Youth
Latest Stories
Delta-8, an unregulated form of THC, is popular among high school students
Derived from hemp, it has similar effects to delta-9 THC, the main intoxicant in marijuana. It's fueling a rise in calls to poison control.
In Oregon, a youth program prepares vulnerable landowners for wildfires
In a wildfire, overgrown brush can be the tinder that threatens a nearby home. Now, an Oregon nonprofit is offering to help property owners reduce their risk by clearing it away.
Homeless youth weigh in on ways to address Oregon’s ongoing crisis
Three young people with lived experience of homelessness share their ideas on how to improve support for Oregon’s homeless youth.
Homeless youth in Oregon rebuild their lives with $1,000 a month support
Oregon is one of a handful of places in the nation experimenting with giving unrestricted cash to homeless youth, known as direct cash transfers.
How fentanyl and social isolation have worsened youth homelessness crisis in Oregon
The rapid rise of fentanyl and the lingering social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are overwhelming an already inadequate network of services for young people with substance abuse issues.
Unhoused young adults in Oregon count on each other for support amid limited services
Oregon has the highest rate of unaccompanied, unsheltered youth in the nation. Meanwhile, the support systems for people experiencing homelessness are underfunded and often neglect the unique needs of people living on the streets who are barely out of high school. Without family or trusted adults to turn to, young people experiencing homelessness in Oregon are learning it’s up to them to take care of themselves.
Families hit with high costs, waitlists for youth rehab in Oregon and nationwide
The research led by Oregon Health & Science University finds that half of the treatment facilities surveyed nationally required an up-front payment averaging more than $28,000, and only a few facilities provide free service to people on Medicaid.
Oregon’s Medicaid insurers will redirect $25M in profits to youth mental health needs
Oregon has fewer beds available for youth with the most serious psychiatric needs than it did 20 years ago. The investments will go to four projects adding new psychiatric residential treatment beds, the governor says.
With youth overdose death rates soaring, Oregon offers free opioid reversal medication to schools
The initiative comes amid a big jump in the number of teens who’ve died from drug overdoses in the last five years.
Pacific Northwest organizations work to support queer Indigenous youth
In a study released Thursday by The Trevor Project, researchers found that Indigenous LGBTQ2S+ youth face disproportionate rates of mental health struggles including suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression.