The Identity Project: An Evaluation of an Identity Capital Intervention for Young People Transitioning Out of Homelessness
Phase: NA
Conditions: Youth, Homelessness
Sponsor: Unity Health Toronto

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
Version Date: January 11, 2019 
 
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The Identity Project: An Evaluation of an Identity Capital Intervention for 
Young People Transitioning Out of Homelessness 
 
NCT 03772522 
January 11th, 2019 
 
 
Naomi S Thulien1,2, NP-PHC, PhD; Stephen W Hwang2,3,4, MD, MPH 
 
1. School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada 
2. MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St 
Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada 
3. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, 
Toronto, ON, Canada 
4. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 
 
 
 
Corresponding Author: 
 
Naomi S Thulien, NP-PHC, PhD 
School of Nursing 
McMaster University 
1280 Main Street West 
Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8 
Canada 
Phone: 1 9055259140 ext 28690 
Email: thulienn@mcmaster.ca 
 

 
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1. Background and Rationale 
Young people comprise almost 20% of the homeless population in Canada.1 It is estimated 
between 35,000 and 40,000 Canadian youth (aged 13 – 25 years) are homeless at some point 
during the year and at least 6,000 on any given night.2 In Toronto, an estimated 1,000 – 2,000 
youth find themselves searching for a place to sleep on any given night.3  
 
Transitioning off the Streets 
While we know a great deal about the risk factors associated with young people entering and 
remaining entrenched in street life (e.g., intergenerational poverty, childhood abuse, 
inadequate education, and limited employment opportunities), we know much less about how 
to facilitate and sustain transitions off the streets for youth experiencing homelessness.4-6 In 
fact, in the peer-reviewed literature, there have only been three published longitudinal studies 
examining the life-trajectories of formerly homeless young people who were all housed at 
baseline,5,7-8 and no published rigorous interventions targeting housing outcomes, life-
trajectories, quality of life, or social integration for young people experiencing 
homelessness.9-11 Understanding how to create successful pathways out of homelessness is 
crucial, because once youth become entrenched in street life, it becomes much harder for 
them to exit homelessness and escape a life of poverty.12-15 
 
The scarcity of evidence on this issue means there are critical gaps in our knowledge about 
how best to help homeless young people move forward in life after they become housed. For 
example, results from a recent longitudinal mixed method study of 51 formerly homeless 
youth living in Toronto and Halifax – led by Dr. Sean Kidd and colleagues and one of the 
most rigorous investigations to date – showed that obtaining stable housing did not 
necessarily translate into a sense of belonging or connection to mainstream society.5 While 
study participants demonstrated incredible commitment, the structural barriers they 
experienced during the transition process (e.g., inadequate education and underemployment) 
led to fragile identities (i.e., self-concept) as they experienced a significant decline in hope 
and a sense of being ‘stuck’.5,16,17 Youth described feeling unprepared for and overwhelmed 
by the realities associated with the transition process, undermining their sense of belonging 
and confidence in achieving larger life goals.5,16,17  

 
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Building on the Kidd et al. study, Dr. Naomi Thulien, a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for 
Urban Health Solutions (and co-investigator in this evaluation), spent 10 months following 
nine young people who had left the shelter system and moved into market rent housing in 
Toronto.8,18 The study – believed to be the first of its kind – captured the crucial role identity 
plays in the transition away from homelessness. Despite their remarkable determination, 
study participants lacked sufficient identity capital19 – conceptualized as a sense of purpose 
and control, self-efficacy, and self-esteem – to help them press on in the face of significant 
structural inequities. Moreover, the well-intentioned supports offered by social service 
agencies were underutilized and limited in their effectiveness because the supports tended to 
be deficit-focused with minimal attention to fostering identity capital. Additionally, the 
provision of these supports within the social service sector was stigmatizing because it 
reminded the young people of their old identities as homeless youth. And while most of the 
study participants appeared successfully housed, they are described as living in chronic 
precarity, trapped inside a “hamster wheel of poverty” (p. 193) with little insight into how to 
move forward and at high risk of returning to homelessness.18 Thulien asserts that failure to 
understand and incorporate identity capital into transition-related supports may result in a 
poor return on investment as these supports are likely to be ineffective, underutilized, or 
rejected outright. 
 
Identity-Based Interventions 
One notable identity-based intervention is a randomized controlled trial that targeted 264 
eighth graders from high-poverty and high-unemployment neighborhoods in Detroit, 
Michigan.20 Participants who attended the seven-week intervention aimed at aligning the 
students’ current identities with achievable positive adult identities, demonstrated improved 
outcomes on measures pertaining to academics, mood, and behavior, which was sustained 
through the two-year follow-up. The authors suggest brief identity-based interventions can 
have significant effects on outcomes.20 
Despite being suggested as a promising approach,19,21 we know of no other interventions 
(nationally or internationally) that are specifically targeting the enhancement of identity 
capital for formerly homeless young people. We are aware that, in partnership with the 

 
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Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Dr. Kidd and colleagues have built on their 
previously mentioned research and developed the Housing Outreach Program-Collaboration 
(HOP-C) – a multi-faceted intervention that offers mental health and peer supports alongside 
transitional case management to youth transitioning off the streets.22 What distinguishes the 
proposed intervention from the HOP-C intervention is that the proposed intervention 
uniquely and strategically targets identity, is significantly less costly, and is offered outside 
traditional and potentially stigmatizing social service settings. Given the limited evidence-
based interventions for youth transitioning out of homelessness, we believe there is a critical 
need for evaluations that compare findings based on different approaches, reflecting the 
diversity of the population and their corresponding needs. 
 
Overview of Proposed Intervention 
The proposed intervention is based on two premises: 1) identity is socially constructed and 
malleable; and 2) people act in identity-congruent ways.19,23-24 Thus, the intervention aims to 
change socially constructed life trajectories by providing identity-enhancing resources to 
formerly homeless young people. Thirty young people (aged 18 – 26 years) who have 
transitioned out of homelessness within the past three years will be offered scholarships to 
participate in a six-week intervention that focuses on building identity capital and providing 
career direction. The intervention will be designed and carried out by dk Leadership1 – an 
established, highly successful leadership and counseling centre in Toronto with a track record 
of significantly improving the life trajectories of teens and adults.25 Importantly, study 
participants will be incorporated into the centre’s current programming, meaning the 
intervention will be held at a location not associated with homelessness. Study participants 
will be collaboratively recruited by dk Leadership and Covenant House Toronto – 
Canada’s largest agency for street-involved and homeless youth3 – and a concerted effort will 
be made to recruit young people facing additional identity-related challenges like newcomer 
and racialized youth, Indigenous youth, and youth who belong to the LGBTQ2S (lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, and 2-Spirit) community. 
                                                 
1 St. Michael’s Hospital has received funding from the Local Poverty Reduction Fund to conduct an 
impact and process evaluation only, and is expected to maintain an “arms-length” distance from the 
intervention. 

 
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2. Evaluation Goal and Objectives 
This impact and process evaluation aims to address critical gaps in our knowledge about 
transition-related supports by asking whether and how an identity capital intervention 
delivered outside the social service sector impacts the life-trajectories of formerly homeless 
young people. Particular attention will be paid to whether this intervention shows promise as 
an unconventional way to tackle poverty and improve social inclusion. 
Evaluation Objectives 
Specifically, this evaluation will investigate and disseminate important new knowledge on 
the following short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes (also see Appendix A – Program 
Logic Model): 
1. The impact of the intervention on measures of hope, community integration, social 
connectedness, and self-esteem. 
2. The effectiveness of the intervention to increase the number of young people in 
education, employment, or training. 
3. Understanding any practical challenges encountered during the intervention 
implementation and how these challenges were resolved. 
4. Understanding what young people found most beneficial about the intervention and their 
suggestions for how it could be improved.  
5. The effectiveness of the intervention to decrease the number of young people who return 
to homelessness.  
6. The effectiveness of the intervention to decrease the number of young people who live 
below the poverty line. 
 
3. Evaluation Design and Methods 
In order to maintain the arms-length relationship required of all third-party evaluators 
involved in Local Poverty Reduction Fund initiatives, the study investigators will not be 
directly involved in the design or implementation of the intervention; however, they will 
work closely with dk Leadership and Covenant House Toronto to ensure the intervention 
design aligns with the proposed evaluation methods.    
 

 
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Participants will attend two full-day workshops and four half-day group coaching 
sessions over the course of six weeks (see Appendix B – Proposed dk Leadership 
Intervention). The workshops and coaching sessions will be supplemented by on-line (e.g., 
podcasts) and print (e.g., workbooks) material. The full-day workshops will focus on 
identity-enhancing topics such as self-understanding, creating a life of meaning and purpose, 
and strategic career development. The half-day group coaching sessions will focus on 
workshop debriefing and on exploring solutions to transition-related challenges faced by 
study participants. The workshops and coaching sessions will be held at the dk Leadership 
office in Toronto and led by certified psychologists from dk Leadership. 
 
The evaluation will employ a mixed method prospective cohort hybrid design with an 
intervention and a delayed intervention comparison group. Immediately after the six-week 
intervention is offered to the first group (the intervention group [n = 15]), that group will be 
compared to the delayed intervention comparison group (n = 15) receiving standard shelter-
based, transition-related supports such as assistance finding housing, connection to 
employment and/or education, etc. This will help prove that the outcomes measured 
immediately after the intervention is offered the first time are due to the intervention and not 
to other factors such as the passage of time. Participants in the delayed intervention 
comparison group will be offered the same six-week dk Leadership intervention 
approximately three months after those in the intervention group have completed the 
intervention. After that, the study will become a ‘single arm’ study (both groups will have 
received the intervention and the quantitative data will be ‘pooled’).  Both groups will be 
followed for nine months after they have finished the intervention. The sample size was 
based on the maximum number of participants dk Leadership enrolls in their workshops 
(related to group dynamics). 
 
 
 
Evaluation Rationale and Hypothesis 

 
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We believe an impact and process evaluation utilizing a mixed method prospective cohort 
design with an intervention and delayed intervention comparison group is the most 
appropriate because it: 
1.  Addresses the crucial need to understand and disseminate evidence regarding the impact 
and process of interventions targeting homeless youth – both will help assess and inform 
questions related to scalability. 
2. Provides a more complete and synergistic utilization of data.  
3. Balances scientific rigor with the ethical principle of fairness. 
 
We hypothesize that, for the primary quantitative outcome measures of hope, community 
integration, social connectedness, and self-esteem: 
1. We will observe significant improvements in the mean scores of the intervention group 
compared to the delayed intervention comparison group immediately post-intervention. 
2. We will observe significant improvements in the mean scores of both groups 
(intervention and delayed intervention) immediately post-intervention.  
3. These significant improvements will be sustained in both groups for at least three months 
post-intervention. 
 
Participant Eligibility and Recruitment: Youth 
Thirty young people aged 18 – 26 years who have left homelessness within the past three 
years will be collaboratively recruited by dk Leadership and our community partner 
Covenant House Toronto. For the purposes of this study, youth living in supportive housing 
contexts (e.g., transitional housing) will be considered to have left homelessness and will be 
eligible to participate in the study. As previously mentioned, a concerted effort will be made 
to recruit young people facing additional identity-related challenges like newcomer and 
racialized youth, Indigenous youth, and youth who belong to the LGBTQ2S community.  
 
In addition to the above eligibility criteria above, study participants must: 
 Be able to provide informed consent (see Appendix C – Participant Information and 
Consent Form) 
 Be fluent in English 

 
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 Commit to attending two full-day workshops and four half-day group coaching sessions 
over the course of six weeks (missing more than one workshop and two coaching 
sessions will disqualify participants from the study) 
 
Youth Worker Participants 
Dk Leadership will be offering six spots (three in each six-week program) to youth workers 
from Covenant House Toronto. This decision was made collaboratively between dk 
Leadership and Covenant House Toronto. The aim is to offer the youth participants a 
‘familiar face’ at the dk Leadership program and to build capacity for Covenant House staff. 
 
Consent Process: Youth Participants 
Free and informed consent will be obtained verbally and in writing from all evaluation 
participants. A concerted effort has been made to ensure the consent form is in plain 
language. Highlighted throughout the document is the fact that informed consent is an 
ongoing process and can be negotiated at any time.  
 
The co-investigator will call each recruited youth on the telephone and arrange to meet them 
at a location most convenient for them (will likely be at or near Covenant House Toronto). 
Potential evaluation participants will be given a copy of the participant information and 
consent form to read. This document will also be reviewed verbally to ensure that those who 
have low literacy levels have been given the information required to give informed consent. 
During this process, the co-investigator will use her knowledge, skill and judgment as a 
nurse practitioner who works exclusively with street-involved and homeless youth to 
assess the capacity for the potential participant to provide informed consent. If it is 
determined that a youth is not able to consent, they will be informed of this when meeting 
with the co-investigator and they will be excluded from the evaluation.  
 
 
 
 
Consent Process: Youth Workers 

 
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Youth workers who participate in the dk Leadership program will be invited by the co-
investigator to participate in one focus group. This particular focus group will only be open 
to the youth workers and will take place immediately after each six-week program. 
 
The co-investigator will reach out to the youth workers in-person or via e-mail during the last 
week of the six-week dk Leadership program. Potential focus group participants will be 
given a copy of the participant information and consent form to read (Appendix D). A 
concerted effort has been made to ensure the consent form is in plain language. Highlighted 
throughout the document is the fact that free and informed consent is an ongoing process and 
can be negotiated at any time. In addition, we have made clear that the decision to participate 
or not participate in the evaluation in no way impacts their employment at Covenant House 
Toronto. 
  
4. Data Generation 
This evaluation is a mixed-methods design with a strong qualitative component that draws on 
the expertise of the co-investigator (Dr. Naomi Thulien) in ethnographic methodology. We 
believe the qualitative data will facilitate an enhanced understanding of the quantitative data 
and provide a crucial (and underutilized) youth-informed perspective on poverty reduction 
and social inclusion. 
 
Quantitative Measures 
Quantitative data (see Appendix E – Quantitative Data Collection) for the intervention 
group will be collected at five points in time over the course of approximately 11 months: 
baseline, immediately post-intervention (six weeks), and at three, six, and nine months 
post-intervention. Quantitative data for the delayed intervention group will be collected at 
six points in time over the course of approximately 14 months: baseline, six weeks, 
immediately post-intervention, and at three, six, and nine months post-intervention.   
 
At each data collection period, participants will be asked whether they are enrolled in 
education, employment, or training. They will also be asked about their housing status. In 
addition, four standardized measures (see below) that have previously been utilized with 

 
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homeless young people will be employed to assess the primary outcome variables.  
 
Table 1. Quantitative Instruments 
Instrument 
Details 
Beck Hopelessness 
Scale27 
This 20-item scale measures motivation, expectations, and 
feelings about the future (internal consistency α > .93). 
Community Integration 
Scale28 
This 11-item scale measures behavioral (e.g., participation in 
activities) and psychological (e.g., sense of belonging) 
aspects of community integration. This scale was used 
extensively in the Chez Soi/At Home Study but 
psychometric properties have yet to be reported.28 
Social Connectedness 
Scale – Revised29 
This 20-item scale measures belongingness – the degree to 
which people feel connected to others (internal consistency α 
> .92). 
Rosenberg Self-Esteem 
Scale30 
This 10-item scale measures global self-worth (internal 
consistency α .77 – .88). 
 
Qualitative Measures 
Qualitative measures (see Appendix F – Qualitative Data Generation) are an important 
feature of this evaluation and will consist of: 1) participant observation and informal 
interviews, 2) semi-structured individual interviews, and 3) focus groups.  
 
Over the six-week intervention period, the co-investigator will attend the weekly meetings as 
an observer. She will do this with both the intervention and the delayed intervention group. 
During these meetings, the investigator will take field notes, documenting her perceptions 
about the way the workshops and group coaching sessions are being run, and how they are 
being ‘taken up’ by the young people in the intervention group. Additionally, the investigator 
will conduct informal interviews with the youth during the six-week participant 
observation period. These informal interviews will act as a form of data triangulation, 
allowing the researcher to confirm inferences made through participant observation.31-32 The 
informal interviews will be brief and conversational in nature and will be conducted at 

 
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opportune moments during the workshops or group coaching sessions (e.g., during coffee or 
lunch breaks). Data generated during the informal interviews will be documented 
contemporaneously and incorporated into the field notes. The informal interviews will not be 
audio recorded.  
 
All of the participants will be invited to attend two focus groups, which will be conducted  
immediately post-intervention and at six months post-intervention. Each focus group will 
contain approximately 8 – 10 youth. Participants in the intervention and delayed intervention 
will be in separate focus groups. Key informants (n = 8) will be selected (four from each 
group) for semi-structured individual interviews, which will take place at three months 
post-intervention and nine months post-intervention. The questions posed during the 
focus groups and semi-structured interviews will be guided by the evaluation objectives, but 
will be conversational and exploratory in nature with particular attention to identity capital, 
life-trajectories, and social inclusion. It is anticipated that the focus groups will last 60 – 90 
minutes and the individual interviews 30 – 60 minutes. All will be conducted by the co-
investigator at locations most convenient for the study participants, and will be audio 
recorded and transcribed verbatim.  
 
Honorariums 
All of the study participants will be paid an honorarium of $20 at each of the five data 
collection points (the quantitative data will be collected at the same time as the semi-
structured interviews and focus groups). This amount was based on the co-investigator’s 
previous experience with this demographic and after consulting with Covenant House 
Toronto.  
 
5. Data Analysis 
Quantitative Data 
The frequencies, means and standard deviations will be calculated for all evaluation 
variables. To address the question about the extent to which the outcome variables change 
over time, we will conduct independent t-tests on the continuous variables (hope, community 
integration, social connectedness, and self-esteem) and chi-square tests on the categorical 

 
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variables (education, employment, training, and housing) to report on changes between: 1) 
baseline and immediately post-intervention; 2) baseline and three months post-intervention; 
3) baseline and six months post-intervention; and 4) baseline and nine months post-
intervention.33-34 To address the question about whether the intervention group demonstrates 
a statistically significant difference in outcomes compared to no intervention, we will 
compare the outcome variables between the intervention group and the delayed intervention 
group six weeks after the baseline interviews (i.e., the intervention group will have just 
completed the dk Leadership program and the delayed intervention group will not have 
started it yet). 
 
Qualitative Data 
In keeping with the emergent, iterative nature of research using a qualitative design,35-36 data 
analysis and interpretation will begin at the onset of the intervention. The handwritten field 
notes from the participant observation sessions will be typed into Microsoft Word by the co-
investigator immediately after each biweekly meeting. The semi-structured individual 
interviews and focus groups will be audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. In order to 
conduct a more nuanced analysis of the data, the transcriptionist will be instructed to note 
short responses, uncooperative tones, and literal silence. 36-37 Prior to each meeting with the 
participants, the co-investigator will conduct a preliminary data analysis, reading the field 
notes or interview transcripts multiple times, separating the data into coded segments, 
making analytic memos beside large portions of the field notes or transcripts, identifying 
emerging themes (and comparing/contrasting these between participants), and complying 
new questions to ask the participants.33,35 Participants will be asked for their perspectives on 
the emerging interpretations at each visit and these perspectives will play a key role in 
helping shape the data analysis and help ensure the trustworthiness of the data.33,38 The web-
based application Dedoose39 will be utilized to assist with sorting and coding the qualitative 
data. 
Quantitative and Qualitative Data Integration 
In order to enhance the integration of the quantitative and qualitative data, the co-investigator 
will collect both forms of data at the focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews. 
The quantitative measures will be collected first and then incorporated into the qualitative 

 
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data generation. For example, if a participant indicates that they recently found employment 
or enrolled in job training, or if they score significantly high or low on the standardized 
measures, this can be explored further (as appropriate) during the focus group or individual 
interview. The research team will meet monthly to discuss the emerging analysis and to 
explore similarities or discrepancies between the quantitative and qualitative data. 
 
6. Ethical Considerations 
Benefits and Risks to Participants 
Study participants may benefit from the opportunity to share with the co-investigator and 
with each other about whether and how an identity-building intervention delivered outside 
the social service sector impacts their life-trajectories. Additionally, participants may derive 
satisfaction from knowing that their contributions will help advance our understanding about 
how best to design interventions that help tackle poverty and improve social inclusion for 
young people transitioning out of homelessness. 
 
The anticipated risks to participants are minimal. Participants will be assured that their 
participation or lack of participation will not affect their relationship with Covenant House 
Toronto. Participants may experience some emotional discomfort as a result of being asked 
about their transitions out of homelessness, which may be challenging. This will be 
minimized by reiterating to participants that participation is voluntary and that they can 
choose to withdraw from the study at any time. Additionally, the co-investigator will begin 
each semi-structured individual interview and focus group by emphasizing that a line of 
questioning may be stopped or redirected if the participant(s) is/are uncomfortable. If, during 
the semi-structured individual interviews or focus groups a study participant or the co-
investigator feels that the participant could benefit from psychological support, the co-
investigator will offer to connect them with a mental health counselor or psychiatrist at 
Covenant House Toronto (where the co-investigator practices) or with another appropriate 
mental health provider. 
 
 
Privacy and Confidentiality 

 
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This mixed method evaluation will use multiple and varied data sources. This 
comprehensiveness is critical to the objectives of the evaluation, yet may increase invasion of 
participant privacy. This privacy concern will be clearly communicated to potential 
participants, as will the measures for protecting security and confidentiality, prior to consent. 
Any potential vulnerability of participants will be minimized since the evaluation findings 
will be de-identified and kept confidential, and because participants can choose not to answer 
any question(s) that they do not want or withdraw from the evaluation at any time.  
 
All of the data collected will be kept in strict confidence. While participants’ names will 
appear on the consent forms, pseudonyms (created by the participants) will be used in place 
of their real names on all documents related to data generation, including the audio 
recordings and transcripts from the individual interviews and focus groups. A key that links 
each participant name with a pseudonym will be stored on a separate encrypted USB flash 
drive and kept as a separate electronic file (see Appendix G – Linking Log). This separate 
encrypted USB flash drive will only be accessed by the co-investigator. Contact information 
for each participant will be entered using their pseudonym and stored on an encrypted USB 
flash drive only accessible to the co-investigator. The individual interviews and focus groups 
will be audio recorded using a password protected application within a password protected 
electronic device. The audio recordings from the individual interviews and focus groups will 
be deleted once the transcripts have been saved on an encrypted USB flash drive and entered 
into Dedoose (encrypted and password-protected).39 Paper copies of the data (e.g., consent 
forms and standardized quantitative measures) will be stored in a locked filing cabinet at the 
Centre for Urban Health Solutions – an area only accessible to those with electronic key 
access. All paper and electronic files will be retained for a period of up to five years from 
study closure.  
 
7. Significance 
This partnership between dk Leadership and Covenant House Toronto represents a 
significant and innovative shift in the way we think about improving outcomes among 
marginalized young people. Rather than conceptualizing community-driven solutions to 
poverty reduction as being the responsibility of the social service sector, we are witnessing 

 
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the private sector ‘step-up’ and share in this responsibility. As clinician-researchers who 
work with the homeless, we are eager to evaluate this unconventional and promising 
approach to tackling poverty reduction and social inclusion. The findings from this mixed 
method impact and process evaluation will be an important contribution to our limited 
knowledge of effective evidence-based interventions for young people transitioning out of 
homelessness. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
References 

 
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42(8), 964- 979. doi:10.1002/jcop.21665   
18. Thulien, N.S. (2017). Chronic precarity: A critical examination of homeless youth 
transitions to independent housing (Doctoral dissertation). University of Toronto: 
Toronto, ON. Retrieved from 
https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/78804/3/Thulien_Naomi_201706_PhD_t
hesis.pdf 
19. Côté, J.E. (2016). The identity capital model: A handbook of theory, methods, and 
findings. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Sociology, The University of Western 
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andbook_Of_Theory_Methods_And_Findings  
20. Oyserman, D., Bybee, D., & Terry, K. (2006). Possible selves and academic out-comes: 
How and when possible selves impel action. Journal of Personality and Social 
Psychology, 91, 188-204. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.91.1.188 
21. Lee, C., & Berrick, J.D. (2014). Experiences of youth who transition to adulthood out of 
care: Developing a theoretical framework. Children and Youth Services Review, 46, 78-
84. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.08.005  
22. Kidd, S., Frederick, T., Morales, S., Daley, M., & Vitopoulos, N. (2016, November). The 
Toronto housing outreach program collaborative (HOP-C): Stabilizing housing for 
recently homeless youth. Oral presentation at the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness 
National Conference, Montreal, QC. Retrieved from http://conference.caeh.ca/wp-
content/uploads/AWH5_The-Toronto-Housing-Outreach-Program-Collaborative-
TFrederick-et-al.pdf 
23. Oyserman, D., & Destin, M. (2010). Identity-based motivation: Implications for 
intervention. The Counseling Psychologist, 38(7), 1001-1043. 
doi:10.1177/0011000010374775  
24. Côté, J.E., & Schwartz, S.J. (2002). Comparing psychological and sociological 
approaches to identity: Identity status, identity capital, and the individualization process. 
Journal of Adolescence, 25(6), 571-586. doi:10.1006/jado.2002.0511 
25. dkLeadership. (2017). Dream it. Do it. Retrieved from http://www.dkleadership.org 
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27. Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of 
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28. Stergiopoulos, V., Gozdzik, A., O’Campo, P., Holtby, A., Jeyaratnam, J., & Tsemberis, 
S. (2014). Housing first: Exploring participants’ early support needs. BMC Health 
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29. Lee, R. M., & Robbins S. B. (1995). Measuring belongingness: The social connectedness 
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30. Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton 
University Press. 
31. Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (2007). Ethnography: Principles in Practice (3rd ed.). 
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tool. Ethnography, 4(3), 455-485. Retrieved from http://eth.sagepub.com  
33. Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method 
approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.  
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application]. Retrieved from http://www.dedoose.com 
 
 
 

 
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Appendix A 
Program Logic Model  
 
NAME OF PROJECT: 
The Identity Project: An Evaluation of an Identity Capital Intervention for Young People Transitioning Out of Homelessness 
 
PRIORITIES: 
To evaluate whether and how an identity capital intervention delivered outside the social service sector impacts the life-trajectories of formerly homeless young people 
 
INPUTS 
OUTPUTS 
OUTCOMES* 
Activities 
Participants 
Short-term  
(0-3 months) 
Medium-term  
(3-9 months) 
Long-term  
(9-12+ months) 
1. Academic, community-
based, and private sector 
partnerships 
 
2. Participation scholarships 
 
3. Evaluation 
 
1. Recruitment – 30 formerly 
homeless youth (15 - 
intervention group; 15 - 
wait-list comparison group) 
 
2. Youth attend 2 workshops 
and 4 coaching sessions over 
6 weeks – all designed to 
bolster identity capital 
 
3. Collect quantitative data at 
baseline and 0, 3, 6, and 9 
months post-intervention 
 
4. Collect qualitative data at 
0, 3, 6, and 9 months post-
intervention 
1. Covenant House 
and dk Leadership 
 
2. Formerly homeless 
youth (within past 3 
years)  
 
3. C-UHS 
 
1. Increase in motivation, 
goal setting, self-
discipline, and 
organization (1st workshop 
+ 2 coaching sessions) 
 
2. Increase in self-
awareness, confidence, 
ability to articulate career 
goals, and understanding 
how to achieve career 
goals (2nd workshop + 2 
coaching sessions) 
1. Increase in hope, 
community integration, 
social connectedness, and 
self-esteem 
 
2. Increase in meaningful 
employment and/or 
engagement with school or 
training 
 
1. Sustained improvement 
in medium-term outcomes 
 
2. Decrease in youth 
living below the poverty 
line ($20,160/yr) 
 
3. No return to 
homelessness 
 
4. Improvement in overall 
sense of social inclusion 
 
5. Youth-informed 
perspective (e.g., 
challenges/benefits) re: 
identity-building 
intervention 
 
ASSUMPTIONS17 (why identity matters) 
EXTERNAL FACTORS** (identity-related inequities highlighted) 
1. People act in identity-congruent ways 
2. Formerly homeless youth have insufficient identity capital (sense of purpose and 
control, self-efficacy and self-esteem) to help them integrate into the mainstream 
3. Formerly homeless youth find shelter-based supports stigmatizing (old identities) 
4. Tangible assets (housing, education, and employment) PLUS intangible assets 
(identity capital) are needed to achieve meaningful social integration 
1. Youth (13-25 years) comprise ~ 20% of the homeless population in Canada 
2. Youth overrepresented in the Canadian homeless community include Indigenous 
youth, newcomer and racialized youth, and LGBTQ2S youth 
3. 65% of Canadian homeless youth have not finished high school 
4. 75% of Canadian homeless youth are not formally employed 
5. 63% of Canadian homeless youth report childhood trauma and abuse  
 
*Short-term = during the 6-week intervention; medium-term = immediately to six months after the 6-week intervention; long-term = six to nine+ months after the 6-week intervention 
 
**Stephen Gaetz, Bill O’Grady, Sean Kidd & Kaitlin Schwan. (2016). Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey. Toronto: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Pres

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
Version Date: January 11, 2019 
 
21
 
Appendix B 
 
Proposed dk Leadership Intervention 
 
Time 
Topics2 
Week One 
Workshop #1: Emotional Intelligence and 
Confidence 
 Understand how thoughts (positive or 
‘toxic’) impact emotions and overall 
behavior (overall 
performance/decision-making) 
 Understand how to identify and 
change ‘toxic thoughts’ and manage 
emotions 
 Understand the impact of confidence 
on every part of life (e.g., 
relationships, goal-setting and risk-
taking) 
 Learn how to build confidence 
 Understand how confidence is a core 
component of effective leadership 
Week Two 
Group Coaching #1  
 Workshop review and debrief 
 Further enhance skills around 
managing emotions and developing 
confidence 
Week Three 
Group Coaching #2 
 Discuss barriers and facilitators to 
integrating key learnings from 
workshop and group coaching 
 Reinforce and further develop goal-
setting strategies and leadership skills 
Week Four 
Workshop #2: Motivation and Strategic 
Career Development 
 
Articulate dreams in six areas of life 
(relationships, recreation, 
career/school, health / fitness, 
spiritual & finance) 
 
Break down dreams into attainable 
goals (or mini-dreams) and create a 
‘vision board’ 
                                                 
2 Workshops are full-day and group coaching sessions are half-day. 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
Version Date: January 11, 2019 
 
22
 
Learn effective energy and time 
management techniques  
 
Take two ‘personality tests’ and learn 
what types of careers might align best 
with the results 
 
Learn what education and skills are 
needed for different careers and 
strategize about how to attain these 
 
Overview of “Top 50 Industry 
Experts” podcasts (available to 
participants after the workshop) 
Week Five 
Group Coaching #3 
 Workshop review and debrief 
 Review learning/themes from “Top 50 
Industry Experts” 
 Further enhance skills around energy 
and time management  
Week Six 
Group Coaching #4 
 Discuss barriers and facilitators to 
integrating key learnings from 
workshops and group coaching 
 Strategize specific next steps for goal 
attainment 
 Overall program review and debrief 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
23
 
Appendix C 
 
Participant Information and Consent Form 
 
Study Title: The Identity Project: An Evaluation of an Identity Capital Intervention for Young 
People Transitioning Out of Homelessness  
Principal Investigator: Stephen Hwang, MD, MPH, Director, Centre for Urban Health 
Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital (416-864-5991) 
Co-Investigator: Naomi Thulien, NP-PHC, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Urban Health 
Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital (647-460-0781) 
Study Funder: Local Poverty Reduction Fund (Ontario Trillium Foundation) 
 
You are being asked to consider participating in a research study. Before you give your consent, it is 
important that you read this form carefully so you understand what is being asked of you. Please let 
me know if there is anything on this form that you do not understand or anything that needs further 
explanation. You can change your mind about participating in this research at any time. 
 
Conflict of Interest: 
Dr. Naomi Thulien (the study co-investigator) is a nurse practitioner and medical director at 
Covenant House Toronto, the agency that helped recruit you for the dk Leadership training. Your 
participation in this evaluation (or decision to stop participating) in no way impacts your ability to 
receive healthcare services at Covenant House Toronto. Also, Dr. Thulien is listed on the dk 
Leadership as an “industry expert.” This is related to an interview she did with them about being a 
nurse practitioner. She did not and does not receive money or any other kind of reimbursement from 
dk Leadership. 
 
Why this research is being done: 
We don’t know enough about how best to support young people who have experienced homelessness 
once they are no longer homeless. From the limited research that has been done with young people 
who used to be homeless, we have learned that it can be really tough to move forward in life. 
Another thing we have learned is that how you feel about yourself (your sense of identity) and what  

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
24
you think you can accomplish in life (also called identity capital) is really important, especially when 
life is challenging. Young people who used to be homeless have also told us that, while they want 
support, they would prefer to access these supports in locations not associated with homelessness, in 
part, because it reminds them of their old identities as homeless youth. 
 
The purpose of this research is to evaluate the dk Leadership training that you will be attending. dk 
Leadership is an organization in Toronto that focuses on helping people understand themselves, 
develop leadership skills, and set career goals. The dk Leadership workshops and group coaching 
sessions are led by certified psychologists. 
 
We want to understand whether and how this training impacts your identity and your ability to move 
forward in life. Some of the evaluation participants will take the dk Leadership training right away, 
while others will wait about three months after the first group has finished. This will allow us to  
compare the group that got the training right away with the group that waited. By having two groups 
take the training at different times, we can better understand if the changes we are seeing are due to 
the training or to something else. 
 
Evaluation Design: 
There will be approximately 30 youth participating in this evaluation. After you sign the consent 
form, a computer will help us place you randomly in one of two groups – like flipping a coin, this is 
called randomization. The first group (called the intervention group) will attend the six-week dk 
Leadership training right away and the second group (called the wait-list comparison group) will 
attend the dk Leadership training three months after the first group has finished. We will be 
following both groups for approximately eleven months.  
 
Dr. Thulien will attend the dk Leadership training with the intervention group. During this training 
(immediately before or after a session, and at our coffee and/or lunch breaks), she will briefly ask  
questions about what participants think about the training. Over the one year that you are enrolled in 
this research, you may be invited to participate in one or two focus groups with approximately eight 
fellow training participants (should take about 60 – 90 minutes), and/or invited to participate in one  
or two one-on-one interviews (should take about 30 – 60 minutes). Also, every three months (five  
separate times over eleven months), we will ask all evaluation participants to fill out five short 
questionnaires (should take about 30 minutes). 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
25
What is required of you? 
 
A commitment to attend two full-day workshops and four half-day group coaching sessions 
at dk Leadership (2175 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON) over a six-week period 
 
A commitment to fill out five short questionnaires every three months for eleven months 
 
NOTE: You must participate in at least one full-day workshop and two half-day group coaching 
sessions to be involved in this evaluation.  
 
What happens when we meet? 
This will depend on whether you are involved in the intervention or wait-list comparison group and 
whether you are participating in the focus groups and/or one-on-one interviews. 
 
If you are in the intervention group, Dr. Thulien will have brief conversations with you while you are 
attending the dk Leadership workshops and group coaching sessions. After you are done talking, she 
will make notes about your conversation. These brief conversations will not be audio recorded. She 
will also take notes during the workshops and group coaching sessions. 
 
Everyone involved in the evaluation (those in the intervention and wait-list comparison groups) will 
be asked to fill out five short questionnaires every three months for eleven months. If you are also 
participating in a focus group or one-on-one interview that day, you will fill out the questionnaires at 
the same time. We do our best to hold the focus groups and one-on-one interviews at times and 
locations most convenient for you. 
 
The focus group sessions will be led by Dr. Thulien and these will be audio recorded. She will also 
be the one conducting the one-on-one interviews, and these will be audio recorded too. If, at any time 
during the one-on-one interviews, you feel uncomfortable with the questions being asked, or if you 
want the audio recording to stop, just let Dr. Thulien know and she will stop. 
 
What sorts of questions will you ask me? 
The five short questionnaires that you fill out every three months will ask about your housing 
situation, whether you are employed, your income, and if you are enrolled in upgrading your 
education (like attending college or an apprenticeship program). Also included are questions about 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
26
whether you feel hopeful, connected to the community and/or other people, and how you feel about 
yourself.  
 
During the focus group sessions and one-on-one interviews, we will discuss the above questions in 
more detail. For example, if several people in the focus group sessions are not feeling very hopeful, 
we will explore this further. We will also discuss your thoughts about the dk Leadership training 
(e.g., what worked and what did not) and whether and how this training is helping you move forward 
in life.  
 
Will I get reimbursed for my time? 
Each time we meet you will receive $20.00. 
 
What if I change my mind about participating? 
You can change your mind about participating in the evaluation at any time and will not impact your 
care or relationship with the Covenant House or St. Michael’s Hospital in any way. Even after the 
evaluation is over you can contact us if you change your mind about sharing some of the things we 
talked about. However, it is important to keep in mind that, after the final data analysis is completed, 
we will be unable to retract some of the information you have provided (e.g., your responses to the 
short questionnaires).  
 
We will inform you as soon as possible if any information becomes available that may be relevant to 
you wanting to continue with this research. 
 
NOTE: If you are no longer able to continue in the evaluation, we will still use the information you 
provided unless you tell us not to, which you can do at any time. 
 
Potential Harm: 
We do not anticipate that any harm will come to you because of your participation in this research. 
You may feel uncomfortable or find it stressful if we are asking too many questions, or asking 
questions that are really personal. Please let us know if this happens and we will stop or ask different 
questions. You do not have to talk about anything you are not comfortable with. Should the need 
arise, we can connect you with counselling services at Covenant House Toronto or at another 
organization. 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
27
Potential Benefit: 
There is no direct benefit to you for participating in this research. You may find it helpful to 
participate in the dk Leadership training and to share what that experience was like for you. You may 
also find it helpful to share with us and/or with other participants about what it is like to move 
forward in life after experiencing homelessness. 
 
Privacy and Confidentiality: 
Anything you share will be kept in strict confidence. The only limit to this is if you tell us that you 
have a plan to hurt yourself or hurt other people, or if you tell us about someone under the age of 16 
who is suffering abuse and/or neglect. If this happens, we are required by law to report this to the 
appropriate authorities. 
 
Each research participant will create a pseudonym (fake name) that replaces their real name. This 
pseudonym will appear on all documents related to this research. In addition, whenever we talk about 
this research, we will only use your pseudonym, and never your real name. Any paper documents 
related to this research (like the questionnaires you fill out) will be stored in a secure location only 
accessible by the study team. All typed documentation related to this study will be stored on an 
encrypted USB memory key and password-protected computer. All participants in the focus group 
will be reminded to keep the discussion confidential; but the investigators cannot guarantee that your 
information or responses will not be shared by other participants. 
 
Audio-recordings: The focus group sessions and one-on-one interviews will be audio-recorded. The 
audio-recordings will only be heard by Dr. Thulien and the transcriptionist. The transcriptionist will 
be required to sign a confidentiality agreement (i.e., they are not allowed to discuss details of the 
audio recordings with other people). The digital audio files will be stored on a password-protected 
computer. After the interviews are transcribed and reviewed for accuracy, the digital recording will 
be deleted. As previously mentioned, during the one-on-one interviews, you can tell us to stop audio 
recording at any time. 
 
When will I learn about the results of the evaluation? 
We would be happy to share the preliminary evaluation findings with you each time we meet to fill 
out the short questionnaires. In addition, those involved in focus groups and/or one-on-one interviews 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
28
will have the opportunity to discuss the emerging findings in more detail. If you have questions about 
the results of the evaluation at any time during or after the study, please contact us (contact 
information below) and we would be happy to discuss the results with you. 
 
Who will you share the results of this evaluation with?  
We will share the evaluation findings with the organization that funded this evaluation (Ontario 
Trillium Foundation) and well as Covenant House Toronto and dk Leadership. We also hope to share 
the results of this study with other social service providers (e.g., agencies working with street-
involved youth), policy makers (e.g., politicians), university students, the general public, and at 
professional conferences. In addition, our goal is to publish the study findings in a few academic 
journals. Again – we will never use your real name. 
 
Questions? 
You can contact Dr. Naomi Thulien at: 647-460-0781 (24 hours) or ThulienNa@smh.ca. 
Alternatively, you can contact her Postdoctoral supervisor (Dr. Stephen Hwang) at: 416-864-5991or 
HWANGS@smh.ca.  
 
This study has been reviewed by the Research and Ethics Board at St. Michael’s Hospital. If you 
have any questions related to your rights as a study participant or about ethical issues related to this 
study, you can contact the Chair, Research Ethics at St. Michael’s Hospital at: FreitagS@smh.ca or 
416-864-6060 Ext. 2557 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
29
Study Title: The Identity Project: An Evaluation of an Identity Capital Intervention for Young 
People Transitioning Out of Homelessness  
 
Participant 
By signing this form, I confirm that: 
 This research has been fully explained to me 
 All of my questions have been answered 
 I understand what is required of me 
 I understand the potential harm and benefit of participating in this study 
 I understand that I can withdraw from the research or change my mind about letting you 
use the information I have provided at anytime 
 I understand that I do not have to answer any questions or meet in places I am not 
comfortable with 
 I have carefully read each page of this consent form 
 I have been given a copy of the consent form 
 
___________________________ 
____________________________ ______________ 
Name of Participant  
 
Signature 
 
 
 
Date 
(print)  
 
Investigator 
By signing this form, I confirm that: 
 This research and its purpose has been fully explained to the participant named above 
 All questions posed by the participant have been answered 
 I have given the participant a copy of the consent form 
 
___________________________ 
____________________________ ______________ 
Name of Investigator  
 
Signature 
 
 
 
Date 
(print) 
 
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
30
Appendix D 
Participant Information and Consent Form: Youth Worker Staff 
 
 
Study Title: The Identity Project: An Evaluation of an Identity Capital Intervention for Young 
People Transitioning Out of Homelessness  
Principal Investigator: Stephen Hwang, MD, MPH, Director, Centre for Urban Health 
Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital (416-864-5991) 
Co-Investigator: Naomi Thulien, NP-PHC, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Urban Health 
Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital (647-460-0781) 
Study Funder: Local Poverty Reduction Fund (Ontario Trillium Foundation) 
 
You are being asked to consider participating in a research study. Specifically, you are being 
asked to participate in one focus group. Before you give your consent, it is important that you 
read this form carefully, so you understand what is being asked of you. Please let me know if 
there is anything on this form that you do not understand or anything that needs further 
explanation. You can change your mind about participating at any time. The decision to 
participate or not participate in no way impacts your employment at Covenant House Toronto. 
 
Conflict of Interest: 
Dr. Naomi Thulien is listed on the DK Leadership as an “industry expert.” This is related to an 
interview she did with them about being a nurse practitioner. She did not and does not receive 
money or any other kind of reimbursement from DK Leadership. 
 
Why this research is being done: 
We do not know enough about how best to support young people who have experienced 
homelessness once they are no longer homeless. From the limited research that has been done 
with young people who used to be homeless, we have learned that it can be really tough to move 
forward in life. Another thing we have learned is that how young people feel about themselves 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
31
(sense of identity) and what young people think they can accomplish in life (also called identity 
capital) is really important, especially when life is challenging. Young people who used to be 
homeless have also told us that, while they want support, they would prefer to access these 
supports in locations not associated with homelessness, in part, because it reminds them of their 
old identities as homeless youth. 
 
The purpose of this research is to evaluate the six-week DK Leadership training program being 
offered to formerly homeless young people. We want to understand whether and how this 
training impacts the participants’ identities and their ability to move forward in life.  
 
Why this focus group is being conducted: 
This focus group is being conducted with youth workers who have taken some or all of the six-
week DK Leadership training program with the participants. Given your expertise with young 
people who have experienced homelessness, we are really interested to learn about your 
perspective of the program. 
 
What is required of you? 
A commitment to attend one focus group session. The focus group discussion will last 60 – 90 
minutes.  
 
What will happen at the focus group? 
The focus group will be led by Dr. Thulien and will be audio recorded. We will discuss your 
general impression of the DK Leadership training sessions (e.g., what worked and what did not) 
and whether and how this training might help young people who have experienced homelessness 
move forward in life. 
 
Will I get compensated for my time? 
We will not be providing any financial compensation to you for attending; however, we 
encourage you to ask your employer to consider the attendance part of your work day (as it was 
when you attended the DK Leadership sessions(s)). We will provide refreshments.  
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
32
What if I change my mind about participating? 
You can change your mind about participating in the focus group at any time. Even after the 
focus group is over you can contact us if you change your mind about sharing some of the things 
we talked about. However, it is important to keep in mind that, after the final data analysis is 
completed, we will be unable to retract the information you have provided. 
 
NOTE: If you need to leave during the focus group, we will still use the information you provided 
unless you tell us not to, which you can do at any time. 
 
Potential Harm: 
We do not anticipate that any harm will come to you because of your participation in this 
research. You may feel uncomfortable if Dr. Thulien asks too many questions or asks questions 
that seem too personal. Please let her know if this happens and she will stop or ask different 
questions. You do not have to talk about anything you are not comfortable with.  
 
Potential Benefit: 
There is no direct benefit to you for participating in this research. You may find it helpful to 
share and to discuss with colleagues the experience of participating in the DK Leadership 
session(s) alongside young people who have experienced homelessness.   
 
Privacy and Confidentiality: 
Anything you share will be kept in strict confidence. All participants in the focus group will be 
reminded to keep the discussion confidential; but the investigators cannot guarantee that your 
information or responses will not be shared by other participants. 
 
Whenever we talk about this research, we will only use pseudonyms, and never real names. Any 
paper documents related to this research (like the transcript from the focus group) will be stored 
in a secure location only accessible by the study team. All typed documentation related to this 
study will be stored on an encrypted USB memory key and password-protected computer.  
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
33
Audio-recording: The focus group session will be audio-recorded. The audio-recording will only 
be heard by Dr. Thulien and the transcriptionist. The transcriptionist will be required to sign a 
confidentiality agreement (i.e., they are not allowed to discuss details of the audio recording with 
other people). The digital audio file will be stored on a password-protected computer. After the 
focus group session has been transcribed and reviewed for accuracy, the digital recording will be 
deleted.  
 
When will I learn about the results of this research? 
Those involved in focus group session will have the opportunity to learn about and to discuss the 
preliminary findings of this research. If you have questions about the results of this research at 
any time, please contact us (contact information below) and we would be happy to discuss the 
results with you. 
 
Who will you share the results of this research with?  
We will share the findings with the organization that funded this evaluation (Ontario Trillium 
Foundation) and with DK Leadership. We also hope to share the results of this study with social 
service providers (e.g., agencies working with youth experiencing homelessness), policy makers, 
university students, the general public, and at professional conferences. In addition, our goal is to 
publish the study findings in a few academic journals. Again – we will never use your real name. 
 
Questions? 
You can contact Dr. Naomi Thulien at: 647-460-0781 (24 hours) or ThulienNa@smh.ca. 
Alternatively, you can contact her Postdoctoral supervisor (Dr. Stephen Hwang) at: 416-864-
5991or HWANGS@smh.ca.  
 
This study has been reviewed by the Research and Ethics Board at St. Michael’s Hospital. If you 
have any questions related to your rights as a study participant or about ethical issues related to 
this study, you can contact the Chair, Research Ethics at St. Michael’s Hospital at: 
FreitagS@smh.ca or 416-864-6060 Ext. 2557. 
 
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
34
Study Title: The Identity Project: An Evaluation of an Identity Capital Intervention for Young 
People Transitioning Out of Homelessness  
 
Participant 
By signing this form, I confirm that: 
 This research has been fully explained to me 
 All of my questions have been answered 
 I understand what is required of me 
 I understand the potential harm and benefit of participating in this focus group 
 I understand that I can withdraw from the focus group or change my mind about letting 
you use the information I have provided at anytime 
 I understand that I do not have to answer any questions I am not comfortable with 
 I have carefully read each page of this consent form 
 I have been given a copy of the consent form 
 
___________________________ 
____________________________ ______________ 
Name of Participant  
 
Signature 
 
 
 
Date 
(print)  
 
Investigator 
By signing this form, I confirm that: 
 This research and its purpose has been fully explained to the participant named above 
 All questions posed by the participant have been answered 
 I have given the participant a copy of the consent form 
 
 
___________________________ 
____________________________ ______________ 
Name of Investigator  
 
Signature 
 
 
 
Date 
(print) 
 
 
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
35
Appendix E  
 
Quantitative Data Collection 
 
Baseline Demographic Questionnaire  
Pseudonym: ________________________  
 
Date: ______________________ 
               
 
Please answer the questions below. You do not have to answer any questions you do not feel 
comfortable with. 
1. What is your age? _________________ 
2. Do you self-identify as: Male ☐  Female ☐ Neither ☐  
3. What is your race/ethnic background? _____________________________ 
4. Were you born in Canada? Yes ☐ No ☐ 
 
 
If no: 
 
 
Where were you born? _______________________________ 
 
 
When did you come to Canada? ____________________________ 
 
 
What is your immigration status? ____________________________ 
5. How long have you lived away from your biological parents? ______________________ 
6. Has the Children’s Aid Society been involved with you or your family? Yes ☐ No ☐ 
7. Have you ever lived in a foster or group home? Yes ☐ No ☐ 
8. Do you have any children? Yes ☐ No ☐ If yes, where do they live? 
___________________________ 
9. What is the last grade you completed? ____________________ 
10. How many times have you tried living on your own or with others after being homeless? _______  
Thank you!! 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
36
 
Quarterly Questionnaire   
Pseudonym: ________________________  
 
Date: ______________________ 
 
Time (circle): B, T1, T2, T3, T4 
 
 
 
Please answer the questions below. You do not have to answer any questions you do not feel 
comfortable with. 
1. Are you a student in secondary (e.g., high school) or post-secondary (e.g., college) 
institution?  Yes ☐ No ☐ 
 
 
If yes, what kind of school are you attending? _______________________ 
If enrolled in post-secondary education, how are you paying for this? 
________________________________________________________ 
2. Are you attending an employment training program?  Yes ☐ No ☐ 
If yes, what kind? _____________________________________________ 
If yes:  
a) Are you getting paid while you train?  Yes ☐ No ☐ 
b) If yes, how much? ___________________________ 
3. Do you have a job? Yes ☐ No ☐ 
 
 
If yes:  
a) What type of job? ________________________________ 
b) How many hours do you work per week? ____________________ 
c) How much money do you make each month? _________________ 
4. Are you making money outside of “regular/typical” employment?  Yes ☐ No ☐ 
 
 
If yes: 
a) Doing what? ________________________ 
b) How much money do you make each month? _________________ 
5. Are you on OW or ODSP?  Yes ☐ No  
6. What is your current living situation? _______________________________________ 
7. How much is your rent each month? _______________________ 
Thank you!! 
 
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
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Appendix F 
Qualitative Data Generation 
 
Initial Interview Guide: Individual Interviews and Focus Groups 
1. Overall sense of intervention 
a) Can you describe, in general, what you thought of the dk Leadership program? 
b) Was it different than you were expecting? If so, how? 
c) Can you give me an example of something you learned that you did not know 
before? 
d) What did you think of the location? 
e) Do you see yourself and/or the future differently after attending the program? If 
so, can you give me an example? 
 
2. Practical challenges 
a) Can you help me understand some practical challenges of attending the program? 
b) What advice do you have for dk Leadership and/or for other program participants 
to help overcome these challenges? 
 
3. Benefits of intervention 
a) What was the best thing about the dk Leadership program? 
b) Can you describe the qualities you think are most important in a program leader?  
c) Can you give me an example of how this program has helped you move forward, 
or think about moving forward in life? 
 
4. Suggested improvements to intervention 
a) If you were running the same dk Leadership program that you attended, how 
would you change it? 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
38
b) If you had a magic wand, what would be an ideal program for young people who 
have experienced homelessness? Where would it be located? How long would it 
last? 
 
5. Social inclusion (financial, social, and identity capital) 
a) When you spend time around people who have not experienced homelessness, 
how do you feel? 
b) What do you hope your life look like in five years? Ten years? 
c) How confident are you that you can achieve what you hope for your life? Did 
attending the dk Leadership program have any impact on this confidence? 
d) Can you help me understand some of the things you think might hold you back 
from achieving what you hope for in life? 
e) Can you name me someone you admire? Why? 
 
These questions will be used to guide the initial individual interviews and focus groups. They are 
based on the overall evaluation objective of understanding whether and how an identity capital 
intervention delivered outside the social service sector impacts the life-trajectories of formerly 
homeless young people. It is expected that these questions will evolve over time. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
The Identity Project Study Protocol 
 
 
39
Appendix G 
Linking Log 
 
The Identity Project: Master Linking Log 
 
Name 
(last, first) 
DOB: 
(year/month/date) 
Pseudonym 
1.  
 
 
2.  
 
 
3.  
 
 
4.  
 
 
5.  
 
 
6.  
 
 
7.  
 
 
8.  
 
 
9.  
 
 
10.  
 
 
11.  
 
 
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13.  
 
 
14.  
 
 
15.  
 
 
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17.  
 
 
18.  
 
 
19.  
 
 
20.  
 
 
21.  
 
 
22.  
 
 
23.  
 
 
24.  
 
 
25.  
 
 
26.  
 
 
27.  
 
 
28.  
 
 
29.  
 
 
30.