Strengths and Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors and their Caregivers: Moving Forward Optimistically to Fill Resource-Need Gaps

Unaccompanied immigrant minors (UIM) encounter trauma pre-, during, and post-migration that is undeniable and acknowledged, and it is not surprising that some unaccompanied youth are at risk for mental health issues, unsuccessful family or foster placements, and other negative short-term outcomes. Yet the literature highlights the common observation that many UIM fare well, despite their trials, and underscores youths’ own identification with narratives of strength through adversity. A developmental-ecological perspective and work in immigration suggest that beyond individual strengths and challenges, immigrant youth outcomes are shaped, too, by the capacity of the host community to provide the supports necessary for youth to achieve the successful outcomes they are striving to meet. This projects in this symposium seek to better understand the supports necessary for unaccompanied youth to thrive in the U.S. and how service providers might move forward optimistically to bolster community resources and meet identified resource-need gaps