Barriers to Services for Transitional Age Youth

• Main Author: Lucero, Amanda
• Format: Others
• Published: CSUSB ScholarWorks 2015
• Subjects: Transitional Age Youth; Foster Care Youth; Barriers to Services; Administrators; Emancipated Youth; Resiliency; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Social Work
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/191; https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1216&context=etd

This qualitative study examines the current barriers of services to transition age youth (TAY) who are newly emancipated from foster care. Data collection was derived from eight in depth interviews with local administrators within San Bernardino County with experience with youth and services within the TAY population. Study themes focused on how professionals suggested to engage TAY, tactics to instilling hope, highlighting successful services, and providing professional insight on working with the unique population. Present day research emphasizes the importance of the emotional capacity of TAY, which is a key theme within the present study. As current rates of homelessness, the dependency of government assistance programs, and mental health services increase for the TAY population, the need for improved services is apparent. Study results indicated five distinct themes pertaining to youth impediments and the need for foster system adjustments, and include: unmet mental health needs, available housing facilities, mistrust from the youth, the integration from Peer and Family Assistant’s, and systemic barriers.