HelpCopsHelpUs: January 2014

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Homeless youth in America:Do we understand the behavioral nuances?

There is much to be said and even more to learn about what makes our homeless youth in America tick. And, we have to start with the assumption that notwithstanding their complicated even wretched past they have accepted homelessness as an adaptable option for their residential instability. Once this boundary has been crossed this new and forsaken lifestyle conditions a survival mindset -- and the arch nemesis to recovery is now exposed.

Youth living on the streets rarely deliberate options in future tense; thus, planning for the long term. The very nature of street survival is the here and now -- where will my next meal come from and where will I sleep tonight? The preference for smaller yet immediate outcomes is the most natural of human survival instincts and the adversary to delayed gratification for much larger but lingering rewards such as getting off the streets.

If a homeless youth is faced with two immediate yet conflicting opportunities such as spending his day scrapping metal from a construction site he stumbled upon or keeping an appointment with a case manager that may help him off the streets he will likely opt for the immediate reward of scrapping metal for proceeds to get him through the day. Considering this behavioral nuance how do we work around the rigid corporate culture of scheduled appointments if our devoted resolve is to help these youthful folks who don't carry so much as a watch.

Our first priority in developing any homeless youth recovery strategy should be in designing a system that accommodates the consumer we are trying to help instead of designing a system that accommodates the provider that is administering the system. If we should steadfastly live, work and breathe the same mantra: "if the homeless youth fails then we have failed, if the homeless youth succeeds the we have succeeded"we will properly realign our objectives with formulating a homeless youth recovery strategy that inherently works every time.

Deputy Steven Donaldson
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Homeless Initiative
District III Office: (813) 247-0330
Email: sdonalds@hcso.tamp.fl.us
Facebook.com/HelpCopsHelpUs

HelpCopsHelpUs.org

Welcome to Help Cops Help Us: A Homeless Initiative Blog

The Help Cops Help Us homeless initiative is a new problem-solving model centered on the root causes of homelessness. Its philosophy rests on the fundamental human principle that people, all people, will succumb to the human trait of inevitable behavior until intrigued or compelled to act differently.

The uniformed law enforcement officer is the epicenter of the street engagement model that uses a "coupling" technique, motivating each homeless candidate that becomes accountable to a singular and persistent mortal entity -- a street cop.

The coupling effect is a two-pronged approach where candidates who resist assistance and rehabilitation, by default will receive the law enforcement prong when behavior exhibits a callous disregard with laws and a communities desire in maintaining a certain quality of life.

The homeless candidate receives both direct and indirect assistance after a street assessment evaluates their individual needs and problems. We then solve their most basic problems so they may become self-sufficient.

We mend fences, rebuild character, solve their problems, then push them into the water where they are forced to learn how to swim again.

When they are off the streets and into housing we continue to monitor and follow-up until we are certain they have become self sufficient for long term sustainability.