Transcript Slide 1

The Total Package: Housing and
Serving Homeless Children
National Alliance to End Homelessness
2007 Annual Conference
July 9-11, 2007
Kathleen Guarino, LMHC
Homelessness and Trauma

The experience of becoming homeless is
traumatic.
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Homelessness involves loss of:
 -Place
 -Belongings
 -Loved ones
 -Routines
 -Sense of safety, security and control
Homelessness Stresses Children
 Separations:
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22% separated from immediate family.
5 years after entering shelter, 44% of mothers
separated from children.
60% homeless women had minor children; only
66% lived with them.
 Within a single year:

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97% move
More than 30% are evicted from their homes
22% are in foster care or with relatives
Shinn M & Bassuk EL. (2004). Families. In S Barrow et al. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of
Homelessness. Sage.
Homelessness and Trauma

Many who are homeless have experienced
multiple traumas.

Traumatic experiences are often
interpersonal in nature, prolonged, repeated,
and severe.

Traumatic experiences occur in childhood
and adolescence and may extend over the
life span.
Mothers Who Are Homeless
 Lifetime:
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92% severe physical and sexual assault.
25% random violence.
 Childhood:
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66% severe physical violence.
43% sexually molested.
Bassuk EL, Weinreb L, Buckner J, et al. (1996). The characteristics and needs of sheltered
homeless and low-income housed mothers. JAMA, 276(8): 640-646.
Children Who Are Homeless

25% witnessed violence in their family.
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83% of children over 12 years old exposed to
violence.
Buckner J, Beardslee W, Bassuk EL. (2004). Exposure to violence and low-income children’s
mental health: Directed, moderated, and mediated relations. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, 74(4):413-423.
Impact on
Children
“My house is crying today
because we won’t be coming
home tonight”
Mental Health Needs of Children
who are Homeless
 These children have more mental health
needs than other children.

20% of preschoolers have emotional problems
that require professional care.

47% of school-age children have problems
with anxiety, depression, or withdrawal.
The National Center on Family Homelessness, Homeless Children: America’s New Outcasts (Newton,
MA: 1999)
Homelessness Makes Children
Sick
 Homeless children sick 4 times as often as middle
class children.
 High rates of acute and chronic illness.
 Homeless children suffer from:
 2 times as many ear infections
 4 times as many asthma attacks
 5 times more stomach problems
 6 times more speech problems
The National Center on Family Homelessness, Homeless Children: America’s New Outcasts (Newton, MA:
1999)
Homeless Children Struggle in
School
 12% are not enrolled in school
 45% don’t attend school regularly
 Homeless children have more problems learning
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4x more developmental delays
2x more learning disabilities
2x more likely to repeat a grade
U.S. Department of Education, Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program, Report to Congress
(Washington, DC: 1999). The Better Homes Fund, Homeless Children: America’s New Outcasts (Newton,
MA: 1999).
Now What?
Providing Trauma-Informed Care

All services provided through the lens of
trauma.
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Requires cultural/attitudinal change.

Fosters hope.

Facilitates recovery.
Tools for Providing Trauma-Informed
Care for Homeless Children

PEACH (Physical and Emotional Awareness
for Children who are Homeless): A curriculum
for shelter settings.
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Trauma-Informed Organizational SelfAssessment: A tool for programs to evaluate
the extent to which they provide traumainformed care.
Trauma-Informed Organizational SelfAssessment
Areas of programming to be examined:
1. Staff Development
2. Atmosphere and Environment
3. Assessments and Service Planning
4. Consumer Representation
5. Policies and Procedures
Components of Trauma-Informed
Care for Homeless Children
1. Educating and training staff
2. Creating safe environments and fostering
skill-building
3. Conducting child assessments
4. Providing child-specific services and supports
5. Empowering parents
6. Reviewing program policies and procedures
I. Educating and Training Staff
Staff are educated in the following areas:
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Child Development
Attachment
Trauma
Staff are trained in the following areas:
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De-escalation strategies
Engagement strategies
II. Creating Safe Environments
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Establishing routines and rituals
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Providing space for play
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Creating child safety/self-care plans
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Posting child-friendly materials
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Fostering skill-building
III. Conducting Child Assessments
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Child assessments are a routine part of the
intake process.
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Specific questions about trauma and
development are part of the assessment.
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Referrals are made as needed.
IV. Providing Services and Supports
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Early intervention services
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Creative and nonverbal services
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Educational services
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Trauma-specific child services
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Family therapy services
V. Empowering Parents
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Facilitating adult control and choice
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Parent education and skill-based classes
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Modeling healthy interactions and respect
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Strengthening relationships through
parent-child activities.
VI. Reviewing Policies and Procedures
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Making a formalized commitment to providing
trauma-informed care.
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Going through the self-assessment process to
identify areas for improvement.
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Creating policies and procedures that support
consumer control, choice and autonomy and
child-friendly environments and services.
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On-going review of policies and procedures
and an examination of those that do not
support children and families.
The PEACH Initiative
The PEACH Initiative
Physical and
Emotional
Awareness for
Children who are
Homeless
Meet the OrganWise Guys !
®
The Curriculum
 Books
 Games
 Songs
 Activities
PEACH Helps Kids
 Safety and Stability
 Fun
 Health
PEACH Helps Parents
 Rare break
 Positive, fun way to help their child
 Emotional and physical health
PEACH Helps Organizations!
 Structured program
 Easy to implement
For More Information:
Katie Volk
National Center on Family Homelessness
617-964-3834 x20
[email protected]