Promoting structural change in homeless youth serving agencies to improve trauma treatment

Research documents that homeless youth have experienced multiple incidents of trauma and abuse, both at home and on the street. In order to promote evidence-based trauma treatment and create a trauma-informed system of care, 6 homeless youth serving agencies in the Hollywood area of California created a learning collaborative to better understand trauma, complex trauma, and its impact on homeless youth; review evidence-based treatment approaches; review agency-specific strengths and challenges related to trauma; and promote network-wide trauma-focused and trauma-informed services. The learning collaborative adopted the ARC (Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency) framework for understanding the impact of trauma and to guide interventions. As a result of this work, individual shelter and drop-in agencies have made significant changes in their policies and procedures and have used the ARC framework and their new understanding of the consequences of complex trauma to guide new interventions. In addition, the collaborative has planned and implemented interagency trainings and supervision groups for line staff and clinical staff; implemented an evidence-based group intervention at shelters and drop-in centers, and will be expanding trauma-informed services in the network. The presenter will share and discuss examples of individual agency policy changes and network-wide innovations to demonstrate how agencies and communities can work together to improve services and promote better outcomes for youth.