The Columbus Dispatch – October 2, 2018 By Eric Lagatta The circumstances that bring young adults into the Star House near the University District vary from person to person, but they all share one thing in common: They need help. After all, whether they have an addiction, come from a broken home or can’t afford a place of their own, there’s a reason they’ve sought out the shelter for homeless youth in the first place. Beyond giving them a warm bed to sleep, though, getting t

The Columbus Dispatch – February 27, 2019 By Megan Henry The Motel 6 and Knights Inn on West Broad Street will be turned into Carol Stewart Village — 100 efficiency apartments for 18-24-year-olds coming out of foster care. A pair of blighted Columbus motels will be transformed into 100 apartments that will house young adults transitioning out of the foster care system. The former Motel 6 and Knights Inn complex off West Broad Street in Franklinton will become Carol Stewart Vi

Prizm News – May 1, 2018 By Celina Nader “It’s the little things,” says Sarah Douglas as she greets me at the Star House check-in desk. She’s the volunteer coordinator at this homeless youth center—the only research-based drop-in center in the United States—but it’s clear upon spending just a few minutes with her that she wears more than one hat. As she takes me on a tour through the building, each young adult she passes gives her a smile, updates her on something exciting in

PI, Dr. Irene Hatsu, OSU, Human Nutrition – An important challenge of homelessness is access to food, which mediates nutritional and other health outcomes. Optimal nutrition is fundamental to the biological, biochemical and physiological functioning of the human body. As such, nutritional vulnerabilities can cause disruptions in such processes, contributing to the initiation and/or exacerbation of disease conditions. In fact, poor diet quality and nutrient consumption pattern

PI, Dr. Jodi Ford, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University – As homeless youth experience a greater number of stressful events, and with higher levels of severity on a daily basis and across their lifetime, than youth in the general population, our lack of understanding of the biological impact that these exposures have on homeless youths’ physical and mental health in the short-term, as well as across their life span, limits understanding of which youth are most vulner

PI, Dr. Natasha Slesnick, OSU College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University – Prior studies focused on youth experiencing homelessness have focused on service-connected youth – those in drop-in centers or shelters, but research suggests that most street living homeless youth (90%) do not access services meant to assist them. This study overcame prior gaps in research through the testing of a comprehensive intervention for non-service connected youth that co

PI, Dr. Natasha Slesnick, OSU College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University – Housing First/Pathways to Housing is a newer approach to ending homelessness that accepts shelter/housing as a basic right and the first step towards successful interventions of any type. Housing First proposes that: i) individuals be placed into longer term housing as soon as possible, ii) client strengths and choices direct initial supportive services offered, iii) shared accoun

PI, Dr. Lynn Rew, University of Texas-Austin, College of Nursing/ Co-I Natasha Slesnick, The Ohio State University – Although youth experiencing homelessness often have unpredictable lives, they also have inherent strengths such as optimism, hope, self-efficacy, and gratitude that represent psychological capital. Psychological capital has been shown to be a strong motivator of behavior. In collaboration with the University of Texas-Austin, OSU and STAR House are testing “The

PI, Dr. Natasha Slesnick, OSU College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University – Dr. Natasha Slesnick and the STAR House continue to seek effective interventions for those who are in danger of hurting themselves and who have suicidal ideation. Therapists at the STAR house were trained in, “The Cognitive Therapy Intervention for Suicide Attempters” and provided the intervention to STAR House clients. Data collection for this study was completed in June 2018 and

PI, Dr. Natasha Slesnick, OSU College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University – Homeless Youths are more likely to have high rates of mental health problems, substance use, and HIV risk. Unfortunately, there was little guidance to providers on how to best to serve these youth. In an effort to better serve homeless youth, Dr. Slesnick collaborated with STAR House and recruited 270 participants who were randomly assigned one of three interventions: the Communit

PI, Dr. Julianna Nemeth, OSU College of Public Health The Ohio State University – One million homeless youth aged 24 years and younger smoke, representing a smoking prevalence of 70% ― 2.5 times higher than in other youth populations. Homeless youth typically smoke half of a pack daily, report high nicotine dependence, and engage in risky smoking practices including sharing cigarettes or smoking discarded butts, which raises risk of communicable disease in addition to tobacc

PI, Dr. Brittany Brakenhoff, OSU Education and Human Ecology – Interviews with 30 youth and 100 quantitative assessments were administered in order to better understand homeless youths’ perceptions of their sexual risk behaviors and the perceived benefits and consequences of sexual risk behaviors, as well as attitudes about pregnancy. Findings suggested that the high stress context of homelessness was the biggest factor in homeless youth’s decision making in terms of risky s

The Columbus Dispatch – July 16, 2018 By Abbey Marshall Skye Vanek of Columbus was five months pregnant when she became homeless. After her house burned down, the 21-year-old bounced between hotels, even living in her boyfriend’s car for a time. But she knew she needed a plan. She was told if she didn’t find permanent housing soon, her daughter could be taken away from her. That’s when she discovered Huckleberry House, a Columbus shelter that provided Vanek and her daughter w

Columbus Business First–June 1, 2018 By Doug Buchanan We’ve been writing about housing a lot lately because it’s become a defining economic development issue not just in Columbus, but across the country. Fast-growing cities are grappling with how to ensure there’s adequate and affordable housing for their swelling populations, and there’s also an increasing awareness that housing will play an important role in site selection decisions as companies look toensure their workers

PRIZM News–May 2, 2018 By Celina Nader From food and clothing to art and basketball, the Columbus Center is a lifeline in Central Ohio. “It’s the little things,” says Sarah Douglas as she greets me at the Star House check-in desk. She’s the volunteer coordinator at this homeless youth center—the only research-based drop-in center in the United States—but it’s clear upon spending just a few minutes with her that she wears more than one hat. As she takes me on a tour through th

OSU – The Lantern – Mar 23, 2018 By Amal Saeed Art is a powerful medium, and the Visible Invisible is using it to challenge perceptions of youth homelessness through its fourth-annual show Saturday. The Visible Invisible is a student organization aimed to raise awareness and empower homeless youth through the arts and friendships. “The Art Show by All, for All” will have art pieces from homeless young adults from the Columbus area. “We hope to not only spread awareness about

December 20, 2013 Article published by National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth What works to help homeless youth deal with the issues that contribute to their homelessness, like family conflict and substance abuse? Natasha Slesnick, professor at The Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, and director of a drop-in center for homeless youth ages 14 to 24, is getting to the bottom of that question.