An Intervention Model For Homeless Youth

Youth homelessness has become a more visible problem in recent years, and is exacerbated by changes in the central city economy, schooling, and the family. This article describes the Street Youth Employment Program, a program designed by sociological practitioners to intervene into the lives of homeless street youth through a collaborative effort between a socio-medical clink and an urban university. Program elements included (1) Stabilizing the living conditions of homeless youth, (2) Providing immediate part-time employment for participants on subsidized work projects, (3) Ensuring participation by youth in program policy and operation, and (4) Providing education and on-the-job training for youth. Of the youth who participated in the program (N = 16), the majority (70%) successfully moved away from living on the street to more stable involvement in work or school. The limited success of the intervention was attributed primarily to the linkage of meaningful employment with stable living arrangements, and attention to medical and mental health needs. It was noted that direct job creation is a more appropriate intervention strategy for homeless youth man pre-employment and job readiness services alone