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Full-Text Articles in Social Work

Homelessness: Causes, Culture And Community Development As A Solution, Kaitlin Philipps Oct 2012

Homelessness: Causes, Culture And Community Development As A Solution, Kaitlin Philipps

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to explain the reasons that homelessness occurs, and how it is currently being dealt with in public policy. Triggers and predictors of homelessness are explored and it is shown that triggers are almost always compounded, indicating a multitude of factors that lead to homelessness. The culture and community surrounding the homeless lifestyle is seen as playing a significant role in how the individual copes with their homelessness. The norms and values of their culture are investigated and its role in rehabilitation is explored. Current institutions for helping the homeless are analyzed for different success rates. Additionally, initiatives …


Estimated Annual Cost Of Child Homelessness In Pennsylvania, Staci Perlman, Joe Willard Sep 2012

Estimated Annual Cost Of Child Homelessness In Pennsylvania, Staci Perlman, Joe Willard

Staci Perlman

Pennsylvania’s state policy makers have reduced funding for strategies that address the needs of children who experience homelessness, resulting, in part, in increases in family homelessness. They should be cautious of the potential consequences of not supporting high quality, outcomes-based services that lead to ending homelessness for the families and improving child-well-being indicators like achieving academic success.


Zones Of Exclusion: Urban Spatial Policies, Social Justice, And Social Services, Karen H. Bancroft Sep 2012

Zones Of Exclusion: Urban Spatial Policies, Social Justice, And Social Services, Karen H. Bancroft

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Across the United States homeless persons, prostitutes, and drug and alcohol users are subject to policies that severely limit their freedom of movement. These new policies create spatial exclusion zones that deny these groups the right to inhabit or traverse large areas of their cities, particularly in the downtown cores, where treatment centers, shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, government services, and other social services are typically concentrated. In this paper, I examine these new spatial exclusionary policies (with a focus on Washington State's policies), present a brief historical account of socio-spatial practices, contextualize the current spatial laws, and end with …


Promoting Positive Parenting In The Context Of Homelessness, Staci Perlman, Beryl Cowan, Abigail Gewirtz, Mary Haskett, Lauren Stokes Aug 2012

Promoting Positive Parenting In The Context Of Homelessness, Staci Perlman, Beryl Cowan, Abigail Gewirtz, Mary Haskett, Lauren Stokes

Staci Perlman

Recent national reports suggest that nearly 1,000,000 families with children experience homelessness and that this number is rising (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2009; U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2010; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2011). Families experiencing homelessness are disproportionately more likely to have experienced economic, health, and social risk factors. These experiences can adversely influence the parent–child relationship. The purpose of this article is to (a) review the literature on the determinants and contextual issues of parenting in shelters; (b) describe specific programs that are focused on positive parenting in the context of homelessness; and (c) provide …


Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Service Use, And Service Helpfulness Among People Experiencing Homelessness, Heather Larkin Holloway, Jihyun Park Jan 2012

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces), Service Use, And Service Helpfulness Among People Experiencing Homelessness, Heather Larkin Holloway, Jihyun Park

Social Welfare Faculty Scholarship

This study examines categories of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and service use backgrounds among a convenience sample of people experiencing homelessness (N = 224), using logistic regression analysis (n = 174) and descriptive and comparative analyses. Eighty-seven percent reported at least 1 of 10 ACEs prior to age 18. Over half (53.2%) reported 4 or more ACEs. Approximately half reported parental loss, emotional neglect, living with a substance abuser, and emotional abuse. ACEs were significantly correlated with one another. Among those who used prior services, ACEs predicted interpersonal prevention, clinical, and criminal justice services for emotional or substance …


Gender And Empowerment In Supported Housing : A Consumer-Oriented Empowerment Model For Adults With Psychiatric Disabilities And Histories Of Homelessness, Eleanor M. Jaffee Jan 2012

Gender And Empowerment In Supported Housing : A Consumer-Oriented Empowerment Model For Adults With Psychiatric Disabilities And Histories Of Homelessness, Eleanor M. Jaffee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using data from an evaluation of a supported housing program for adults with psychiatric disabilities and histories of homelessness (n = 59), the relationships of gender and the presence of children with subjective measures of mental health, personal mastery, personal empowerment, social support, and quality of life were explored, and the results informed the development of a revised consumer-oriented empowerment model. Key findings include a significant relationship between gender and personal mastery and empowerment with women scoring significantly lower than men on measures of this construct, and the role of personal mastery and empowerment as a mediator between psychiatric symptoms …