Young people

Introduction

The 2001 census found that approximately 10% of homeless people were under the age of 12 years and 36% were young people aged between 12 and 24 years. Youth homelessness has been described as a process, where young people make a transition between a number of different stages before identifying as homeless and assimilating with the homeless community (Day, 2003). These transitional stages can include periods of instability and frequent moving around between family members and friends, often as a result of relationship breakdowns and physical and/or sexual abuse. Young homeless people are particularly susceptible to involvement with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) and adverse consequences related to their AOD use can quickly develop (Mallett et al., 2003). This can include involvement in crime including petty theft and drug dealing which often exposes them to the juvenile justice system. For those who decide to enter treatment, in most states and territories there is a shortage of treatment services specifically developed for young people, especially for the under 18s.

Issues to consider when providing assistance

• Most services use a definition of under 18-years of age for youth. This means that regular accommodation services may not be available to young people;
• It is normally a requirement that community workers contact the parents of children found in a harmful or potentially harmful situation. Because young people who are homeless may have left home because of physical or sexual violence from relatives, it is best to be tactful and sensitive when asking about responsible contacts. For example, rather than asking ‘where are your parents?’, it is advisable to ask, ‘do you have someone looking after you or a responsible adult that you can stay with?’;
• Because the care of children living away from home is a legal matter involving the state, it is advised that a member of child services or the police are contacted to deal with their accommodation arrangements; and
• In the case of drug and alcohol assistance, it is recommended that young people are directed to youth workers or specialist services in the area if these are available. Some of the services are listed below:

Issues to consider for assessment and referral

Young people often want to access treatment at particular times of acute crisis and outcomes such as finding stable accommodation, reconnecting with family or gaining employment may be more important than stopping drug use. The following are factors that can impact on young homeless people accessing treatment services:

• Poor overall health status, nutritional status, and dental health;
• May suffer from abuse and/or physical neglect and have chaotic lifestyles;
• May suffer from co-occurring mental health problems;
• There are often police/justice issues that complicate access to treatment programmes;
• They may also be excluded from some forms of crisis and longer term housing if they are assessed as having problematic drug use;
• Low income can be an issue for many homeless young people with some being ineligible for a living away from home allowance;
• Claiming Centre Link benefits can be problematic for those who do not have a fixed address;
• Financial pressures (including those associated with maintaining a drug habit) are often the reason why some young people resort to criminal activity;
• Young homeless people can be very vulnerable and exposed to many unsafe situations, which are often exacerbated when they are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol;
• It may be difficult for young people to participate in programmes that require high levels of compliance and participation; and
• Programmes that attempt to meet their developmental needs, and incorporate complementary therapies, can be a positive experience for young clients.

In short, it is advisable to consider the specific needs of young people and challenges of responding to these needs. You may need to consider specific youth work training for your staff and to develop MOUs with youth specific AOD services (see Capacity building).

Source

The information contained in this guideline has been sourced from interviews with homeless people, focus groups with practitioners, consultation with experts in the field, and a review of homeless studies undertaken by researchers at the National Drug Research Institute, Ted Noffs Foundation and St Bartholomew’s House for the Australian National Council on Drugs in 2007. The “Crisis Referral Tool for AOD Services” developed by The Drug and Alcohol Office: Perth, WA was also used in the development of this information. The following references were cited in this information sheet:

Day, J. (2003). Pathways into and out of homelessness: (Young People – Points of Intervention). Paper presented at the 3rd National Homelessness Conference ‘Beyond the Divide’, Sheraton Hotel Brisbane, 6-8 April 2003.

Mallett, S., Edwards, J., Keys, D., Myers, P., & Rosenthal, D. (2003). Disrupting stereotypes: Young people, drug use and homelessness: The Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, University of Melbourne, Victoria.

Reilly, J., Herrman, H., Clarke, D., Neil, C., & McNamara, C. (1994). Psychiatric disorders in and service use by young homeless people. Medical Journal of Australia, 161(7), 429-432.