Covenant House Institute projects research teen homelessness

Covenant House Institute projects shed light on the problem of teen homelessness… and what we can do to help.

Through our partnerships, the Covenant House Institute will produce reliable, accurate, and up-to-date data that will enhance programming, influence public policy and educate shareholders. The Institute is closing the gaps in homeless youth research.

The Covenant House Institute is proud to embark on the following projects:

Alaska

University of Alaska Anchorage

  • Partners analyzing client data collected by site from 1998-2008 as the first stage in a research project focused on migration of rural populations into urban centers and youth homelessness Project funded by National Science Foundation grant to ISER and university research fund.

California

University of Southern California

  • Partners analyzing data from surveys conducted with outreach clients. Data provide baseline information on client characteristics and needs particularly related to transience and substance abuse. Research funded by university research grant. Findings also used in federal proposal for multisite project.

Georgia

Georgia State University

  • Partners are working with Covenant House Georgia to develop an enhanced client data collection system. This system will be used to analyze data collected in fiscal year 2009 by the site as the first stage of a research project focused on youth entering the Crisis Center. Partners are also assisting the site to construct a satisfaction survey for existing Covenant House clients.

Mexico

National Autonomous University of Mexico

  • Partners developing a proposal for a research study on the prevalence of homelessness of youth in Mexico, including number of homeless street youth, reasons for homelessness, agencies working with this population, and methodologies used. The proposal will include additional partnerships with other international and nonprofit organizations as well as government representatives.

Michigan

Wayne State University

  • Partners analyzing client data collected by site as the first stage in a research project focused education. In fall 2009, they are also planning to collect an independent set of data on characteristics of outreach and crisis youth.

New York

Columbia University – Foster Care Study

  • Dr. Ron Thompson has begun the first phase of a three-phase intervention project looking at risk factors for youth entering Covenant House from the foster care system. The project is fully funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Fordham University – Mother/Child Study

  • Pilot study of well-being outcomes for mothers and children in the Rights of Passage program to begin data collection in June. Outcomes will include child behavior, parenting skills, coping strategies, and support. Applying for funding from university research fund.

Nicaragua

Polytechnic University of Nicaragua

  • First research project will be a comparative evaluation of the results obtained by Casa Alianza Nicaragua’s Santo Domingo community project. Funding for this research project will be provided by the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities, who funded the original Santo Domingo community project intervention.
  • Partners developing a proposal for a follow-up study of youth who leave Casa Alianza Nicaragua. The study would include a comparative analysis of how the youths’ lives and families have changed as a result of Casa Alianza’s interventions.

National Autonomous University of Nicaragua in Managua

  • Partners developing a proposal for a baseline study of the characteristics of the youth who were intaked at Casa Alianza Nicaragua in fiscal year 2008-2009.

Texas

Baylor University, School of Medicine

  • Partners convening all Medical Directors from Covenant House sites to do a multi-site research project focused on health issues related to homeless youth.

Institute

Columbia University – Replication of Youth in Crisis

  • Baseline studies of crisis shelter youth at Houston, Los Angeles, and Newark. Louis. The Institute is applying for a $15,000 grant through the Columbia Center for Homelessness Prevention Studies’ Pilot Program to support data processing, analysis, and write up.

National Coalition: University of Alabama (Coordinator), Adelphi University, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, Wayne State University

  • Partner is a national coalition of established researchers of homeless youth. Current project focuses on utilization of social networking technology to implement substance abuse intervention and track long-term outcomes of homeless youth. Stage one to include two Covenant House sites for 9 months. Other Covenant House sites to be added incrementally. Partner submitted proposal for funding to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.