TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file a report requested by Councilwoman Price from the California State University Long Beach Anthropology Department on their recent research and findings on the topic of Long Beach homelessness and outreach efforts.
DISCUSSION
INTRODUCTION:
In 2017 the California State University Long Beach (CSULB) Anthropology Department worked with the Third District Council Office to commit to a project studying one of the most difficult questions we seek to solve when trying to address homelessness.
Graduate and undergraduate anthropology students conducted community-based research to study the experiences and approaches of the Homeless Services Outreach Team (commonly known as the "Street Team") as they interact with people experiencing homelessness. To understand the complexity of homeless ness and how the City of Long Beach addresses the issue, students enrolled in two courses-one was designed to train students in ethnographic research methods, while the other provided articles and policy reports to contextualize the issue locally. Before the class started and students entered the field, Dr. Karen Quintiliani and Mitra Baghdadi met with Councilwoman Price and spent 3 months working with the Street Team, attending outreach network group meetings, and accompanying outreach operations with the various Street Team members.
The Anthropology Department utilized students to develop questions to interview individuals experiencing homelessness, during joining the Long Beach Health Department's Homeless Outreach Teams. The project sought to study what leads homeless individuals to refuse the services that are available to them that would playa role in getting them off the streets or addressing the cause or any symptoms of their homelessness.
Over the course of 2 years they were able to develop a research plan, conduct the outreach, elicit responses to their questionnaire, evaluate the data collected, and publish their findings. On Apri...
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