title: Utilizing technology for longitudinal communication with homeless youth.
abstract: The current study investigated forms of technology (phone calls, texts, email and Facebook) for maintaining contact with homeless youth over baseline, 1-week, 6-week, and 3-month follow-up interviews. The study combined quantitative tracking of youths' response patterns and open-ended interviews regarding youths' preferred methods of communication. Results indicate that maintaining communication with homeless youth requires persistence, including frequent contact attempts over several days. Cell phone contacts (calls or texts) were most successful in communicating with youth, with e-mail and Facebook messaging useful when phones were lost or stolen. Youth who maintained contact were strikingly similar to youth who discontinued contact.
authors.affiliation: a Graduate School of Social Work , University of Denver , Denver , Colorado , USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Begun
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DePrince
authors.forename: Badiah
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haffejee
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D040421:Cell Phone; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D018453:Homeless Youth; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D060756:Social Networking; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013685:Telecommunications; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: communication; homeless; longitudinal; retention; tracking; youth