Homeless youth services in Douglas County: from two perspectives

Abstract

This report describes the observations and opinions of Douglas County homeless youth and of the social service providers and advocates focused on assisting them. Initiated by the county’s Commission on Children and Families, and conducted by Oregon State University researchers, this study provides data and analysis which may assist service providers and granting agencies in deciding what strategic service improvements might best assist homeless youth. After introducing the study, the report begins with a brief background section for the reader unacquainted with Douglas County, followed by an explanation of the research methods used. The next sections then present the results from the interviews. Subsequently, the report provides a short review of the most recent academic literature, showing how this research is both timely and state-of-the-art. The report ends with a conclusions section, followed by appendices, one of which addresses the challenges of establishing trustworthy estimates of the number of homeless youth, especially in rural places.