Abstract
College and university students who are homeless are a population not well known inside or outside of higher education environments. These students have complex experiences as they progress toward graduation, and they are often undetected and unsupported in college environments. Social workers on and off campus can seek to support students in higher education. Social workers employed on college campuses have many opportunities to inform staff, faculty, and administrators about this largely hidden population. Specifically, linkages between students and existing support services are needed. Further, social workers employed on campus can take part in the development, implementation, and evaluation of services and support to mitigate and eliminate barriers to accessing existing supports. Outside of higher education environments, housing and support services delivered by community-based agencies provide students with critical resources, such as housing, case management, employment and academic services, and social supports. However, students also need support to navigate higher education and social services. This chapter will explore how social workers can and do support students attending colleges or universities while homeless.
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Notes
- 1.
Ronald E. Hallett is an associate professor of educational leadership in the Benerd School of Education at the University of the Pacific and research associate for the Pullias Center at the University of Southern California. For over 10 years, Hallett has been researching the intersections between homelessness and educational engagement. He has published a book that illustrates the social context of homeless teens – Educational Experiences of Hidden Homeless Teenagers (Routledge 2012). And, he coauthored a book that provides guidance for educators and educational leaders concerning how to address the issue of homelessness – Serving Students Who Are Homeless: A Resource Guide for Schools, Districts, and Educational Leaders (Teachers College Press 2017).
- 2.
For NAEHCY’s Unaccompanied Youth Toolkits for Counselors and Liaisons, see http://naehcy.org/toolkit-high-school-counselors
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Crutchfield, R.M., Meyer-Adams, N. (2019). “If I Don’t Fight for It, I Have Nothing”: Supporting Students Who Experience Homelessness While Enrolled in Higher Education. In: Larkin, H., Aykanian, A., Streeter, C.L. (eds) Homelessness Prevention and Intervention in Social Work. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03727-7_17
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