SJSU Professor Lewis Aptekar

To end homelessness, youth and young adults need stable housing, supportive access to caring adults, and access to mainstream services that will place them on a path to long-term success, explains Dr. Lewis Aptekar. In addition, according to Dr.Lewis Aptekar , reunifying youth with family or a support system, when safe and appropriate, should be at the core of any approach to ending homelessness. Young adults may also require broader education and employment supports, and may need more short and long-term housing options, including rapid re-housing. To end homelessness for youth, we must: Prioritize family reunification or support as the initial intervention for youth experiencing homelessness. Most youth return home to family, and programs interacting with youth can facilitate that process when safe and appropriate. Basic programs already prioritize this, but other youth-serving programs and coordinated entry systems should also adopt it as an initial focus. Family in

Lewis Aptekar is a former professor at San Jose University in California. He was the Director of the Human Corps at the university from 1990 to 1995, and later LewisAptekar became the Associate Dean of the Connie L. Lurie College of Education where he was in charge of several academic committees, the Institute for Educational Research, and the Entrance Academy. He taught Educational Psychology and Counselor Education for over 30 years and retired recently. For more detail visit:  http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=687555