Social Work and Education: Building Bridges to Support Youth Experiencing Homelessness

• In Event: Graduation (and Beyond) for Youth Experiencing Homelessness: New Ideas From New Sources

Abstract

Objectives

Between 750,000 and 2 million US youth experience an episode of homelessness each year (Toolis & Hammack, 2015). Though the length of such episodes and the circumstances that precipitate them may vary, the adverse experiences surrounding homelessness often provoke academic, social, and emotional challenges. These challenges can translate to behaviors that attract the attention of educators, but by the time these behaviors appear in the classroom, it is often too late for meaningful intervention. Collaboration between school social workers and teachers is one avenue for meaningful dropout prevention, but it is often underused.

Conceptual Framework

Lack of stable housing can lead to trauma and mental health concerns like anxiety and depression (Havlik et al., 2017) or social exclusion from peers (Semanchin Jones et al., 2018). Academic challenges experienced by homeless youth include increased risk of grade retention (Semanchin Jones et al., 2018) and school dropout (Uretsky & Stone, 2016). Students who leave high school without graduating have lower earning potential, are at increased risk of adult homelessness, are more likely to be charged with a crime, and are more likely to become parents in their teens (Ausikaitis et al., 2015; Webber, 2018).

Social capital theory emphasizes the benefit of social relationships and networks (Skobba et al., 2018), which can provide a safe spaces for homeless youth, including anything from a physical residence (couch surfing) (Curry et al., 2017) to direct mentorship and guidance (Skobba et al., 2018). Alternatively, social networks can negatively impact homeless youth and increase their risk of dropout (Dupéré et al., 2021) via a phenomenon known as social contagion: when homeless youth are surrounded by friends or family who left school early, they are less likely to complete high school themselves (Dupéré et al., 2021). Knowledge of how to navigate and connect to different networks is known as social capital.

Social networks can positively or negatively impact homeless youth, and school social workers can help guide the impact as the liaison between home, school, and community. The role of school social workers is not well understood by teachers, school administration, or education researchers. Likewise, the foundational principles upon which the social work profession is built are largely a mystery to educators. Collaboration between school social workers and teachers is one avenue for meaningful prevention of negative social contagion and its sequelae.

Conclusions & Significance

Though this piece is theoretical rather than empirical, its aim is to make social work knowledge accessible to educators and education researchers. It provides a comprehensive overview of ways in which the academic, social, and emotional challenges that homeless youth face with schooling, as well as how the foundational principles of the social work profession inform social workers’ interventions with students. School social workers as a form of social capital that can be a bridge to success for homeless youth. Preventing high school dropout and increasing access to post-secondary options for students experiencing homelessness is a goal social workers and educators share; this paper helps us see where to help each other.

Author

• Kennesha Smith, Louisiana State University