Homelessness among veterans and the contributing risk factor
Homelessness Among Veterans UMUC, BEHS 495
Social Problem
Homelessness among veterans and the contributing risk factors.
Introduction
The definition of homeless is “having no
home or permanent place of residence.”
Merriam-Webster (2016) On any given
night there are approximately 50,000
homeless veterans. Veterans who have no
permanent housing, who live with
relatives, in shelters, or on the streets.
There are several risk factors which
contribute to homelessness, mental and
physical health, substance use/abuse, lack
of education, the inability to secure
adequate housing or employment.
Objectives Discussion
Methods
Social Science Disciplines
Sociology, Psychology, and Political
Science are the social science disciplines
most relevant for this social issue.
Questions
How do factors such as mental and
physical health, substance abuse,
employment, gender, education and
training contribute to homelessness
among veterans?
.
Discussion
treatment programs with educational and
job training. “MISSION is a 12-month,
wraparound intervention developed
specifically to meet the needs of veterans
who have experienced homelessness
and/or whose ability to return to
independent community living is further
complicated by COD (Co-occurring
Disorders).” Smelson et al. (2013) It is
vital to continue to improve upon
programs and recognize specific needs
among veterans in order to combat
homelessness.
Recommendations
.
“Theoretical formulations and prior
research on veterans exposed to combat
trauma have found that combat trauma
increases risk for homelessness
indirectly, through substance abuse,
psychiatric disorder, and low social
support.” Carlson et al. (2013)
Additionally in recent years it has been
necessary to take into consideration
gender with more females serving in the
military and an increase of homelessness
among female veterans. “The experiences
of female military personnel have been
found to be different from those of men
with respect to combat exposure, sexual
assault, and interpersonal stressors
these categories of potential trauma and
the frequencies at which they are
experienced are likely to be different from
those of homeless male veterans.” Tsai et
al. (2012) Female veterans are also more
likely to be single parents, who do not
meet the criteria for transitional housing
which is typically dormitory style.
“Women are often thought to be
uncomfortable in the male-dominated VA
environment but may do just as well in
HUD-VASH, perhaps because it offers
non-institutional living.” Tsai et al. (2014)
A significant number of homeless
veterans suffer from co-occurring
disorders such as PTSD and substance
abuse. MISSION and TAU are outpatient
programs which provide support for co-
occurring disorders and prepare the
veterans for life following residential
Programs
V.A. (The Department of Veterans Affairs)
MISSION (Maintaining Independence and
Sobriety through System Integration
Outreach and Networking)
TAU (Treatment as Usual)
HUD-VASH (Housing and Urban
Development-Veteran Affairs Supportive
Housing)
To identify risk factors contributing to
homelessness among veterans and develop
programs to assist veterans who are
currently homeless and employ better
strategies to prevent veterans from
becoming homeless.
Research was conducted by using existing
administrative data provided by the VA
(Veterans Affairs). Along with the use of
information provided by the VA veterans in
various stages of homelessness were
interviewed. Many of which were in some
sort of transitional housing at the time of the
interview. Veterans from multiple service
eras were interviewed, spanning from the
Vietnam era to the OIF (Operation Iraqi
Freedom) /OEF (Operation Enduring
Freedom) era.
Prevention is ideal, developing programs
to reach veterans long before
homelessness is even an option,
programs to help assess health,
education and training, and assist with
housing and employment prior to
discharge from military service.
Providing services for currently
homeless veterans to break the cycle and
provide a means of recovery by
identifying the specific needs of the
veterans. While programs currently exist
there is always room for improvement,
and our veterans are worth the effort
REFERENCES
Carlson, E. B., Garvert, D. W., Macia, K. S., Ruzek, J. I., & Burling, T. A. (2013). Traumatic stressor exposure and post-traumatic symptoms in homeless veterans. Military Medicine, 178(9), 970-973. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00080
Creech, S. K., Johnson, E., Borgia, M., Bourgault, C., Redihan, S., & O’Toole, T. P. (2015). IDENTIFYING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CORRELATES OF HOMELESSNESS AMONG FIRST-TIME AND CHRONICALLY HOMELESS VETERANS. Journal Of Community Psychology, 43(5), 619-627. doi:10.1002/jcop.21707
Metraux, S., Clegg, L. X., Daigh, J. D., Culhane, D. P., & Kane, V. (2013). Risk Factors for Becoming Homeless Among a Cohort of Veterans Who Served in the Era of the Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts. American Journal Of Public Health, 103(S2), S255-S261. doi:10.2105/AJPH. 2013.301432
Peterson, R., Gundlapalli, A. V., Metraux, S., Carter, M. E., Palmer, M., Redd, A., & … Fargo, J. D. (2015). Identifying Homelessness among Veterans Using VA Administrative Data: Opportunities to Expand Detection Criteria. Plos One, 10(7), e0132664. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132664
Schinka, J. A., Schinka, K. C., Casey, R. J., Kasprow, W., & Bossarte, R. M. (2012). Suicidal Behavior in a National Sample of Older Homeless Veterans. American Journal Of Public Health, 102(S1), S147-S153
Smelson, D. A., Kline, A., Kuhn, J., Rodrigues, S., O’Connor, K., Fisher, W., & … Kane, V. (2013). A wraparound treatment engagement intervention for homeless veterans with co-occurring disorders. Psychological Services, 10(2), 161-167. doi:10.1037/a0030948
Tsai, J., Rosenheck, R., Decker, S., Desai, R., & Harpaz-Rotem, I. (2012). Trauma experience among homeless female veterans: correlates and impact on housing, clinical, and psychosocial outcomes. Journal Of Traumatic Stress, 25(6), 624-632. doi:10.1002/jts.21750
Tsai, J., & Rosenheck, R. A. (2013). Homeless veterans in supported housing: Exploring the impact of criminal history. Psychological Services, 10(4), 452-458. doi:10.1037/a0032775
Tsai, J., Rosenheck, R. A., & Kane, V. (2014). Homeless female U.S. veterans in a national supported housing program: comparison of individual characteristics and outcomes with male veterans. Psychological Services, 11(3), 309-316. doi:10.1037/a0036323
(2015). Retrieved October 2, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/