Trauma-informed Care

To Ayala Livny, it just didn’t feel right. When she was first hired as a front-line case manager at Youth on Fire, a Cambridge, Mass., drop-in center for homeless and street youth, members would confide horrifying stories of violence and loss. And they would look to her for some sort of meaningful response, a connection.
“Factors Associated with Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Homeless Youth in Three U.S. Cities: The Importance of Transience” (abstract). Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 23, Feb. 2010.
While concrete numbers are hard to come by, experts agree that commercial sexual exploitation of children and adults is on the rise. And study after study supports two things: 1) that a high percentage of homeless youth have been sexually abused prior to becoming homeless and 2) once on their own, they become vulnerable to further sexual assault and exploitation.
  “Running Away from Foster Care: Youths’ Knowledge and Access of Services,” National Runaway Switchboard, April 9, 2011.
“Predictors of Drop-in Center Attendance among Substance-Abusing Homeless Adolescents,” Social Work Research, Vol. 35, No. 1, March 2011. What it's about: The authors studied 82 homeless 15-20-year-olds who were using drugs or alcohol and who had access to a drop-in center in Columbus, Ohio. The researchers wanted to know what factors would predict whether these homeless young...
In a new Voices from the Field podcast, NCFY speaks to Dr. Nik Stefanidis, whose years of street outreach work have recently culminated in “Trauma Informed Consequences for Homeless Youth,” a publication of the Hollywood Homeless Youth Partnership. Listen to the podcast.
Dr. Nik Stefanidis has been working with traumatized youth for years. He recently co-authored Trauma Informed Consequences for Homeless Youth, which distills his research on the subject. He talked with NCFY about the report.
Dr. Nik Stefanidis has been working with traumatized youth for years. He recently co-authored Trauma Informed Consequences for Homeless Youth, which distills his research on the subject. He talked with NCFY about his work.  Time: 4:14 | Size: 3.96 MB
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