Homelessness In America

The lack of mental health services available to the mentally-ill and the deinstitutionalization of mental health hospitals have created a public health concern. These issues along with a failed continuum of care plans and a lack of community mental health services have been major contributing factors to homelessness. In addition, the strict guidelines for psychiatric hospitalization are critical when analyzing homelessness. In many cases, only the critically ill are meeting clinical criteria for hospitalization, leaving those who have significant mental health problems to fend for themselves. The link between homelessness and mental health is acknowledged but requires reform.

According to the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), disease was prevalent in the newly homeless. This population accessed health care services at high rates in the year before becoming homeless. Significant improvements in health status were seen over the study period as well as a significant increase in the number who were insured (American Journal of Public Health, 2012). The homeless in Overtown face a variety of risks and barriers to their health. Firstly, a good number of the population suffers from mental illness, they suffer from a range of mental health problems from depression, personality disorders, schizophrenia and many more. Most are unable to treat their mental

Homelessness as a result of deinstitutionalization in the US increased dramatically, tripling in 182 cities over the court of the 1980s (Bagenstos, 2012). In addition, mental health and substance abuse is a major problem in across the country because of homelessness. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,20 to 25% of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some form of severe mental illness (DMHAS, 2014). Consequently, mental illnesses disrupt people’s ability to carry out key aspects of daily life, such as self-care and household responsibilities. As a result of these factors and the stresses of living with a mental disorder, people with mentally illnesses are much more likely to become homeless than the general population (Karger, & Stoesz, 2014). Even if homeless individuals with mental illnesses are provided with housing, they are unlikely to achieve residential stability and remain off the streets unless they have access to continued treatment and services. In Connecticut there are a number of housing options that are in place like supportive housing. Research has shown that supported housing is effective for people with mental illnesses (DMHAS, 2014). Unfortunately, in Connecticut, lack of funding is a significant barrier to the successful implementation of supported housing programs. Because of homelessness people cycle between street corner, jail cell and hospital beds, in addition the homeless who are

After doing much research, I have learned that to develop awareness and interventions to be able to help the homeless population, we must understand their mental health and behavioral needs. The information they all share in common are the factors why a specific type of population became homeless. The interrelation of homelessness and mental illness are informed by many factors such as; the lack of support, extreme poverty, substance abuse, lack of affordable health insurance, and lack of affordable housing. The homeless population shares different struggles when dealing with homelessness and mental illnesses because there are not enough resources for them to be able to come back to their normal self. When it comes to their struggles, they

The problems of homelessness and mental illness are inextricably intertwined. One way that mental illness impacts people's lives is that it oftentimes renders them unable to carry out the functions of daily life, such as keeping a job, paying their bills, and managing a household. In addition to disrupting the events of daily life, mental illness "may also prevent people from forming and maintaining stable relationships or cause people to misinterpret others' guidance and react irrationally" (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). What this means is that a population that is already vulnerable because of an inability to consistently manage self-care lacks the same safety net as much of the rest of society.

In this study, I will take the time out and investigate the effects that every day citizens have on homeless citizens and how we can play a big role in helping homelessness decrease. Over the past years many citizens haven’t established safe and stable places to live. I will then elaborate on how you can be sheltered and unsheltered and still be considered homeless. My main objective is to find out what the government and citizens of America can do to help provide for homeless citizens and enable them to provide and function on their own. Homelessness is one of the top major issues

According to C. J. Carnacchio’s article, there are only around 300,000-600,000 homeless people in America, compared to the total population of 325.5 million. Only 15 percent of the homeless are homeless because of circumstances they could not control (Carnacchio, 2002). Carnacchio’s article also states that one of the most common reasons for homelessness is that

When the issue of homelessness is brought forth in a conversation, many individuals think of drug addicts who are dirty and begging for change on a sidewalk to buy more drugs for their next fix. In some situations, that is not the case. Homelessness is a major issue in America today. Job lost and grieving of a loved one, mental illness and addiction, and domestic violence are recurring factors that can result to homelessness. If we all educate ourselves on the factors that lead to homelessness, as a nation, we would be able to decrease the percentage drastically.

The homeless populations are among the most vulnerable populations in the United States. In today’s society, the homeless population consists of every age group, sex, religion, family type, and ethnic group. Families, children, and adults who are homeless suffer many adverse effects from living in shelters and on the streets, and approximately twenty six percent of homeless individuals suffer from severe mental illness (Stanhope, 2014). This paper focuses on the homeless population of all age groups, males and females, and the prevalence of mental health illness among this population in Los Angeles County.

There is a large portion of the United States population who have become homeless and the the numbers are increasing. People have resorted to sleep on our streets, in parks, the woods and underneath bridges. This same population has no food or the choice of

Mentally ill patients are overcrowding the streets because no shelter seems to welcome them. Their mental state simply worsens and they are forced to surrender to their living standards. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in 2007 reported, “An estimate of 744,313 people were experiencing homelessness in January of 2005. Of that amount, 40 to 50 percent of that population were mentally ill and left untreated”. Ultimately, the mentally ill patients who are forced to live on the streets are unable to receive proper treatment due to lack of fundings. On top of that, homeless patients cannot afford proper diagnoses even if they were given the opportunity. The homeless are constantly moving locations in attempt to finding a warm, safe place to camp for the night. Many homeless turn to drugs or alcohol to keep

One of the leading contributing factors in homelessness is mental illness. In many cases, before people become homeless, a mental illness disorder has occurred, which might result in loss of employment. In the United States, between 20 and 25 percent of homeless people are suffering from mental illness (Quigley). Mental illness was the cause of David Pirtle from Phoenix, Arizona, becoming homeless. He was working as a restaurant manager before he began to suffer from schizophrenia disorder. Because of his disorder, he was unable to retain a job. For over a year, Pirtle lived on the streets in Washington, DC. To survive everyday life he resorted to shoplifting among other things. Ultimately, he says that shoplifting led to his arrest and placement in a

In January 2015 there were 564,708 homeless in the US. They were all sleeping in the streets, emergency shelter or transitional housing. This paper is about why and what we should and could do to help the homeless.

“While they make up a small share of the homeless population, they are disproportionately costly to society: They consume nearly 60 percent of the resources spent on emergency and transitional shelter for adults, and they occupy hospitals and jails at high rates.” (Culhane, 2010) Additionally, this small population is very visible and thus creates the perception that most homeless are mentally unstable.

Everyday, more than half the people in America are homeless. Some are in some type of emergency shelter, living on the streets, or transitioning from house to house. As a citizen of the United States, we need to find a way to end homelessness. We need to provide aid or employment for the homeless.