Youth and Allies Against Homelessness: Mixed-methods evaluation of California state funding to address youth homelessness - YEDI Affiliated Project
Colette (Coco) Auerswald, Professor
Public Health
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
Youth and Allies Against Homelessness (YAAH) is a research team based in i4Y (Innovations for Youth), a Berkeley School of Public Health research center. YAAH is made up of youth community members with lived experience of homelessness and undergraduate and graduate students who have experienced homelessness and/or who have demonstrated a commitment to ending homelessness, and a faculty lead, Coco Auerswald, MD, MS.
Our lab has the goal of addressing and ending youth homelessness in the United States. To reach this goal, we conduct research and evaluation studies with the aim of generating a body of evidence that can be used to impact the implementation of programs for youth experiencing homelessness (YEH), as well as policies related to addressing and ending youth homelessness.
We are currently working on a mixed-methods evaluation of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) youth set-aside funds in California to understand if additional state funds make a difference for YEH in California. The evaluation has the goal of developing guidelines with best practices for the implementation of youth set-aside funds, assessing the impact of youth set-aside funds on youth wellbeing, and using an innovative methodological approach to calculate the evidence-based recommended proportion of the HHAP that should be allocated to the youth set-aside funds.
We employ a variety of research methods and tools, including literature reviews, qualitative methods (e.g., interviews and focus groups), and quantitative methods (e.g., primary and secondary data analysis). We generally also have the input of a broad range of stakeholders, including YEH, Continuums of Care (CoCs), and other jurisdiction staff, providers, policymakers, advocates, and subject matter experts.
We are looking for undergraduate students (second-years and above) who are interested in committing to the lab for at least one year, i.e., for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters, and who would be potentially interested in being part of the lab for a longer period if the opportunity arises. Interested first-years are encouraged to apply during their second year.
During their time in the lab, students will: 1) learn more about youth homelessness in California and the United States and the systems that address services for youth experiencing homelessness; 2) receive training on different research methods and tools, including literature reviews, interviews, focus groups, surveys, secondary data analysis, as well as training on other topics of interest to the students; 3) develop data gathering tools (e.g., interviews, focus groups, and surveys); 4) conduct literature reviews, interviews, and surveys; and, 5) be part of a passionate team of undergraduate and graduate students who share the goal of addressing and ending youth homelessness.
Role: Specific tasks:
-- Learn and teach fellow team members about homelessness in California
-- Assist project leads in the design of research instruments, including interview and focus group guides and surveys
-- Identify and conduct outreach to organizations that work with youth experiencing homelessness (YEH)
-- Collect and organize raw data on YEH from a variety of sources
-- Collaborate with project leads in the implementation of a statewide survey of communities receiving state funds
-- Collaborate with project leads in conducting interviews with stakeholders
-- Collaborate in the organization and cleaning of administrative data
-- Collaborate in the organization and cleaning of survey data
-- Collaborate in the organization of qualitative data
-- Collaborate with the project leads on a data analysis plan for the qualitative and/or quantitative analysis plan
-- Collaborate with project leads in the analysis of the administrative, survey, and qualitative data
-- Perform administrative responsibilities, including: meeting scheduling, note taking, meeting logistical support, data entry, etc.
-- Other duties as assigned
If you are selected for this research project, you will be given the opportunity to join the Youth Equity Discovery Initiative (YEDI) program. YEDI is a research apprenticeship and mentorship program that supplements your URAP research work with weekly workshops in both Fall and Spring semesters. YEDI creates a cohort of undergraduate scholars (usually around 20-30, many from underrepresented backgrounds) who are working on youth equity research projects such as this one. The year-long program utilizes cascading mentorship, skill-building workshops, and professional development to provide supportive pathways into research careers, service, and leadership addressing adolescent inequities and well-being. Scholars greatly benefit from (and enjoy!) the extra training and support, as well as the professional development opportunities (including faculty guest speakers, graduate student and practitioner panels). The program culminates in a research presentation.
The 2024-2025 YEDI cohort will meet on Tuesdays from 4:30 - 6:00pm beginning September 24th. In order to take part in the YEDI program, you MUST be able to attend the workshops at this time. As a YEDI scholar, you will sign up for a PH198 class and receive 1 unit. This is in addition to the units you receive for your URAP research project. For any questions about YEDI, please contact Marieka Schotland at mschotland@berkeley.edu or visit our website here. YEDI participation is encouraged but not required.
Qualifications: Qualifications: Equity and inclusion are core values of this project. We highly encourage students from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to apply. This evaluation will seek to raise the visibility of indigenous youth experiencing homelessness. We welcome and encourage students from indigenous communities to apply. We are looking for undergraduate students who have expertise in EITHER quantitative, qualitative, and/or policy research and methods. We expect applicants to have experience in ONLY one of these three areas. We are also looking for a range of qualifications, but we are NOT expecting students to have experience with all of the qualifications we are listing below.
A) GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS: ESSENTIAL: 1) We are particularly interested in engaging students from marginalized backgrounds who have lived experience with homelessness OR have worked with people who have experienced homelessness OR with marginalized youth populations. 2) Be at least a second-year undergraduate student. 3) Interest in working in research and/or data analysis. 4) Ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member. 5) Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and strong initiative. 6) Open to accepting, acting on, and providing feedback. 7) Excellent oral and written communication skills. 8) Able to attend mandatory, in-person weekly lab meetings on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:00pm. PREFERRED: 1) Experience working with or in community-based organizations for youth and/or for people experiencing homelessness. 2) Passionate about working with adolescents and young adults. 3) Experience working on policy-related research projects. AND/OR 4) Knowledge of policy analysis, theoretical frameworks and methodologies.
B) For students who want to work on QUANTITATIVE aspects of the project, we are looking for the following skills. ESSENTIAL: 1) Experience using R or STATA for statistical analysis (basic to intermediate skills). 2) Some knowledge and experience in data management. 3) Knowledge of statistical methods, such as experience calculating basic statistics (e.g., percentages or mean/median/mode). PREFERRED: 1) Strong biostatistics skills. 2) Experience with Qualtrics software. 3) Experience with SQL. 4) Ability to prepare tables, charts, and other visual aids. 5) Skills in quantitative data analysis planning and execution. 6) Skills regarding survey development. 7) Experience with administrative data.
C) For students who want to work on QUALITATIVE aspects of the project, we are looking for the following skills. QUALITATIVE SKILLS (for students who want to work on the qualitative aspects of the project: ESSENTIAL: 1) Excellent oral and written communication skills. 2) Passion for learning qualitative methods. 3) Experience suggesting potential for conducting qualitative research (interpersonal skills, prior interview experience in other settings, service or volunteer experience, or the like). PREFERRED: 1) Previous experience conducting interviews and/or focus groups. 2) Knowledge of how to create codebooks for qualitative analysis. 3) Knowledge of qualitative research designs and theoretical frameworks. 4) Previous experience using qualitative analysis software (e.g., Dedoose, Atlas.ti, MAXQDA)
Weekly Hours: Most students commit 6-8 hrs (2 units). Students have the option of committing 8-10 hours (3 units). These hours include mandatory weekly in-person meetings (Wednesdays, 3:30-5:00PM).
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Laura Petry, Post-Doctoral Fellow
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Related website: https://sph.berkeley.edu/colette-auerswald
Related website: https://yaah.berkeley.edu/