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We’re Excited – Check Out Our New Look
The National Clearinghouse on Homeless Youth and Families (NCHYF) received a major facelift in July 2023! We not only enhanced the look, but also added user-friendly functionality. The newly designed site features a carousel slide pointing you to new information on the site, a section highlighting resources, such as infographics, tip sheets, videos, and other information for the use of youth-serving organizations and those involved in research supporting ending youth homelessness. Browse the new site and let us know what you think! Email us at GetRHYi@nchyf.org.
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In FY 2023, the Family and Services Bureau (FYSB) awarded 165 Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) grants to community-based organizations across the country. Grant recipients will provide shelter and supportive services for youth who have run away or are experiencing homelessness. | |
Runaway and Homeless Youth- Prevention Demonstration Program (RHY-PDP) | |
FYSB congratulates 11 recipients of the newly released Runaway and Homeless Youth-Prevention Demonstration Program (RHY-PDP). The goal of the RHY-PDP is to expand existing partnerships among service providers in key areas, such as education, health, mental health, child welfare, family support, substance abuse prevention/intervention, domestic violence/crisis intervention, law enforcement, courts, legal services, and other non-traditional partners, to create a comprehensive safety net that will improve the accessibility, delivery, and quality of prevention services for youth and young adults who are at highest risk of experiencing homelessness.
RHY-PDP recipients will: 1) identify young people at risk of experiencing homelessness; 2) design and develop a comprehensive community-based prevention plan to prevent youth homelessness; and 3) implement robust, holistic prevention services tailored for youth and young adults to respond to the diverse needs of youth who are at risk of homelessness and their families.
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FY 2023 RHY-PDP Award Recipients | |
| Grantee Name | Location | | Covenant House | Anchorage, AK | | Our Family Services Inc. | Tucson, AZ | | Karis Inc. | Grand Junction, CO | | Sasha Bruce Youthwork Inc. | Washington, DC | | Florida Network of Youth and Family
Services Inc. | Tallahassee, FL | | Waypoint | Manchester, NH | | Lighthouse Youth Services Street Outreach Program | Cincinnati, OH | | Valley Youth House | Bethlehem, PA | | Pendleton Place | Greenville, SC | | Oasis Center Inc. | Nashville, TN | | Seasons of Change Incorporated | Arlington, TX | | |
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November is National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM)!
NRPM is a national campaign led by the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) which aims to increase awareness and community education on the impact of running away and homelessness among young people. The theme of NRPM is “Shine a Light.” Running away incidents and youth homelessness are public health issues that impact youth across the country.
The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) partners with the NRS to not only shine a light on the issues these youth face every day, but we will also highlight the resources available to support youth in crisis and those experiencing homelessness. Youth who run away or experience homelessness are resilient; but need support and critical services to help them thrive.
NRPM is an opportunity to highlight the services and resources provided by the National Runaway Safeline (NRS), operator of the only federally funded communication program focusing on providing services and support to youth in crisis. Additionally, NRS develops and disseminates prevention resources and trainings to communities nationwide. By highlighting the importance of NRS’ resources and services and how youth can access these services, NRPM partners will create a stronger safety net for youth at risk of, or are already, experiencing homelessness.
For more information, please visit the NRS website to learn how you can support NRPM.
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November is Native American Heritage Month | |
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Youth homelessness is a serious national challenge affecting millions of young people every year.
A 2019 study found that American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) young adults had three times the prevalence rate of homelessness as their white non-Hispanic peers. However, due to their relatively small population size, together with limitations related to data and research efforts on homelessness to date, prevalence estimates and evidence of homelessness experiences among AI/AN youth have been scarce, particularly at the national level. Coalition.1
This study showed that during a 12-month period, approximately 10.2 percent of AI/AN households with 13-17-year-olds reported youth homelessness or runaway experiences that lasted at least one night. For AI/AN youth 18-25 years old, the 12-month population prevalence of homelessness experiences was 12.2 percent. Furthermore, most AI/AN youth experiencing homelessness, like most AI/AN people overall, reside in predominantly urban counties. The report concluded, “a clear and urgent need for tailored, culturally-responsive homelessness prevention and intervention strategies, along with focused housing and support investments, for AI/AN young people and the communities in which they live”.
Understanding this need, the RHY program funds several grantees that provide homelessness prevention and intervention tailored to support Native youth. You can learn more about these organizations in our Get to Know a Grantee series.
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Ain Dah Yung Center (ADYC), an RHY Transitional Living Program (TLP) grantee, is an emergency shelter for American Indian youth experiencing homelessness or contemplating running away, located in St. Paul, Minnesota. In the Ojibwe language, Ain Dah Yung means "Our Home" – which highlights the center’s mission to provide a culturally relevant safe space for youth in one of the most concentrated urban American Indian populations in the US. ADYC’s work incorporates a deep understanding of how a history that includes generations of displacement and relocation, community separation, and loss of cultural practices, trickles down to the struggles facing these communities today.
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“We know that when our community gets culturally competent services, by Native people for Native people, the services are going to stick.”
-Janeen Comenote, Founding Executive Director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition
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Fairbanks Native Association (FNA), founded in 1967, is among the oldest of Alaska’s Native organizations in the state. After receiving an RHY Program Basic Center Program (BCP) grant in 2020, FNA opened a 10-bed BCP in August 2021. There is also a drug and alcohol program for all ages, and Graf Rheeneerhaanjii (The Healing Place), which is a residential youth drug and substance abuse rehabilitation program for Alaska Native youth designed to provide in-state treatment.
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Evergreen Youth & Family Services, located in Bemidji, Minnesota, provides support to Native youth and any young people who are experiencing homelessness or contemplating running away. They provide emergency shelter, food, clothing and personal hygiene supplies to those who stay at the shelter or drop-in, as well as counseling and 24-hour crisis intervention. Evergreen is committed to supporting each child's overall health, school attendance and performance.
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1 Morton MH, Chávez R, Moore K. Prevalence and Correlates of Homelessness Among American Indian and Alaska Native Youth. J Prim Prev. 2019 Dec;40(6):643-660. doi: 10.1007/s10935-019-00571-2. PMID: 31691062 | |
Reflections from Suicide Prevention Month | In September, suicide prevention advocates, educators, and others observed National Suicide Prevention Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members united to promote suicide prevention awareness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between 10 to 24. The RHY Program joined in efforts to change the conversation from a focus on suicide to that of suicide prevention, including actions that can promote healing, help, and give hope. Throughout the year, you can help spread the word about actions to prevent suicide by using the hashtag #BeThe1To, sponsored by 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone you know is in a suicide crisis situation, please get help now. Call or text 988. | |
NCHYF Research Summaries Database | |
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NCHYF provides a national resource to help you stay up to date on the latest research, screening and assessment tools, communications information, and more. We've provided a few resources below to help with enhancing your knowledge of the varied issues impacting youth who have run away or are experiencing homelessness.
Visit our Research Summaries Database to search for reliable information to support the growth and sustainability of your youth-serving organization. Let us know other topics you are interested in learning more about. Email us at GetRHYi@nchyf.org.
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The goal of NCHYF is to support the end of youth homelessness. We understand that achieving this goal requires collaboration among multiple organizations and systems that support youth. These include local, state and federal partners, youth-serving organizations and academia. We forge partnerships with all these entities to bring you the most current and credible resources to support your programs.
Two of our primary partners also supported by FYSB are the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center (RHYTTAC). We encourage you to learn more about these organizations for resources and best practices to support your clients.
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NRS provides free resources to support your implementation and outreach activities. Check out these resources available below from NRS and visit their website for more resources.
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National Runaway Safeline to Release 2022 Crisis Services and Prevention Report
In collaboration with researchers from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, NRS annually analyzes the information that young people voluntarily provide to NRS when reaching out for support. The resulting Crisis Services and Prevention Report highlights key learnings related to the organization’s crisis intervention services and helps NRS and the broader runaway and homeless youth field better understand the needs of those served, how to most effectively support these individuals, and when and how people engage with NRS’s social media platforms. The 2022 Crisis Services and Prevention Report will be released in fall 2023.
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RHYTTAC is the training and technical assistance provider for all federally-funded RHY grantees. Stay in touch with RHYTTAC for assistance in developing and implementing effective approaches to serving young people who have run away and/or are impacted by homelessness, accessing new resources, and establishing linkages with other programs with similar interests and concerns.
Visit the RHYTTAC website for more resources.
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Finally, the FYSB team would like to extend our warmest wishes to you for a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
The RHY Program is so thankful for all of the ways in which you demonstrate your commitment to preventing and addressing youth homelessness
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