Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Obstacles Facing Homeless Veterans With Mental Illness When Obtaining Housing, Melissa Miro

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research study explored the barriers that homeless veterans face when seeking housing. The study adopted a post-positivist paradigm, and the data was collected through virtual interviews conducted on Zoom who are in contact with veterans through their employment or personal lives. The barriers mentioned in this study are the type of individual struggles that each veteran faces, the lack of communication between programs assisting veterans, veterans unaware of their services, veterans who have been incarcerated, the type of discharge the service member obtained, and programs being shorthanded. Additionally, the researcher included preferable options for veterans that included The Housing …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study: Identifying The Unmet Needs Of Homeless Veterans With Or Without Mental Disorders From A Healthcare Provider Perspective, Thomas L. Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explores the experiences of healthcare providers in addressing the unmet needs of homeless veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness in San Antonio, Texas. Data analysis revealed three overarching themes: access to resources, lack of desire for housing, and job satisfaction/discharge status. Under the access to resources theme, barriers limiting access to needed assistance for homeless Veterans and other people experiencing homelessness were identified, including limited support, agency challenges, lack of self-care, and moving forward. Theme two highlighted challenges addressing the lack of desire for housing among some homeless individuals and subthemes such as limited services, holistic approaches, community involvement, …

Barriers To Escape: How Homelessness And Drug Addiction Prevent Women From Escaping Sex Trafficking And Commercial Sex, Laura J. Lederer, Mckamie J. Chandler, Stanley Stinson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Victims of sex trafficking and women purportedly involved in prostitution voluntarily face a complex web of interconnected challenges when attempting to escape their current circumstances. By analyzing the shared and distinct challenges faced by these women, the paper aims to inform policymakers and service providers, offering recommendations to empower women seeking to escape exploitation through multidisciplinary and interconnected networks of providers. This study surveyed 74 women in Detroit, Michigan, using nonprobability convenience sampling over a 10-month period in 2020. It compared three groups of women who self-reported as victims of sex trafficking, women who voluntarily engaged in some form of …

Racialization, Individualism, And Denial: How The American And Australian Dreams Uphold The Homelessness And Poverty Crises Of Today, Emily Rose Andrews

Social Sciences

Inspired by my lived experience of immersion in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California, for two weeks; studying abroad in Adelaide, South Australia, for two months; and my current internship at the Department of Social Services in San Luis Obispo, California, I plan on formulating a research paper on the topic of homelessness for my senior project. Specifically, through an extensive literature review and analysis, I will investigate: How does the culture of poverty ideology influence public opinions and policy responses to homelessness in the United States and Australia? To answer this question, I will first introduce the concept …

2024-04: Pathways To Stability And Hope: A Holistic Approach To Permanent Supportive Housing For Individuals With Serious Mental Illness (Smi), Dayna Gums, Ericka Wood, Haddy Jagne, Haley Pollard

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

The absence of accessible permanent supported housing options for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) poses a critical challenge, contributing to heightened vulnerability, increased homelessness rates, and inadequate support systems. Addressing this disparity demands a comprehensive and nuanced response that prioritizes the development and implementation of sustainable housing solutions tailored to the unique needs and experiences of individuals living with SMI. Effective interventions must embrace a holistic approach that integrates housing stability with wraparound support services, including mental health treatment, vocational training, and social inclusion initiatives.

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) Fy2023 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) is a comprehensive statewide program that provides free housing mediation services as a tool to increase housing stability with the intention of preventing homelessness created by landlord-tenant disputes. It is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and deploys the community mediation system infrastructure with 11 Community Mediation Centers (Centers) participating and serving all 14 counties of the Commonwealth to provide free conflict resolution services for tenants and landlords/property managers with housing disputes at any stage, from the earliest point a problem occurs, up to, and …

Unveiling The Unseen: A Feminist Exploration Of Consciousness And Empowerment Among Homeless Women Through Consciousness-Raising, Scarlett Liu

CMC Senior Theses

Homeless women have been forgotten subject matter in the study and practice of feminist consciousness and consciousness-raising efforts. However, they grapple with the compounded challenges of both gender and homelessness within an oppressive societal structure. This thesis therefore seeks to conceptualize the consciousness of women, and particularly homeless women, in a feminist lens. Specifically, this thesis explores the Othering of women’s consciousness through the intellectual lineage of Simone de Beauvoir and Hegel, and emphasizes the role of material circumstances in shaping consciousness-raising efforts. Then, this thesis examines two unique struggles faced by homeless women – survival sex and homeless motherhood. …

Producing Knowledge Together: A Participatory Approach To Synthesising Research Across A Large‑Scale Collaboration In Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health, Kathleen P. Conte, Alison Laycock, Jodie Bailie, Emma Walke, Leigh-Ann Onnis, Lynette Feeney, Erika Langham, Multiple Additional Authors

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

Background

Despite that stakeholder participation in evidence synthesis could result in more useful outcomes, there are few examples of processes that actively involve them in synthesis work. Techniques are needed that engage diverse stakeholders as equal partners in knowledge co-production. The aims of this paper are to describe an innovative participatory process of synthesising a large body of academic research products and compare the findings of the participatory process against two traditional approaches to synthesis: a rapid review and a structured review.

Methods

First, a rapid synthesis of all research outputs (n = 86) was conducted by researchers with …

Homeless Barriers: A Phenomenological Study Of Service Providers In Thurston County, Washington State, Michael Meredith

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aims to describe the perceptions of homeless service providers in Thurston County, Washington State, and describe barriers to the homeless seeking assistance. This study interviewed ten Thurston County service providers about their perception of the barriers preventing the unsheltered homeless from using available services. Identifying barriers and developing strategies to reduce or remove them is expected to reduce or eliminate homelessness.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study describes the homeless service providers' perceptions of the homeless and the barriers to the homeless seeking assistance. The researcher conducted interviews with a sample of ten service providers to …

Design Guidelines For Homeless Shelter And Resource Center Site Plans, Samuel Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Homelessness is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the country today. Lack of affordable housing, among many other complicating factors, have led to many cities scrambling to find both short-, middle-, and long-term solutions to the issue. The Covid-19 pandemic added a disruption in services, critical record-keeping, and data-gathering, which has further confounded experts looking for an effective path forward. As it stands, there is a significant gap in academic research addressing best practices for shelter site design, particularly as it relates to landscape. The role of landscape and greenspace within and around a shelter is not well …

Helping Hoodies Clothing Drive, Nicole Hawkinson

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This service learning project recognized the needs for warmer clothing for disadvantaged children that they genuinely wanted and would wear. Oftentimes, children who are in the care of the state for any purpose are children that have suffered trauma and loss. Not only loss of their possessions, but their families, friends and stability. I partnered with a non-profit organization, The Closet, that gives these children back their ability to choose clothing items that fit their style and helps them to gain back a piece of their identity. I created the Helping Hoodies clothing drive that ran for a week in …

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …

Reducing 30-Day Psychiatric Inpatient Hospital Readmission Of Mentally Ill Homeless Men With Substance Use Disorder By Using A Discharge Checklist, Chibuogwu E. Ogbuka

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: Psychiatric inpatient readmission of mentally ill homeless men with substance use disorder is greater than that of the non-use population. Substance use disorder co-occurs with high prevalence among patients diagnosed with mental illness. For mentally ill homeless individuals discharged after inpatient treatment, substance use disorder negatively impacts health, behavior, and medication non-compliance, resulting in hospital readmission.

Problem: In acute psychiatric facilities in Northern California, the greatest readmission after inpatient hospitalization occurs at 53% in a week and 74.8% within two weeks of discharge. For homeless individuals, substance use disorder exacerbates personal problems and decreases the likelihood of …

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Jarling Ho, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …

The Effects Of Homelessness On Student Outcomes, Lucinda Sade York

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research was designed to evaluate the effects of homelessness on student outcomes in the area of attendance and academics. Studies showed a higher percentage of families who identify as homeless over the past two decades. As a result, the federal McKinney-Vento Act was formulated to help target those students and families who struggle with adequate housing. However, the premise of the McKinney-Vento Act does not extend beyond providing such services. In the arena of academics and attendance, little educational data has been researched to combat the possible struggles students possess particularly in the areas of reading and math. Notably, …

Los Angeles Homeless Encampments: East Of Mainstreet, Desarey Castellanos

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Homelessness can impact a person’s ability to navigate public spaces, find employment, meet basic subsistence, and have access to essential social services. Instead, the long-term consequences of homelessness have been focused of the criminalization of unhoused people. This fieldwork analyzes the daily obstacles that individuals face east of main street in downtown Los Angeles. Although wide variation exists from different locations many challenges stemming from mental illness, substance use disorder, and ostracization from mainstream society make these circumstances increasingly difficult to navigate. All these factors are influenced by the policy environments that continuously impact these targeted populations. I will present …

Rights That Are Not Guaranteed: Failures Of Government Policy On Homelessness, Jeffrey Kaspraw

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Since the 1980s, the rising number of homeless people has caused the problem to become a significant political issue. Politicians have made promises in their campaigns to solve the emergency every election cycle. Most of these campaign promises never come to fruition, and we see a continuing rise in homelessness. This paper examines the political context of housing insecurity to argue that housing is a human right, and that homelessness is a failed policy decision. Homelessness comes in four different forms that all require individual attention. The current policies aimed to address homelessness cannot be one size fits all. While …

Hopeless To Homeless To Hired To Housing: Helping Transition Our Homeless Veteran Heroes Into American Communities By Identifying The Potential Short-Term And Long-Term Problems And Risks That Lower Enlisted Servicemen And Servicewomen Have When Leaving The Military That Can Lead To Housing Insecurity And Homelessness In The Post 9-11 Era, Jeffrey W. Walsh

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

The author's focus is what happens to our military men and women after they come home from wars “over there” and what happens after their last day when they put on civilian clothes and decide to hang up the uniform for good. There will always be wars and will always be a need to help care for and help integrate combat veterans back into everyday society in America. Both the soldier and his or her family will need help. A recent motto of Department of Veteran’s Affairs office was borrowed from President Abraham Lincoln- “To help care for him who …

The Impact Of The Deinstitutionalization Policies On Homelessness, Henrique Krigner

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Homelessness is a growing issue in America. In 2019 there were 567,715 homeless individuals in the United States, distributed in emergency shelters (63%) or residing unsheltered on streets (27%). In 2021, even though specialists argue that the Covid-19 restrictions greatly harmed an accurate counting, the total number of unsheltered homeless in America increased in 20%. Such increase became a central discussion not only to regular citizens and neighborhood associations, but it also became a great concern within the federal government which has been appropriating billions of dollars each year to “end homeless”.

Specialists point out that the growth of the …

The Role Of Caregivers In Shelters For Women Experiencing Homelessness: A Victimological Approach, Paulina Aguilar Delgado

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Research shows that those who experience homelessness have both past traumatic events and experience trauma during their time on the streets. (Aguilar Delgado & Nunes, 2022). For these reasons, their recovery journey while they are temporarily housed in a homeless shelter is dependent on their own traumatic experiences and on the experiences of those who also reside in the shelter; this perpetuates their vulnerable condition and makes them almost entirely dependent on the caregivers in charge of that facility, even though the role of social service providers at organizations for combating homelessness is unclear. The purpose of this chapter is …

The Changing Perceptions Of Public Libraries, Aleisha A. Stout

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In 2018, OCLC and the American Library Association revisited a 2008 survey on the perception of public libraries. Questions looked at how participants believed libraries are funded, used, and perceived. Public libraries are valued by the public, even as perceptions move away from core aspects of library services. In-person library visits and visits to library websites have declined in recent years. Strong libraries are perceived to raise property values within a community. Libraries increasingly manage social problems, such as homelessness and substance abuse. Some libraries have social workers on staff to meet patrons at the point of need. Public libraries …

Exploring The Intersectionality Between Homelessness And Addiction: A Review, Antonia Miranda

Honors Projects

The homelessness crisis and drug epidemic have been, and continue to, ravage the nation in a manner that is both detrimental to society and humanity. The correlation between substance abuse and homelessness is enormous, though not necessarily causal. The conditions of being homeless coupled with the prevalence of mental illness drastically increases the susceptibility to substance abuse and addiction. On the other hand, addiction and substance abuse can contribute to someone entering homelessness. The intersectionality between the two is frequently ignored, yet critical to address. Informed by research regarding both conditions, the implications for public policy and reform are huge. …

A Public Policy Approach To Life After Service For U.S. Military Veterans: Mental Health, Homelessness, And Reintegration, Eric D. Button

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, through a public policy lens, examines life after U.S. military service as it relates to reintegration, the ability of state-level veteran-specific mental health programs to address veterans’ mental health challenges, and states’ ability to address veteran homelessness. First, I use 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey data, along with various measures of state-level characteristics, to examine the influence of relevant state-level policies on veterans’ mental health outcomes. Based on multi-level modeling results, findings suggest that the presence of at least one state-level veteran specific mental health program may be a mitigating …

Addressing The Complexity Of Mental Health Care For Youth Experiencing Houselessness, Sarah Hamilton

Psychology Honors Projects

Children and youth experiencing houselessness have a unique set of mental health needs due to the traumatic experience of houselessness during childhood and the other adverse childhood experiences that often coincide with houselessness (van der Kolk, 2003; Wong et al., 2016). They face immense barriers in access to mental health care due to logistical factors as a result of their housing status and socio-structural factors (Krippel et al., 2020; Gallardo et al., 2020; Bradley et al., 2018). However, existing studies reveal a lack of evidence-based interventions for children and youth experiencing houselessness and a lack of insight from mental health …

Impacts Of Poverty On Language Development How Low Socio-Economic Status Students Are At An Academic Disadvantage, Farbod Samari

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Socioeconomic status impacts a variety of mental health outcomes, including language development. Delays in language development have consistently been linked to poverty. Decreases in vocabulary and phonological awareness are among developmental delays in school-aged children living in poverty. This research aims to contribute to the field of human services by examining the negative impacts of poverty on language development from a social worker’s perspective. As social workers thrive to serve disadvantaged populations, this research brings awareness to how language development deficiencies occur in school-aged children living in poverty.

To fulfill the purpose of this study, a quantitative, descriptive/explanatory design …

Examining Homelessness And Its Effects On Functioning Among Foster Care Alumni, Silvia Romero

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background and Purpose: Homelessness among foster youths is so dire that understanding the impacts of homeless among this population is imperative. The aim of this study was to examine the nature of homeless using a subsample from the Inland Empire and to examine the effects of homeless on their functioning in the following domains: understanding and communication, mobility (getting around), self-care, getting along with others, life activities (work/school), and participation in society. Methods: This descriptive study used a cross-sectional design to gather quantitative data to examine the frequency, duration, and effects of homelessness. Participants were former foster youth between the …

Ot Employment Program Addressing Homelessness For Women Experiencing Homelessness, Amber Hoffman, Susan Macdermott

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Women experiencing homelessness face many barriers to employment participation. Occupational therapy (OT) is a well-suited profession to address employment barriers; however, there is a lack of OT programs that address the unique barriers to employment participation for women experiencing homelessness. The purpose of the capstone project was to develop a program focused on employment obtainment and maintenance for women experiencing homelessness. The employment program was developed based upon the findings from an in-depth literature review and needs assessment.

Experiential Interrelationships Of Learned Helplessness, Military Culture, And Chronic Veteran Homelessness, Adam Joseph Russo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research study examined psychological resiliency factors. The theories that guided this research study were Peterson et al. (1993) Learned Helplessness (LH) Theory, military, cultural conditioning, and Seligman’s (2018) PERMA psychological resiliency model, which is rooted in Positive Psychology. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe the lived experiences of veterans who had experienced homelessness for at least 90 consecutive days and who were currently living in a therapeutic housing shelter in the northeastern United States. I investigated veterans’ military-to-civilian transitional experiences, social support transitions, cultural norm differences, and routine engagement experiences. The data …

Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Single Adult Homelessness In New York City, Chloe A. Delgado

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Homelessness has been an ongoing public health crisis in major cities throughout the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the country’s social service and healthcare system, thus worsening the conditions faced by over half a million homeless Americans. This study aimed to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the number of homeless individuals, funding for homeless services and homelessness prevention, and availability of social services. To answer these questions, this study conducted a thorough secondary data analysis of New York City’s publicly available data as well as primary research conducted by the Coalition for the Homeless. Additionally, this study …

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) In Fy2022, Madhawa Palihapitiya, David Sulewski, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents findings and recommendations from an evaluation of the Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) administered by the MA Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with 11 Community Mediation Centers (Centers). The program is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and implemented in partnership with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The program was initially part of the Governor’s Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI), which ended in the latter half of FY2022 and is continuing as an intervention to support housing stability. The evaluation was conducted by MOPC’s research unit comprised …