Revisiting the Real Life Scenarios
Enzo
At the beginning of the chapter, we met Enzo. He had been kicked out of his home following ongoing family disputes and disagreements. His acting out behaviour has provided challenges both in the home and in the youth shelter.
We need to ask ourselves:
- How does Enzo’s story make you feel? Can you relate to or imagine the challenges of adolescence and family discord? Give some consideration to the effect of this trauma on Enzo.
- In this chapter, Dr. Firang spoke of the ‘micro’, ‘mezzo’, and ‘macro’ impacts on youth homelessness. Using similar but different language, Dr. Schwan spoke of the impact of interpersonal, structural, and systemic challenges. In the case of Enzo’s story, what factors do you think have come into play? Do you think the impact in each of these domains would change if Enzo was transgender?
Jake
We met Jake who is in the process, once again, of transitioning out of homelessness. He has a wrap around team working with him to increase his odds of success.
We need to ask ourselves:
- What social determinants of health need to be taken into consideration in planning for Jake? What would you consider in person-centred planning for him?
- Dr. Thulien spoke of the daily struggles homeless youth face in making this transition and key components that need to be in place for success. What components of Jake’s story suggest that this transition may be successful? What are some of the risks for derailing his success? How does Jake’s story make you feel?
Miriam
Miriam is a grade one student who teachers believe is living in a car with her family. Dr. Nichols discusses the “duty to report” obligation of the teachers and also speaks to the fact that the child welfare system in Canada needs to be fixed. Dr. Nichols discusses the link between time spent in the child welfare system and the probability of experiencing youth homelessness.
We need to ask ourselves:
- Miriam is a child marginalized by her peers, living in poverty and experiencing significant trauma in her young life. How does Miriam’s story make you feel? When you consider her story in light of the Adverse Childhood Experiences [ACE] study, what do you see as the long-term effects of her early life?
- What impact do you think social isolation has on Miriam as she is developing her sense of self? What if her story took place during the COVID-19 pandemic? How does her story make you feel?
- Dr. Schwan and Dr. Kennelly have highlighted the significant importance of prevention-focused care to avoid the tragic effects of youth homelessness. What opportunities might there be in the education system for making early connections and beginning a journey of family-centred planning?
