An estimated 700,000 youth in America experience homelessness each year
Several factors play into the potential risk of a young person becoming homeless. A few examples include the demographics of the youth, the marital status of the parents, or the youth’s LGBTQ status. With these varied experiences comes a plethora of potential issues to work through as they transition towards self-sufficiency.
Drop-in centers are finding success all over the country, offering places for youth to find stability and independence
A Drop-In Center is defined as a casual place to request advice or assistance, often run by a welfare agency or charity. These locations are a connection point between the homeless youth and the resources needed to improve their situation. Once paired with a caseworker, they can work together to acquire employment, housing, education, or any other basic needs to place them back into the mainstream.
Cities like Minneapolis cite drop-in centers as a key component to the success of their response in serving their homeless youth population. The ability to deal with their most urgent needs and offer supportive services has shown proven results. A study of 1229 youth found that those who sought help at a drop-in center were twice as likely to find permanent supportive housing or achieve their GED.
HMIS Case Management
Managing casework for homeless individuals of all ages can get complicated. If you are a youth drop-in center or adult homeless shelter, consider the systems you have in place to serve your clients. CaseWorthy is unparalleled in its ability to capture, organize, and report on the complexities of HMIS data. If you think it’s time for an upgrade, we’d love to hear from you!
