This dissertation investigates factors that facilitate effective collaboration of networks functioning within the context of a federal homeless policy—the HEARTH Act of 2009. While the federal legislation encourages networked collaboration to address the incidence of homelessness, not all networks are effective in achieving their intended purpose. Using a nationwide sample of homeless networks, this research explores the role that nonprofit organizations play in the collaborative process and models the effect of individual leadership, nonprofit-led network, and community nonprofit capacity on two levels of network effectiveness—network and community—using multivariate regression modeling. Results indicate that nonprofits play a significant role as participants of the collaboration process and as leading agents of homeless networks. In addition, the variation in network effectiveness is explained by multidimensional factors.

abstract: On a given night in 2018, over half a million people were experiencing homelessness in the United States, and of those, about 36,000 were youth under the age of 25. Music is an indispensable part of young people’s identities and cultures, and understanding the ways in which homeless youth define their own musical preferences and use of music can help music therapists intervene effectively in youth homelessness as part of an interdisciplinary care team. The purpose of this project was twofold: 1) to conduct a descriptive research project pertaining to homeless young adults’ use of music and 2) to develop recommendations for music therapists based on research findings from the descriptive project and extant literature. Thirty-one homeless young adults (ages 18-26) were recruited for interviews from two resource centers serving homeless youth in a large metropolitan city in a southwestern state. Template analysis was used to systematically analyze and code participants’ verbatim transcripts from the interviews into a codebook. Quotes from the interviews were used to illustrate themes. Findings included that homeless youth used music, especially metal and rap, for coping and mood regulation, and that youth are also engaged in creative music making, especially singing and songwriting for self-expression. For some youth, certain music can be identity-forming (for better or worse) and certain other music can be triggering. Results are integrated with a review of literature and recommendations for practicing clinicians are presented. Music therapy with this population would likely yield best outcomes by using short-term interventions and culturally competent application of clients’ preferred music. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Music Therapy 2019

Depuis le milieu des années 1990, les foyers de travailleurs migrants sont progressivement réhabilités dans le cadre d'un Plan de traitement national et transformés en résidences sociales, dispositif de logement d'insertion destiné aux personnes défavorisées. Au cœur de ces transformations qui tendent vers une banalisation des foyers, un objet cristallise les tensions : le « foyer africain » et ses modes de fonctionnement communautaires. Que recouvrent concrètement ces transformations ? Que nous disent-elles de la gestion politique des migrants isolés et du traitement du fait communautaire dans le contexte français ? Pour répondre à ces questions, la recherche est centrée sur un organisme gestionnaire historiquement spécialisé dans l'hébergement des migrants africains : l'Aftam. L'analyse repose sur trois types d'investigation : le premier porte sur les cadres nationaux de l'action publique à travers l'analyse des textes officiels et des discours des acteurs ; le deuxième s'inscrit dans une perspective socio-historique et cherche à retracer la genèse et la trajectoire de l'Aftam ainsi que de ses « foyers africains » ; le troisième repose sur l'observation ethnographique de quatre projets de restructuration de foyers Aftam et en particulier des scènes d'interaction entre résidents et acteurs institutionnels. Cette thèse montre que les modes de vie communautaires propres aux foyers hébergeant des migrants africains, décriés par les pouvoirs publics dans la période contemporaine, ont été construits dans le temps long et dans l'interaction entre les résidents et le gestionnaire, qui les a encouragés à l'origine puis tolérés jusqu'à la période récente. Aussi, la mise en œuvre du Plan de traitement au sein de l'Aftam donne à voir les contradictions de l'action publique et les hésitations du gestionnaire face aux modes de vie communautaires et aux pratiques culturelles spécifiques, en particulier religieuses, des migrants résidant en foyer. Entre traitement spécifique et droit commun, entre approche différentialiste et modèle universaliste, des conceptions idéologiques s'opposent dans les discours. Pour autant, la mise en œuvre de la transformation des foyers, vue à travers le prisme de l'Aftam, met en évidence des positions plus hybrides et plus pragmatiques, qui tendent vers un rapprochement du droit commun, sans jamais vraiment l'atteindre, et vers la tolérance, si ce n'est la reconnaissance, des pratiques communautaires et culturelles spécifiques. Mais cette tolérance s'acquiert généralement au prix de la construction d'un rapport de force entre résidents et institutions / Since the mid-1990s, a national program has been in place in order to renovate migrant workers' hostels (known as foyers), which were built in France mainly in the 1970s. Having been renovated, these hostels are used as “social residences”, a kind of supported and temporary accommodation for “vulnerable groups”. This transformation from hostels for migrant workers to social residences has distracted from the original purpose of providing accommodation to post-colonial immigrants by opening up these residences to non-immigrants as well. What constitutes these transformations and what do they signify? What do they tell us about policies towards migrant workers and ethnic communities in France? In order to address these questions, we have focused our research on a social landlord historically specialized in managing “Black Africans' hostels”: Aftam. The analysis draws from three types of qualitative approach : first, we have analysed the framework of national public policy using official documents and semi-structured interviews with key actors; second, we have investigated Aftam's archives in order to throw new light as the origin and history of this organization and its “Black Africans' hostels”; third, we have conducted ethnographic observation of the renovation project in four different hostels managed by Aftam, focusing on observing the interaction between migrants, representatives from Aftam and representatives from local authorities. This thesis demonstrates that community life, cultural practices and informal economic activities existing in Black Africans' hostels, which are condemned by many national institutions today, have developed through a long-term process, as a consequence both of the migrants living in the hostels and the landlord (Aftam) encouraging them to do so. Moreover, the implementation of renovation projects in Aftam's hostels emphasizes the contradictions of national public policy and also the hesitations of Aftam to address the demands of the communities in question, particularly concerning their cultural and religious practices. The actors involved in the transformation of migrant workers' hostels are from between the contrasting ideologies of multiculturalism and universalism. Nevertheless, the implementation of this policy by Aftam appears more pragmatic than ideological and the collective action of the migrant residents creates a power struggle with the institutions. Ultimately, this has led to a form of tolerance, rather than a total ignorance or absolute recognition of cultural, religious and ethnic minority practices

Undoubtedly, runaway and homeless youth (RHY) are one of the most vulnerable, yet underserved groups in our country. Well-meaning advocates have developed programs and services in an attempt to remedy this, yet there is little evidence of their effectiveness. Moreover, according to the research literature, a low utilization rate of current services by youth is a major concern. From a constructivist theoretical position, this study posits that the missing element is youth voice and the researcher hired formerly homeless youth to conduct the analysis of focus group data gathered from RHY who were participating in a range of services funded by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. By employing participatory action research (PAR) methods, this study privileges youth voice and asks two research questions; 1) what are current program models doing right with regards to RHY services, and 2) what can be learned by employing youth analysts in research. Findings indicate that how services are offered is as important as what services are offered. Additionally, by privileging youth and providing meaningful participation, youth are exceptionally capable to develop and evaluate services, programs and policy. Youth workers must continue to privilege youth voice if they hope to effect change in the lives of young people. If not, services will continue to play a key role in keeping RHY as one of the most marginalized groups in our society.