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1 Homelessness among Veterans Teresa P Moran Social Work Graduate School, Fordham University Admissions Committee September 10, 2023

2 Believe and achieve I have no confidence in myself. I have always second guessed my decisions and lived my life with regrets. No matter what my accomplishments were or how much my work is recognized, the truth is, it is never good enough for me. You may ask what makes me, a person with almost zero confidence, apply to the Graduate School of Social Work. Easy, my strong desire to give the community something that I never had when I grew up, support . You name it, financial, medical and social support my country, Ecuador, lacks when it comes to helping families, communities, and people who are struggling with everyday necessities. Nonetheless, my life changed when I came to the land of dreams, and I realized that help was given to those who seek it. I was finally worry free. However, all my childhood experiences blocked my path to becoming a social worker. How could I change that? Approximately one month ago, my mom asked me a random question, ¨ ¿Como fue tu ninez con tu abuela? ¨ (How was your childhood with your grandmother?¨). Well, even my sister knows the answer from the tales I have told her, horrible . I told her the lack of parents, together with the abuse and lack of support, made my childhood bitter. But then I started thinking, deep thinking. True, I received no outside or inside support when I needed it, but that doesn´t mean I cannot provide some type of assistance to those in need in the future. That was all it took, a random question from my mom and the belief that I can support and protect individuals who seek my help. Social issues are best defined as issues that affect people´s lives. I cannot say it was a social issue that confirmed my passion for social work; instead, it was a moment. It was a conversation with my mom that aroused my interest in social work. However, that doesn´t mean the current social issues do not affect my decision. The pandemic, poverty unemployment, and

3 discrimination, to list a few, are topics that fostered my enthusiasm for this career, but if I were to talk about one, it would be homelessness among veterans. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that over 40,000 veterans were homeless in 2017 (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2021), and it remains a pervasive public health issue, which the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has been committed to combating. Veteran homelessness is a serious social issue because it poses a significant health and economic impact. Homelessness is a serious social issue because it poses a significant health and economic impact. Homelessness in the veteran population is strongly associated with drug and substance use and suicidality (Nitchter et al., 2022). Homeless veterans have more negative experiences with self-management support, care coordination, and comprehensive care than non- homeless veterans (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2021). They have higher rates of chronic untreated medical conditions, including diabetes, hepatitis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and respiratory diseases, impairing their quality of life and causing early mortality (Crone et al.,2022). This increases health-care utilization to treat chronic diseases. The cost of outpatient treatment for homeless veterans is estimated at $578 per encounter and $ 4,222 per encounter for inpatient care (Nelson et al.,2018). Moreover, providing housing assistance for veterans seeking health-care services increases economic costs for the individual and the VA. Relevance to Social Work Social work plays a critical role in addressing the large burden of veteran homelessness. The US Department of Veteran Affairs (2023) recognized the important role of social work in breaking barriers to support efforts aimed at ending veterans throughout their lifespan, navigating their needs as young adults and in old age, and helping them cope with death and dying. Social work services range from those at the warfront to those in people´s personal lives.

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