TABLE 1.

History-taking

Important questions include but are not limited to the following:

Do you consider yourself to be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless? Where do you sleep? (eg, in a shelter, couch surfing, group home) Where does your daily food come from? (eg, a drop-in centre, food bank, school programs, or none of these) Do you feel safe? (eg, experience violence or sexual coercion) Do you know one adult that you can depend on? (specifically, try to determine child welfare status, whether they are currently connected to a social worker, significant adults in their life, and assess sources of financial support) How do you get your money? (eg, a job, social assistance, illegal activity [specifically, selling drugs, the sex trade, panhandling, stealing])

Home, Education, Eating, Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, Suicide, Safety (HEEADSSS)(38)

Conduct a thorough HEEADSSS assessment, devoting specific attention to: History of homelessness, current living situation (ie, shelter or housing program) History of domestic violence History of abuse Learning disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder At-risk behaviours, notably: ∘ substance use ∘ survival sex ∘ unprotected sexual intercourse or unprotected sex Involvement with the justice system: ∘ arrests ∘ probation ∘ recently incarcerated Mental health history Dental health Immunizations

Physical examination

A complete physical examination is important because many street-involved youth have never undergone a comprehensive medical assessment. Areas not to forget: Vitals, height, weight and body mass index Vision and hearing screen Skin (feet in particular). Look for needle tracks and evidence of self-harm Respiratory examination for upper respiratory tract infection and asthma Genitourinary examination for signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections Sexual maturity rating