Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Children and Youth Services Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth Asking for Change: Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a manualized photovoice intervention with youth experiencing homelessness Kimberly Bender a,⁎ , Anamika Barman-Adhikari a , Jonah DeChants a , Badiah Haffejee b,1 , Yolanda Anyon a , Stephanie Begun c , Andrea Portillo a,2 , Kaite Dunn a,3 a University of Denver, 2148 S. High Street, Denver, CO 80208, USA b Elizabethtown College, USA c University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Office 434, Toronto, ON M5S 1V4, Canada ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Photovoice Homeless Youth Participatory action research Intervention development ABSTRACT Photovoice is a participatory action research method that empowers participants to photograph their everyday lives as a means of documenting and advocating for their needs; it has rarely been utilized with young people experiencing homelessness. The current study examined the feasibility, accessibility, and preliminary outcomes associated with participation in Asking for Change, a manualized Photovoice intervention, among youth (ages 18–21) staying in a homeless shelter (N = 22). Multiple sources of data, including field observation, standar- dized pre-post measures, and qualitative exit interviews were collected across two cohorts of Asking for Change. Results suggest the intervention was feasible and highly acceptable to many young people, created new op- portunities to connect with young people, and, among those surveyed pre and post intervention (n = 9), was associated with improvements in communication skills, social connectedness, resiliency, and well-being. This article discusses the challenges and benefits inherent in doing this work and outlines a robust research agenda to move this knowledge base forward. 1. Introduction Numbering 1.6 million in the United States (Molino, McBride, & Kekwaletswe, 2007; Ringwalt, Greene, Robertson, & McPheeters, 1998; Whitbeck, 2009), homeless youth are defined as persons under age 25 who lack regular, fixed, and adequate nighttime residence, including youth in transitional or emergency shelters (42 USC § 11434a [2][B]). These young people experience many stressors, including physical and sexual victimization, mental health challenges, and engagement in risky sexual and drug use behaviors (Slesnick, Dashora, Letcher, Erdem, & Serovich, 2009). Despite the clear need for services and treatment (Gwadz et al., 2010), youth experiencing homelessness are often poorly linked to service providers (Feldmann & Middleman, 2003) and reluctant to engage in services (Hudson et al., 2010; Kurtz, Lindsey, Jarvis, & Nackerud, 2000) due, in part, to dis- trust of formal and informal support systems (Auerswald & Eyre, 2002). Researchers have increasingly emphasized the need for using novel methods to better engage and empower this population; exploring youths' unique perspectives is critical to developing culturally appropriate interventions tailored to their needs (Hieftje, Duncan, & Fiellin, 2014). Photovoice is one such innovative participa- tory action research method that empowers participants to photograph their everyday lives as a means of documenting and advocating for their needs, concerns, and struggles (Wang, Burris, & Xiang, 1996; Baker & Wang, 2006). This study examined the feasibility, accessibility, and preliminary outcomes associated with homeless youths' participa- tion in Asking for Change, a Photovoice intervention guided by a structured manual. 2. Background literature Photovoice is a participatory action research (PAR) method grounded in empowerment education, feminist theory, and doc- umentary photography. The approach involves providing participants with cameras so they can document their everyday lives and identify shared strengths and concerns in their communities (Wang & Burris, 1997). Participants then use their photos to create awareness via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.028 Received 14 June 2017; Received in revised form 25 August 2017; Accepted 25 August 2017 ⁎ Corresponding author at: 2148 S. High Street, Denver, CO 80208, USA. 1 Present address: Elizabethtown College, 1 Alpha Drive, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. 2 Present address: 2415 24th Street San Francisco CA. 3 Present address: 5577 Sawdust Loop, Parker, CO 80134. E-mail addresses: Kimberly.bender@du.edu (K. Bender), Anamika.BarmanAdhikari@du.edu (A. Barman-Adhikari), Jonah.Dechants@du.edu (J. DeChants), haffejeeb@etown.edu (B. Haffejee), Yolanda.Anyon@du.edu (Y. Anyon), stephanie.begun@utoronto.ca (S. Begun), aportillo2112@outlook.com (A. Portillo). Children and Youth Services Review 81 (2017) 379–389 Available online 26 August 2017 0190-7409/ © 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd. MARK