Prevention for Impoverished Young Women in Shelters

Prevention for Impoverished Young Women in Shelters

PI: Suzanne Wenzel

Co-PIs: Elizabeth D'Amico, Marcia Ellison

Funded by: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Little is known about the transition to adulthood for adolescent females and young women who are impoverished and homeless, yet many of these individuals use illicit drugs, engage in risky sexual behaviors, and experience physical and sexual victimization. Evidence-based prevention approaches addressing these inter-related problems among young, impoverished women transitioning into adulthood are lacking. This project will contribute to the development of future, more intensive and larger research programs. The project's objectives are to enhance understanding of the transition to adulthood for impoverished adolescents and young women ages 18-25 who reside in homeless shelters, and explore the feasibility of adapting an intervention from our previous work with adolescents for use with impoverished adolescents and young women in preventing and reducing drug use, HIV risk behaviors and victimization. This project will be our first step in an innovative line of research to address a critical gap in prevention services for impoverished adolescents and young women. Our specific aims are to gather information on the transition to adulthood and design an innovative prevention intervention for impoverished adolescents and young women ages 18-25 using semi-structured interviews with adolescents and young women and collaboration and feedback via focus groups with shelter directors, case managers, and other providers of services to impoverished adolescents and young women We also plan to pilot test components of this innovative prevention intervention for impoverished adolescents and young women through focus groups.