James Van Leeuwen

The Social Construction of Homeless Youth: the Public Policy of Collaboration James Van Leeuwen

This book examines the social constructions that the public, private and nonprofit sectors form of homeless youth in Denver, Colorado. The purpose is to determine how these social constructions are articulated and, furthermore, to identify the public policy implications to facilitating collaboration across sectors and reducing youth homelessness in alignment with Denver's Road Home, the City and County of Denver's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. A review of current research provides an accurate description of the situation of homeless youth in Denver, emphasizing heightened rates of substance abuse, mental illness and abuse. This book suggests that to shift social constructions of homeless youth it is important that they are active participants in dialogue with the public, private and nonprofit sectors and that they are involved in educating all three sectors about the issues confronting them. Overall, actors are more likely to construct homeless youth as dependent and there is a willingness to let homeless youth participate in the policy and decision making process.