Homeless Youth and the Search for Stability by Jeff Karabanow

Author:Jeff Karabanow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Published: 2018-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

CONCLUSION

The aim of this chapter was to better understand the process outlined in Chapter 2 using case studies to illustrate the distinct pathways of each subgroup. One particular observation was the significant levelling nature of the numerous challenges experienced by homeless youth that focused on broad systematic and situational barriers, while challenges such as race, ethnicity, and other significant demographics seemed to be less prominent in narratives. In particular, many youth had little knowledge of, and/or poor access to, supports and resources. And even when resources were available, system policies and procedures often dominated interactions, resulting in staff merely managing rather than truly assisting youth. Hudson and colleagues (2008) had similar findings and also identified four interpersonal barriers to care from service providers: authoritative communication, one-way communication, disrespect, and lack of empathy.

On the other hand, youth in our study who found stable housing and began to move forward noted the critical role played by those staff who seized the moment, truly engaged with them, and worked collaboratively to find ways to meet youth-identified (rather than staff-identified) goals. Others (Hudson et al., 2008; Mayberry, 2016) also have found that positive service experiences include those that are tailored to user needs and marked by clear and consistent communication between both parties.

Another critical observation from the quantitative data of our study noted that youth, even those who began to move forward, continued to struggle greatly in terms of their mental well-being and community integration despite having attained housing. Such observations reflect the findings of other qualitative studies of youth early in the process of exiting the streets (Karabanow, 2008; Kidd & Davidson, 2007). In contrast with their initial hopes about what might happen after exiting homelessness, most young people in transition struggled for some time in their efforts to build a meaningful life away from the streets and to deal with the physical and mental health sequelae resulting from major adversity during their childhood and adolescence.

It was in the qualitative data that the full complexity of building lives after homelessness became evident. While the one-year study period did not provide sufficient time to fully capture the trajectories that generally unfold over much longer periods, we did capture, across youth narratives, three major stages occurring along these longer trajectories. The first stage, an initial turning point, emerged as a tenuous hold on some form of housing stability, alongside continually high levels of adversity and connection with street activities. This stage reflects earlier work with youth contemplating exiting homelessness (Karabanow, 2008; Kidd & Davidson, 2007). Despite some engagement of supports and movement towards stability during this stage, youth faced barriers at the individual level (e.g., addictions, continued engagement with street social networks and activities) and structurally (e.g., challenges obtaining benefits and identification, and uncertainty about how to engage education and employment resources). In the second stage, basic stability but limited forward momentum, youth had obtained a basic level of stability and the risks of homelessness were less immediate. Despite this enhanced stability, young people in this stage felt stalled in their ability to achieve larger life goals.

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