Accessing and using Evidence in Social Work Practice

Accessing and using Evidence in Social Work Practice-Phase III

Therese Taylor
Wayne State University
SW 3810: Practice Methods I
Professor Sharonlyn Harrison Ph.D

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Accessing and using Evidence in Social Work Practice

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Phase 1
A social work problem that is relevant to my volunteering experience and area of interest
is homeless teenagers and young adults. Recently I volunteered at Alternatives for Girls located
in Southwest Detroit. An alternative for Girls is a homeless shelter for teenagers and young adult
females. Although the shelter only services young women there is a social work problem in my
community and the environment with both genders being homeless. Homeless young adult men
and women is a current issue that also threatens the safety of the homeless individuals. I was
aware that the problem existed before volunteering, but participating in the program truly opened
my eyes to how extreme the problem truly is.
As a future Social Worker, I can see myself working in this area because I have a strong
interest to help someone who does not have stable housing. If the homeless person has children
this could mean the children are homeless also. There are various reasons why a person is
homeless, but the end result is the individual is in a homeless situation and need help finding
shelter. I have witnessed young individuals being homeless in my environment and the struggle
to find a place to stay. I feel that this is a relevant social work problem that should receive more
attention and resources. There are different signs to show you that a young person is homeless
they may visit often. The person may spend many nights and make excuses on why they are
staying over.
My son is twenty-three he still lives at home he has a couple friend that are always at our
house. One of his friends is there more than the other is; I asked him why he spends the night so
often. My son explained that his friend does not have a place to stay. Some may say they can
understand adults being homeless, but not young people. This is a social problem that is affecting

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young people just as well as adults and young people are more vulnerable to dangerous situations
because of their homeless status.
Homeless Young Adults
There are multiple focuses on the homeless youth and young adults as to the reason they
become homeless. Research has been shown that a teenager who is homeless attempts to stay
over a friends house a little longer than other friends and is less talkative. They are busy
worrying about where they are going to sleep, and what they are going to eat, and when will their
situation change. The homeless teenager does not tell their friends of their situation. They may
tell one close friend, and swear that friend to secrecy.
Research Question: Alcoholism, the use of narcotics, having mental disabilities are some
of the supplementary causes of homelessness for young Adults, what are the leading causes
homelessness of young Adults?
The client is a homeless adult who is the age of twenty-one and he relays to me that he
cannot find a job, and he did not complete high school nor obtained his General Education
Diploma (GED). He does not know his father and his mother is not in a condition to have him
live with her. He shared with me his childhood, as he and his siblings growing up living with
their mother, how they moved around a lot and was never stable for a long period of time. His
mother was addicted to drugs and did not pay her rent to maintain a shelter for her children and
herself. This young man has a desire to have stability but does not know how. He states that he
would like to be stable, but he does not know what to do and would like some assistance. I am

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not sure if just having a job will get him out of his current homeless situation, as he has never
had stability in his life.
Research from the articles Adapting the Individual Placement and Support Model with
Homeless Young Adults shows Clinical Structured interviews with homeless young adults, were
conducted to determine their homelessness. The idea is not just to get them out of homelessness
and into homes, but to maintain stability from homelessness.
There are various assessments and tests used to determine young adults mental status, as
to their capability to perform the adult status of stability in society, and to ensure that they would
not fall back into the status of homelessness. These tests conducted were decided by
demographics, where the homeless person grew up, family history if they were abused as a child,
and whether they are male or female. According the evidence-based research conducted by the
Chi-square tests, Fishers exact tests were used to assess homeless young adults. Over a 10
month time study it showed (t = -2.83, p = .008, d = 0.95). The IPS group worked on average
5.20 months (SD = 3.33) compared to 2.19 months (SD = 2.97) among the control group.
Between 45 and 70% of IPS young adults and 1931% of the control group
were working during any 1 month of the study.
They asked a series of questions for the homeless young adults, to answer and assist with
the determination process. Another study was to determine how many times a person had been
homeless in the last two years, and how long the person had been homeless in their current
homeless situation. These tests establish the characteristics of the homeless youths and determine
statistically the category the homeless young adult will be placed, whether they will succeed as a

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viable member of society or will they return to homelessness. Of course, these tests are not
stating that this person will fall back into homelessness, just statistically where they are mental.
Alcoholism, the use of narcotics, having mental disabilities are some of the
supplementary causes of homelessness for young Adults, what are the leading causes
homelessness of young Adults? Causes of homelessness among youth fall into three inter-related
categories: family problems, economic problems, and residential instability. (Homeless
Youth,2007). Family problems like abuse, neglect, and addiction within the household leaves a
great strain on a young adult which helps them choose to leave home. Throughout the years,
more and more family have entered the poverty bracket. Financial problems affect the ability to
afford housing, employment opportunities that are offering low-wage positions, or benefits of the
state just isnt enough to provide for the entire household. While living day by day with these
challenges young adults end up in shelters or transitional housing. Some young adults had
problems with stability from birth. Foster care, unusual or unfair relationships with family that
have them jumping from various homes of relatives. With the terms and conditions of the foster
care system, many young adults become homeless because of discharge as well as for those who
were institutionalized over time.
In the article Helping People without Homes focuses on the aspect of homeless
shelters. The research was conducted with individuals who have substance abuse problems
temporarily residing in homeless shelters. This was particularly important because the
participants signed a release form to share the information with the social workers at the shelter,
so they were able to assist them with the needs necessary to resolve their homelessness, as well
as drug rehabilitation assistance.

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The tests are to assist the psychologist with diagnosing the problem accurately and assist
with solutions to the reoccurring homelessness the young adult faces. Results of the tests that
were taking will provide the necessary knowledge needed to assist future clients with the
transformation. However, the realization that all homeless people have a mental instability is not
accurate, and sometimes people have unfortunate incidents that preclude them from having the
stability they normally would have in their lives. Some just need help with finding a job and
implementing a budget to ensure their home stability. The social worker recognizes the need of
the homeless young adult and arranges ways to facilitate the progress of the homeless young
adult, whether it is training, GED obtainment or emotional assistance.

Conclusion
After careful review of the selected article, the evidence provides greater insight of
evaluating homeless young adults, and the ability to successfully transform them from
homelessness to housing. The overall research conducted off the homeless young adults have
concluded that the activities of the researchers address the issues of solving the problem, along
with added issues that may concern the homeless young adult. The empirical evidence shows
various processes of the dilemmas facing the homeless young adults. In my opinion, it would be
to my advantage using the evidence-based practice process in my field placement or social work
practice, due to the fact that the research has shown with the appropriate therapy, resource and a
continuum of social work involvement, a homeless person can be managed and complete goals
to find and maintain stable housing.

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References
Ferguson, Kristin M. Xie, Bin Glynn, Shirley, June (2012) Adapting the individual placement
and support model with homeless young adults.; Child & Youth Care Forum, Vol 41(3)
Subjects: Evidence-Based Practice; Homeless; Intervention; Mental Disorders;
Adulthood (18 yrs & older); Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs); Male; Female [Journal
Article] pp. 277-294.Retrieved 2013. July 11
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10566-011-9163-5
National Coalition for the Homeless, August (2007) Homeless Youth Retrieved 2013, July 09
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/youth.pdf
Rogers, Edward B., Stanford, Matthew S., Dolan, Sara L., Clark, Jerrod, Martindale, Sarah L.,
Lake, Sarah L., Baldridge, Robyn M., Sud, Laura R., Helping People Without Homes
Simple Steps for Psychologists Seeking To Change Lives Sep (2011) Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol. 43, Issue 2 pp 49-59 Retrieved 2013, July 12
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pro/43/2/86/