the understanding of one of the most underserved and hardest-to-reach populations.     

Where Risks and Protective Factors Operate Differently: Homeless Sexual Minority Youth and Suicide Attempts

Using a sample of 628 homeless youth and young adults from eight US cities, this study examines whether the relationship between having been in custody of social services and suicide attempts, and the relationship between engaging in survival sex and suicide attempts differ based on sexual orientation. Findings suggest that being in custody of social services is associated with a significant increase in likelihood of suicide attempts for heterosexual youth, it does not, however, significantly change the already increased risk of suicide attempts for sexual minority youth. Engaging in survival sex appears to be associated with increased risks of suicide attempts for both heterosexual and sexual minority youth, but the increase in likelihood is much stronger for heterosexual youth than for sexual minority youth. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.