N6

CREATING A COMMUNITY TO SERVE A COMMUNITY:

HOW 6 AGENCIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO REDESIGN SERVICES FOR HOMELESS YOUTH IN HOLLYWOOD

Presenters: Joaquin Gonzalez, Arlene Schneir

Abstract Category: Treatment Therapy

Instruction Level: Beginner

Presentation: Click Here

Description:

The workshop will discuss programmatic and system level interventions designed to reduce the impact of trauma on runaway and homeless youth in Hollywood, CA.

Abstract: 

The Community Trauma Treatment Center for Runaway and Homeless Youth was established in 2005 as part of SAMHSA’s Child Traumatic Stress Initiative and represents a collaboration of six agencies working with runaway and homeless youth in Hollywood CA. These agencies have been working together to learn more about the impact of trauma on runaway and homeless youth, consider the unintended impact of individual agency policies and procedures for youth that have experienced complex and chronic trauma, and develop individual, agency, and system-wide interventions for improving trauma treatment services.

In addition, the collaborative agencies have been working to develop non-clinical programs and services that address the consequences of trauma but that are more acceptable to a population that often does not seek trauma treatment services. Finally, agencies are working together to adopt system level changes that will create a more trauma sensitive system of care. Participants will learn how agencies used the ARC (Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Skills Competency) model as a framework for agency and system level change and our experience implementing SPARCS, a group intervention for youth who have experienced complex trauma. Participants will also have a chance to review and discuss data about the trauma experienced by homeless youth in Hollywood and the challenges of data collection and program development with a highly mobile population.