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- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Watch: Youth Describe Their Most Meaningful Relationships
In a new video series from the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, four youth talk about the adults who helped change their lives. The first video in the series features Marcus, a former foster youth, describing how his adoptive mom has helped and supported him.
Many Homeless Youth Experience Traumatic Brain Injury, Study Shows
This article describes a study that analyzed the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among homeless youth. Using data from a sample of 2,732 young people recruited from the streets, shelters, and drop-in centers, this study showed 43% of participants had a history of TBI. Compared to youth with no brain injury, young people who reported a history of TBI became homeless at a younger age and went through more episodes of homelessness.
Six Questions to Identify Youth at Highest Risk of Long-Term Homelessness
This article describes the Transition Age Youth triage tool, a new questionnaire to determine which youth are most at risk of long-term homelessness without intervention. The tool uses a welcoming, conversational tone to assess for six experiences that are strongly linked to long-term homelessness. The tool can be used in tandem with case management meetings and assessments to develop a service plan, as well as supportive housing.
New Tip Sheet on Sharing Data About Youth Experiencing Homelessness
This article highlights a new tip sheet (PDF, 6 pages) developed by ED and USICH to help schools, housing providers, and social service organizations collaborate and share data, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Q&A: How to Help Homeless Youth Quit Smoking
This Q&A with Joan Tucker, the senior behavioral scientist and professor at Pardee RAND Graduate School in Santa Monica, California, focuses on Dr. Tucker’s work on smoking among homeless youth and her recommendations for what tailored cessation programs might look like.
Testimony at Interagency Council on Homelessness Meeting
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, leaders in youth homelessness prevention and intervention advocated for youth-centered, culturally-responsive services. They also stated that programs should be trauma informed, cater to the unique needs of special populations of youth, and allow youth to access services even if they are still actively engaged in substance use.
Curriculum: Updated Runaway Prevention Intervention
The National Runaway Safeline updated the Let’s Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum with new topics, resources, and activities. This free, evidence-based curriculum includes 14 modules on topics ranging from communication and listening to the realities of running away to strategies youth can use to reduce stress.
Guidance: Education Department Reiterates — Title I Funding Can Be Used to Serve Homeless Students
This article explains the guidance provided in a recent “Dear Colleague” letter (PDF, 4 pages) issued by the Department of Education which explains how school districts can use Title I funds to help children and youth experiencing homelessness. Some examples of ways districts can use the funds are to transport homeless students to and from school, pay the salaries of staff who work with homeless youth, and to generally meet the needs of these students.
Resource: 5 Ways to Serve Traveling Street Youth
This blog post provides five tips for youth-serving professionals on working with traveling youth, also known as transient youth, which are homeless youth who choose to travel around the country.
Report: Street Outreach Program Data Collection Study
This report presents data on service utilization and needs from a subset of homeless street youth being served by a cohort of Street Outreach Program grantees funded in fiscal year 2010 (data collection occurred in 2013). The goal was to learn about the needs of street youth from their perspective, to better understand which services youth found helpful or not helpful, and to identify alternative services they felt could be useful to them. A recent blog post shares the steps the current administration has taken to prevent and end homelessness, and features a new public service announcement campaign targeted at runaway and homeless youth.
Opportunity for Involvement: FYSB Grant Reviewers
This request for reviewers invites qualified applicants to serve as grant reviewers for a range of FYSB programs benefiting youth and families.
Report: Family and Youth Services Bureau Highlights in 2014 & 2015
This report shares FYSB’s key accomplishments over the past two years specifically related to ending youth homelessness, domestic violence, and teen pregnancy.
Resource: Addressing the Legal Needs of Homeless Youth
This resource describes the legal issues homeless youth may face and how organizations can help them access assistance to prevent those issues from negatively impacting their future.
Resource: Running Away from Foster Care
This article highlights a literature review that analyzed the research on prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of running away from foster care, as well as the interventions implemented to stop it from happening.
Report: National Trends on Youth in Crisis
This report (PDF, 30 pages) illustrates trends in the characteristics of young people in crisis who contact the National Runaway Safeline for help. The results show that abuse and neglect were among the most common issues reported by those seeking support.
Resource: Mindfulness Classes Help Homeless Youth Understand, Regulate Emotions and Behaviors
This article highlights four tips for starting a mindfulness program for homeless youth. Mindfulness programs can give homeless young people insight into how their experiences have shaped their thinking and behavior and help them learn to control how they react to everyday stressors.
Share with Youth: 1-800-RUNAWAY Public Service Announcement (PSA)
This PSA features the voice and story of a young person who experienced homelessness and found help using the National Runaway Safeline. Youth-serving professionals can use this PSA to educate young people about the nationwide network of housing and support services available through the National Runaway Safeline.
Share with Youth: Youth Speak Out: Shared Experiences Help Rural Youth Leaders Connect
This podcast, developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth, features rural youth leaders who were once homeless or in foster care offering advice on how to engage vulnerable rural youth.
John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (the Chafee program) provides funding to support youth/ young adults in or formerly in foster care in their transition to adulthood. The program is funded through formula grants awarded to child welfare agencies in States (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and participating Tribes. Chafee funds are used to assist youth/ young adults in a wide variety of areas designed to support a successful transition to adulthood. Activities and programs include, but are not limited to, help with education, employment, financial management, housing, emotional support and assured connections to caring adults. Specific services and supports are determined by the child welfare agency, vary by State, locality and agency, and are often based on the individual needs of the young person. Many State or local agencies contract with private organizations to deliver services to young people.
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Human Services
The Office of Human Services in the Bureau of Indian Affairs promotes the safety, financial security and social health of Indian communities and individual Indian people.
Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids
This report provides the latest data on the prevalence of substance use, opioid misuse, opioid use disorders, opioid overdoses, and related harms. It also addresses prevention, treatment, and management of opioid use disorders and the progress to address the opioid epidemic.
Celebrating Minority Mental Health Month: Spotlight on Tribal Behavioral Health Needs
Minority Mental Health Month provided an opportunity to raise awareness of how mental health and substance use issues affect ethnic minority groups. This blog post, written by a SAMHSA intern and member of the Rosebud Sioux and Oglala Sioux Tribes, describes a personal journey with addiction and provides hope and encouragement to tribal youth, tribal leaders, scholars, and community members to seek help and promote recovery and healing.
SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." Start the Talk Trailer
Start the Talk is the newest component of SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." Underage Drinking Prevention National Media Campaign aimed to reduce underage drinking among youth ages 9 to 15. This online role-play tool gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to practice talking with their children about underage drinking, helping to build practical skills and confidence to conduct these conversations in real life.
You Make SAMHSA Rock!
In this blog post, SAMHSA's Pamela Hyde announces her resignation and recounts SAMHSA’s accomplishments and its federal partners during her tenure.
IOM Recommendations Reflect Importance of Improving Quality of Behavioral Health Services
As highlighted in a recent blog post by HHS officials, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a new report, “Psychosocial Interventions for Mental and Substance Use Disorders.” The report is a result of a collaboration to identify key steps to ensure individuals receiving mental health and substance use services receive evidence-based, high-quality care. It details the reasons for the gap between what is effective and what is currently practiced, and it offers recommendations for how best to address this gap. It proposes a framework to establish standards for psychosocial interventions. The HHS blog post addresses how SAMHSA, ASPE, and other HHS agencies will implement the recommendations in the report.