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Access to Mental Health Treatment:[[link removed]]
Unhoused Youth and Young Adults[[link removed]]
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The Advocates Path to Better State Policy
Presented by National Homelessness Law Center
 
 
 
 
Dear Law Center supporters,
 
The Law Center believes that everybody regardless of age, race, sexuality, or gender needs a safe place to live. Sadly, that reality is out of reach for far too many people, including far too many youth and young adults. Many of these young people report high rates of childhood abuse, violence and victimization both before[[link removed]] and after[[link removed]] homelessness, not to mention the profound trauma caused by housing instability in and of itself.[[link removed]] Access to mental health treatment alone will not solve youth homelessness. But it is an important tool in helping young people heal from the trauma of homelessness and in maintaining safe and stable housing. 
 
As such, we are pleased to announce the release of Part Two of our series examining the legal and advocacy landscape in every state and D.C. that details how unhoused youth and young adults can access mental health care.
 
Part One: The Legal Guide[[link removed]] outlines the legal rights and resources that currently exist for unhoused youth and young adults, ranging from states that remove unnecessary barriers to services that improve access to states that  block or greatly restrict needed care.  
 
Part Two: The Advocate's Guide[[link removed]] is a resource for advocates looking to improve the legal landscape for unhoused youth to access mental health treatment in their state. With state specific suggestions and summaries of relevant Youth Homelessness Index[[link removed]] policy scores, it is our hope that this guide will not only inform but also inspire effective advocacy efforts across the country.  
 
Both parts of the report series are available for download[[link removed]] on the Youth Homelessness Index website, which you can now find at www.youthhomelessnessindex.org[[link removed]].  
 
Please share these resources with your networks to maximize their impact!  
 
Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at [email protected][mailto:[email protected]]. And a heartfelt thank you to Alston&Bird, who coordinated research teams from their firm and beyond to make these guides possible!   
 
In Solidarity,  
Katie Meyer Scott, Youth Homelessness Director  
   
P.S. If you are an unhoused youth or young adult in need of legal services to help you navigate and advocate for your rights, please visit the Homeless Youth Legal Network[[link removed]] page of the Youth Homelessness Index[[link removed]] website to find help in your area! If you are having trouble finding legal services, you can contact Kelly Russo of the ABA by emailing [email protected][mailto:[email protected]]
 
 
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 Find more resources for youth and young adults:
www.youthhomelessnessindex.org[[link removed]]
 
Find legal help in your area:
www.youthhomelessnessindex.org/legal-help[[link removed]]
 
Learn more about the
Law Center:
www.homelesslaw.org[[link removed]]

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National Homelessness Law Center
1400 16th Street NW
Suite 425
Washington, DC 20036

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