Federal Resources

This resource (PDF, 8 pages) can guide youth- and young adult-led organizations that want to make policy changes in the mental health system. Developed bythe Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures and Portland State University, it contains recommendations and quotes from a series of interviews with young adult leaders from advocacy groups that focus on mental health challenges or living in foster care.

This resource (PDF, 8 pages), developed by Pathways Research and Training Center, introduces service providers to scientifically-informed findings about brain development and trauma specific to young adults, and describes the implications for trauma-informed interventions and trauma-informed engagement of young people in services. 

This policy guide, developed by Pathways RTC (Research and Training Center), is written for youth- and young adult-led groups and organizations that want to make changes in policies related to mental health and other human services that affect them and other transition-age youth. The guide is intended for use by youth and young adults working together within a group or organization to make specific change, usually in partnership with other agencies, groups, or organizations. 

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. 

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. 

This slideshow highlights five types of professionals that runaway and homeless youth program managers can collaborate with to support youth who have experienced trauma. 

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. 

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. 

This resource describes a literature review that explores the potential mental health benefits and concerns of using narrative writing with youth and young adults. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

This article highlights free resources educators and youth service providers can use to implement the Trevor Project’s Lifeguard Workshop, a program encouraging young people to be “lifeguards” for one another by having the knowledge to help in a crisis. Professionals can request a free, in-person workshop or use the resources highlighted in the article to create personalized trainings.

This article describes the mental health challenges teen moms face and highlights a Denver-based program that integrates mental health screening and treatment into their existing medical care.