Working with Homeless Populations to Increase Access to Services: A Social Service Providers’ Perspective Through the Lens of Stereotyping and Stigma

Through the lens of stereotyping and stigma, this article examines discrimination and prejudice toward homeless families from the perspective of social service providers. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with practitioners. A critical social work practice perspective is used to provide a framework for understanding how social worker knowledge about discrimination and prejudice informs the ways in which the workers engage with clients, build capacities, and advocate for clients in an anti-oppressive manner. The themes found in this study include: a) providers’ awareness of bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; b) providers’ use of a range of strategies to work with people experiencing homelessness; c) providers’ ideas about strategies that organizations can implement for service provision; and) providers’ belief that additional advocacy and policy are needed in relationship to people experiencing homelessness.     

Determining the Need for Social Work Practice in a Public Library

Little is known about social work practice via public libraries. Faced with patron needs, libraries seek creative ways to provide social services. One suburban library carried out community engagement using a community-university partnership. Students reviewed literature, surveyed 32 library patrons, and conducted interviews with five staff members. Patrons identified need for services related to children’s success in school as well as resources needed for health care, food resources, and employment services. They also identified concerns with homelessness, mental illness, and unemployment. Implications support the provision of social work practice at this library to address opportunities to maximize quality of life.     

Homelessness as one component of housing instability and its impact on the development of children in poverty

The number of families with children living in poverty and experiencing housing instability and homelessness has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Current public policy decisions will lead to further increases. Understanding the impact of this instability on the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development of children is imperative. Few studies critically examine the effects of instability on both domiciled and homeless children. This research examined the effects of homelessness and housing instability on 133 children 8 to 12 years of age living in poverty. Results indicate that whether a child is currently homeless is not as significant as overall stability which may have a long ranging effect on a child's future development.     

Pet ownership and homelessness: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

Between 5 and 25% of people experiencing homelessness have pets. Pet ownership can have a range of impacts in the lives of people experiencing homelessness, which may mitigate or further complicate the many adversities they face. However, there is a need to better understand the benefits and challenges associated with pet ownership to determine how this group can be best supported. Accordingly, a scoping review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar to address the question: What are the effects of pet ownership on people experiencing homelessness? All of the 18 reviewed studies used either qualitative or cross-sectional research designs. Three domains have been principally examined in relation to pet ownership and homelessness: (1) psychological health and purpose; (2) social support and connection; and (3) access to housing, employment, and service use. Physical health, violence, and crime were less frequently studied. Although the findings offer further support that there are both benefits and liabilities to pet ownership for people experiencing homelessness, there is a critical need for more rigorous research, including longitudinal and intervention studies. Recommendations for developing more pet-friendly services and using a strengths-based approach that considers animal companionship when working with people experiencing housing instability are also discussed.     

The benefits of information communication technology use by the homeless: a narrative synthesis review

Recent studies have suggested that technologies are becoming an increasingly ubiquitous element in the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness. With both Canadian and US researchers reporting staggering levels of homelessness on both sides of the border, an understanding and synthesis of the current literature exploring how technologies are being utilized by homeless individuals and how it may impact their well-being is of relevance to policy makers and social service organizations. The study explored and synthesized literature to examine the ways in which individuals experiencing homelessness utilize information and communication technologies (ICTs), and how the use of ICTs influences the health and social outcomes of individuals experiencing homelessness. The study examined 16 peer reviewed articles using a narrative synthesis systematic review, following three elements of the narrative synthesis approach: preliminary synthesis of findings; exploration of relationships between studies; and assessment of the robustness of the synthesis. In relation to what ICTs are used for by homeless individuals, three major themes emerged: social connectedness, identity management, and instrumental purposes. Furthermore, there was some tentative evidence about a positive relationship between ICT use among individuals experiencing homelessness and health outcomes. The paper discussed limitations, future areas of research, as well as some policy directions.     

Homelessness as One Component of Housing Instability and Its Impact on the Development of Children in Poverty

The number offamilies with children living in poverty and experiencing housing instability and homelessness has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Current public policy decisions will lead to further increases. Understanding the impact of this instability on the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development of children is imperative. Few studies cn'tically examine the effects ofinstability on both domiciled and homeless children. This research examined the effects of homelessness and housing instability on 133 children 8 to 12 years of age living in poverty. Results indicate that whether a child is currently homeless is not as significant as overall stability which may have a long ranging effect on a child's future development.     

Child welfare involvement among children in homeless families

An analysis of 8251 homeless children in New York City found that 18% of them received child welfare services over the five-year period following their first shelter admission, and an additional 6% had a history of having received such services before their first shelter admission. Recurrent use of public shelters, exposure to domestic violence, older age at first episode of homelessness, and larger number of children in a household were associated with an increased risk of child welfare involvement. The high rate of crossover between homelessness and the child welfare system suggests the need for service coordination for children in homeless families.     

Health care innovations for homeless families: Emerging opportunities under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act

Prior to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (the ACA), the US health care system left many low-income families facing limited access to medical care, struggling with high-health costs, or lacking health insurance altogether. The ACA aims to increase access to care, improve the quality of care, and lower total health care costs. While the ACA can benefit all individuals and families, it has significant potential for expanding and improving services for those experiencing homelessness. This paper describes specific opportunities under the ACA and Medicaid that can be used to strengthen services for homeless families and provides examples of efforts under way. It also offers guidance for how homeless service agencies can effect change in their respective states. The examples described here are promising approaches to strengthening homeless services. Pursuing these ideas for homeless families will require initiative, creativity, and perseverance, but recent progress is encouraging.     

Somewhere to be permanent for a minute: Time and space perceptions of older adult men experiencing chronic homelessness in Detroit

Within the landscape of postwar era Detroit, space is vast, but places are hard to find. As people tumble down the side of Maslow’s pyramid into abject homelessness, they attempt to anchor themselves in locations that suspend the otherwise situational free fall. This article analyzes how time and space are perceived by people experiencing chronic homelessness and how those individual perceptions are informed by the objective time and space urban environment. We conducted our community-based participatory research into the experiences of chronic homelessness both from perspectives of chronically homeless older adult men and from front-line service providers. Themes that emerged are as follows: (1) temporary permanence, (2) permanent temporariness, and (3) lostness. The article concludes with policy implications regarding the procedures for measuring the extent of homelessness and the needs of those who live it.     

Lessons learned from children who have experienced homelessness: what services need to know

Children who accompany their parents or guardians during a period of homelessness make up 37% (more than one in three) of all people accessing the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) services. This paper describes an Australian qualitative study that explored the experiences of children who accompanied their families during periods of homelessness. It focuses particularly on what children and young people say they want from the services that they come in contact with; particularly specialised homelessness services such as housing support services and refuges. Key themes that emerged from the research include: the need for services to engage with children as individuals in their own right, to listen to and acknowledge their stories, to have services that meet their individual needs, to act and respond when children feel unsafe and for workers who can provide support to children to talk to parents about what is going on. Children and young people wanted workers to know that they felt their parents were doing their best to keep them safe. They focused on what their parents could do and did do rather than what they were not able to provide. They called on the human service system to do the same.     

Conditional Families and Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, and Queer Youth Homelessness: Gender,Sexuality, Family Instability,and Rejection

Existing research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth homelessness identifies family rejection as a main pathway into homelessness for the youth. This finding, however, can depict people of color or poor people as more prejudiced than White, middle‐class families. In this 18‐month ethnographic study, the author complicates this rejection paradigm through documenting the narratives of 40 LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. The author examines how poverty and family instability shaped the conditions that the youth perceived as their being rejected because of their gender and sexuality. This rejection generated strained familial ties within families wherein the ties were already fragile. Likewise, the author shows how being gender expansive marked many youth's experiences of familial abuse and strain. This study proposes the concept of conditional families to capture the social processes of how poverty and family instability shape experiences of gender, sexuality, and rejection for some LGBTQ youth.     

Remembering,Apologies, and Truth: Challenges for Social Work Today

Abstract

In 2003, over 41?000 families with accompanying children throughout Australia were assisted by homeless services. Sole fathers with children in their care who are homeless are a minority group within this overall population of homeless families and, as such, little is known about their experiences of homelessness and fathering. The present paper reports on an exploratory study of sole fathers with children in their care who were homeless in the Australian Capital Territory. The study identifies the fathers’ pathways into and experiences of homelessness, and the fathers share their stories of what it means to be a sole father. The paper identifies the issues fathers may experience when dealing with homelessness and fatherhood. An increased understanding of these experiences can contribute to the development of further research and improved practice with such families.     

Unmet physical and mental healthcare needs of children with a history of familial homelessness and unstable housing

The objective of this paper is to examine whether children with a history of unstable housing, and more specifically homelessness, have unmet physical and mental healthcare needs. Further, this paper describes primary caregivers’ barriers to children’s healthcare. Data were collected from 6492 primary caregivers of children ages 0–17 years residing in five Dallas, Texas counties. Primary caregivers reported whether they previously experienced homelessness with their children, their children’s unmet mental and physical healthcare needs, and primary reasons for the unmet healthcare needs. Results suggest that children with a history of homelessness or unstable housing had increased odds of both mental and physical unmet healthcare needs. Prevention efforts should attempt to bridge resources for families who obtain housing but are still at increased risk for the long-term effects of homelessness exposure.     

From ‘public health’ to ‘safeguarding children’: British health visiting in policy,practice and research

This study examines the location of British health visiting in contemporary policy discourses concerned with public health and safeguarding children. It argues that professional identity and orientation can be understood through health visiting’s long history of public health work with children and families, which has included an engagement with protecting children. The expansive safeguarding children agenda, which includes the requirement to undertake a progressive universal approach to service provision and which incorporates a broad concept of risk and requires early intervention, has created tensions, particularly given current workforce constraints. The location and visibility of British health visiting in the academic and practice worlds also shape how the profession is understood.     

A long road ahead: A progress report on educating homeless children and youth in america

The plight of contemporary homelessness in American society has been well documented, including the growth in homeless families with school age homeless children and independent homeless youth. The impact of homelessness on schools and schooling has resulted in a school-age population with complex problems for which no simple solutions exist. This article chronicles the progress made in recent years in addressing the educational needs of homeless children and youth in America and notes particular areas of concern that remain to be solved if education is to hold a meaningful place in their disrupted lives. Specifically, concerns regarding awareness and perceptions of homelessness, early childhood educational needs, intervention with special populations, interagency collaboration in service delivery, and the need for comprehensive evaluations of homeless education efforts are discussed. Additionally, suggestions for improving policy and practice salient to educating homeless students are offered     

Catholic NGOs following the 1995 referendum on divorce in the Republic of Ireland

This article examines patterns of political, social, and economic change within the Republic of Ireland that led to passage of the 1995 Referendum of Divorce. It also looks at this policy's impact on public and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide court‐related services. Because the passing of the referendum is in many ways a reflection of the changing role of the Catholic church in public life, considerable attention is granted to the evolving nature of this institution, from policymaker to service provider. Implications include how Catholic NGOs partner with public institutions in providing services to families experiencing divorce.     

Homelessness in Ottawa County Michigan: The “Gap” Population

Abstract

Homelessness has gained increasing attention since the 1980s in the United States. And the numbers of individuals and families experiencing homelessness are growing, with a 20,000 person, or 3% increase, from 2008 through 2009 (“State of Homelessness,” 2011). In spite of persistent investigation and activism on how to prevent and end homelessness, there is not agreement on what causes homelessness or how to stop it (McNamara, 2009). What is apparent, however, is that the homeless population is not homogenous. Therefore, the standard models of service, whether from governmental or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), end up neglecting the needs of portions of the population of people who face homelessness. Governmental and non-governmental service providers have recognized the existence of the unique sub-populations of people who are homeless and are attempting to understand and meet the needs of people outside the prevailing understanding of homelessness. This project works with a collaborative of such service providers through a multiple methodological approach to generate better understanding on the two key areas necessary to create models of service for people who are in the “gap” subsector of the homeless population. First, investigation was undertake to learn systematically who is included in the “gap” population among the homeless community, or, in other words, what traits those who continue to cycle in and out of homelessness, and thus are part of this “gap” population, share. Secondly, the project explores what organizations are currently serving these people, and how are they doing so. In other words, this project also ask what are the trends or practices that exist nationally and locally for serving people who fall into this category of homelessness? Findings suggest central traits including mental illness, substance abuse and a history of incarceration as factors spanning members of the “gap” population. Though there are caveats and practices to be avoided, these people are surviving or even thriving through the service primarily of faith-based non-governmental organizations, unfettered by the policy and funding constraints of governmental entities.     

The Charged Economic Environment: Its Role in Parental Psychological Distress and Development of Children,Adolescents, and Young Adults

The current downward economic spiral has manifested in increased joblessness, unemployment, and new faces in the landscape of American poverty. More Americans are living in poverty, and vulnerable populations are experiencing psychological distress and despair. This paper addresses the psychological impact of the ongoing economic impasse. There is a call for policymakers, and practitioners to collaborate in facilitating youth and families to develop support strategies (of support) for sustaining them through these challenging times. Case examples illustrate how the economy impacts children and families. Relational/cultural theories and the life course perspective are used to understand the impact of the economy on vulnerable populations.     

Transportation and homelessness: a systematic review

ABSTRACT

Transportation disadvantage can negatively impact access to employment and educational opportunities, healthcare, and social services. Cost of transportation, in particular, has been found to prevent individuals’ upward mobility out of homelessness. Given the vulnerability of persons of color and those living below the poverty line and the negative implications of transportation disadvantage, the author undertook the current study to assess the extent to which scholars are analyzing transportation and its impact on adults experiencing homelessness. An exhaustive search yielded 3102 potentially relevant studies. Thirteen of these studies met the inclusion criteria for further analyses. A priori inclusion criteria included studies: (1) published between 1997 and December 2017 in refereed academic journals; (2) published in English; (3) sampling a population of adults who self-identify as currently or formerly homeless; (4) conducted using empirical quantitative or mixed methods (excluding purely qualitative, theoretical and policy analyses), and; (5) which analyzed transportation as a primary variable of interest. Findings of this research demonstrate that transportation is a critical, although under-researched, variable in the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness. Homelessness service providers, therefore, should work to shift the conversation from transportation as a privilege to transportation equity for all.