Mothering in the Streets: The Familial Adaptation Strategies of Street-Identified Black American Mothers.

Objective: Using components of the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response Model, Critical Race Feminism, and Sites of Resilience this study explored how street-identified Black American mothers engage in street life, while juggling the pressures of childrearing, family, and home life within a distressed, urban Black community.

Background: Street-identified Black American mothers are vilified for their intersecting identities of being Black women who are experiencing poverty, and who may also be involved in illegal activity. Black mothers are disproportionately represented in the criminal legal system, but existing research has inadequately examined how street-identified Black mothers "do" family in the confines of structural violence.

Diverse faces of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is one of the most common causes of serious injury among women. Domestic violence victims endure physical and psychological sequelae that often go undetected by the health care professionals they encounter. There are many barriers women who are victims of domestic violence face.

Child and Adolescent Social-Emotional Development Within the Context of School.

Children and adolescents exposed to violence may develop mental health problems, impacting their ability to develop appropriate social-emotional skills. Limited development of social-emotional skills has been associated with poor performance in school. A review of the literature was conducted to better understand social-emotional development in children and its role in a child's ability to function in the school setting.

Life skill interventions with homeless youth, domestic violence victims and adults with mental illness.

SUMMARY This paper presents three exploratory studies of life skills interventions (employment, money management or food/nutrition) with 73 homeless individuals from four shelters and supportive housing programs located in the urban Midwest for youth, victims of domestic violence and adults with mental illness. The Ansell Casey Life Skills Assessment was administered prior to the eight group and individual sessions. Quizzes and posttests indicated clinical change in all groups, with statistical significance in the domestic violence group.

Homeless youth: causes, consequences and the role of occupational therapy.

SUMMARY This paper reviews the current literature on youth homelessness in the United States and the role of occupational therapy with this population. Youth homelessness is increasing with many youths becoming homeless due to a myriad of causes such as abusive situations in their homes and decreases in affordable housing. Definitions, causes, physical and mental health consequences and the impact of homelessness on youths' development into adult roles are discussed.