The Los Angeles system of care for runaway/homeless youth

Runaway and homeless young people generally do not seek help unless they are in a severe personal crisis. For the past 7 years, the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles, has learned a good deal about how to intervene effectively with these youths and divert them from high-risk behaviors such as prostitution and drug abuse. The program model we have developed has five major components: 1) networking and consolidation, 2) outreach, 3) short-term crisis shelter, 4) comprehensive medical and psychosocial care, and 5) long-term shelter and case management. Our approach has been collaborative; we subcontract a substantial portion of the work to other youth agencies in the community in order to build and strengthen the network of existing services. In the process, we have moved steadily closer to developing a comprehensive system of care for homeless street youth throughout Los Angeles County. Where programs previously operated in relative isolation, representatives from 40 private and public agencies now meet regularly at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles to discuss ways to improve services. Systematized data collection has helped agencies understand how they can work together and has prompted additional funding for needed services.