Older Homeless Adolescent Legal Project

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri - 020049

Abstract Number: 020049

September 2002

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM) created the Older Homeless Adolescent Legal Project (OHALP) to provide free legal services to assist homeless youth from ages 15 through 21. The Project was established in 1997 through a grant from the St. Louis County Housing Resources Commission.

LSEM established a task force comprised of a wide range of representatives who work in social services, juvenile courts, children's homes, and area schools to determine the needs of homeless youth and appropriate ways to respond to these needs. The task force determined early on that making homeless teens aware of the resources available to them is crucial to improving their situations.

Since the task force was formed, several participating agencies have worked together to produce a pocket size Youth Yellow Pages which was distributed to homeless youth and service providers who work with homeless youth. A new edition of the Youth Yellow Pages is being developed. Another subcommittee of the task force works on policy issues.

The task force worked on a qualified minors act, which allows 16 and 17 year old teens to contract for housing, education, and health care thereby eliminating significant barriers that can prevent homeless teens from improving their situation. LSEM also published a book entitled "Keeping Kids in School: The Educational Rights of Homeless Children" that functions as a guide for parents, caregivers, school district personnel, and service providers to navigate homeless kids through school.

Contact Information:

Susan T. Harris
Housing and Homeless Projects
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc.
4232 Forest Park Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63108
Phone: (314) 534-4200
sharris@lsem.org

Additional Information:

• Older Homeless Adolescent Legal Project City Facts  ( 71k)

• Keeping Kids in School: The Educational Rights of Homeless Children  ( 1.24mb)

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