A COLLABORATIVE MODEL FOR COMMUNITY-BASED HEALTH-CARE SCREENING OF HOMELESS ADOLESCENTS

Because of their survival life-style, homeless youth are at extremely high risk for contracting life-threatening and debilitating diseases, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and hepatitis B, and for en gaging in chronic substance abuse; yet health services are often limit ed and not easily accessed. This article describes an innovative healt h-screening project for 150 homeless youth between the ages of 11 and 23 years in an urban metroplex. The Homeless Youth Services Project wa s the initial phase of a multiphase project to investigate the social and health services available to homeless youth. The study project was a collaborative effort between several community agencies that shared the multiple goals of identifying the homeless adolescent population, documenting the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropreval ence and level of risk, and identifying community services and resourc es. Results of the screening project included the psychosocial and phy sical risks associated with homeless adolescents as well as the labora tory results of blood and urine screens. Consistent with the literatur e, the study population had a history of runaway behavior; physical, s exual, and substance abuse; and high rates of HIV seroprevalence and h epatitis B. Implications for advanced practice nurses working with hom eless youth are also addressed. (Index words: Adolescents; Assessment; Health screening; Homeless; Human immunodeficiency virus) J Prof Nurs 13:316-324, 1997. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.