Assessing and treating complex mental health needs among homeless youth in a shelter-based clinic.

Background: Rates of homelessness have been increasing in recent years, thereby necessitating a more direct approach to treating this complex social problem. Homeless youth have disproportionately high rates of untreated mental health problems and are therefore particularly vulnerable to the effects of homelessness during the transition period from adolescence to adulthood.

Methods: The study team developed a shelter-based clinic and collected clinical measures on youth who attended this clinic from October 2016 through June 2018.