Impacts of homelessness on youth mental health

A Martínez is the host of Take Two and an L.A. native who grew up in Koreatown, attended Daniel Murphy High School, and played baseball at L.A. City College before getting a journalism degree at Cal State Northridge. A is well known to sports-talk radio listeners in Los Angeles as host of 710 KSPN’s "In the Zone." He’s done pre and post game shows for most of L.A.’s major professional and college sports teams, and is especially known as the long-time host of "Dodger Talk" and "Laker Line."

Daniel Ballin, LCSW, is the Director of Clinical Services at Covenant House California, Hollywood. As Director, Daniel supervises a team of clinicians and provides individual and group therapy to the youth experiencing homelessness. Daniel works with the entire Covenant House program and other community agencies to deliver comprehensive and trauma informed services to the Transitional Age Youth (TAY) population. Prior to his work at Covenant House, Daniel was a manager at the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Services, Inc., where he oversaw programs that worked directly with youth in the juvenile justice system. Daniel was also a manager at the Weingart Center Association (WCA) in Downtown Los Angeles where he oversaw a residential treatment program for over 130 homeless parolees.

Erin Casey, LCSW, is the director of programs at MyFriend's Place in Hollywood, CA and has 16 years experience creating and implementing trauma informed services and programs for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in a drop-in, community healing setting. Erin's orientation to the work is based on principles of ARC (Attachment, (Self) Regulation & Competency), SJYD (Social Justice Youth Development), harm reduction, and object relations. In her direct youth work, program development, staff supervision and advocacy, Erin centers the experience of homelessness as an issue of social, racial and economic justice.

Sarah Fay is a former foster youth who experienced homelessness. She is now a Campus Peer Navigator at Safe Place for Youth, an organization practicing trauma-informed care for homeless youth through street outreach, case management resources, education and employment programs.

Jennifer Myers is a former foster youth who experienced homelessness. She’s currently an advocate for foster youth and the homeless population, and enjoys supporting those who can’t advocate for themselves.

Angela M. Sanchez is the program officer for College Success at ECMC Foundation, a national funder dedicated to postsecondary opportunities for students. Formerly one of the thousands of homeless students living in Los Angeles, Angela completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UCLA, and now serves on the Board of Directors for School on Wheels, Inc., a Los Angeles–based nonprofit that provides academic support to K-12 students experiencing homelessness. Angela is also the author of Scruffy and the Egg, a children’s picture book about family homelessness and single-parenthood. Angela has participated in KPCC's programming including Take Two and Unheard LA.

Diane Tanaka, MD is the Medical Director of the Teenage and Young Adult Health Center at the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In addition, Dr. Tanaka is the Medical Director of the Homeless Adolescent and Young Adult Wellness Clinic and the My Voice Adolescent Transition Program. The Homeless Adolescent and Young Adult Wellness Clinic provides medical care, mental health services, and case management of adolescents and young adults experiencing homelessness in the Hollywood area. The My VOICE Transition Program prepares adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions to move from child-centered to adult-oriented health care systems.