February 07, 2024

Engaging youth experiencing homelessness in research: Strategies & lessons learned from three programs of work in North America

Explore tools that contribute to successful research with youth experiencing homelessness in a 90-minute workshop webinar!

Join leading research experts as they share strategies and lessons learned from impactful programs in North America.

Background: 

In research, it is important to have diverse voices and gain information from a range of perspectives yet hard-to-reach populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness, often face underrepresentation. Historical neglect and a general lack of interest in non-mainstream voices contribute to this issue. Distrust among marginalized communities, stemming from past mistreatment, further hinders engagement in research. Logistical challenges, such as limited access and transience, make these groups difficult to reach consistently. Consequently, recruitment, participation, and retention of marginalized groups in research remain low. 

This lack of representation leads to the development of evidence-based strategies and policies without direct input from these groups, resulting in healthcare systems that are ill-equipped to serve their needs. Transformational change at a systems-level is imperative to address this problem.

In this interactive workshop, we discuss a framework to address this issue developed amongst research teams from Canada and the United States. The framework highlights five fundamental pillars that stand as cornerstones for successful research engagement:

  1. Authenticity: Prioritizing respectful, genuine, and warm interactions that acknowledge the autonomy and identities of participants.
  2. Accessibility: Adapting research activities with ease, comfort, and participant needs at the forefront.
  3. Communication: Fostering open and clear communication among all stakeholders involved in the research process.
  4. Collaboration: Embracing collaboration between researchers, agencies, and diverse team members, including those with lived experiences.
  5. Flexibility: Allowing projects to evolve over time-based on team and participant feedback, fostering increased engagement.

Key Workshop Takeaways:

  • Hear firsthand from experts about the hurdles faced when engaging hard-to-reach populations, especially youth who’ve experienced homelessness.

  • Explore time-tested principles guiding successful research engagement, extracted from years of work across Canada and the USA.

  • Dive into practical examples and engage in interactive discussions and breakout rooms, applying principles to your unique research context.

Who should join?

Researchers keen on involving hard-to-reach populations in their studies will gain valuable insights. Clinicians working with these populations will also find transferable strategies for ongoing engagement.

Ready to break barriers? Secure your spot now and transform your approach to inclusive and impactful research!

Event details

February 9, 2024, 12pm-1:30PM ET

Click here for more information and to register

Disclaimer
The analysis and interpretations contained in these blog posts are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.