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Homelessness is a global challenge.

The United Nations Human Settlements Program estimates that 1.1 billion people live in inadequate housing, and the best data available suggest that more than 100 million people have no housing at all.

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Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness - Amendment 2015

In June of 2015, Opening Doors was amended to reaffirm the strategies that continue to prove effective in preventing and ending homelessness and add additional strategies that we have learned in the last five years are critical to success. The 2015 Amendment encompasses much of the original Plan, but with some additions and clarifications that further strengthen its value as a living blueprint for action. The plan puts us on...

Nursing Case Management, Peer Coaching, and Hepatitis A and B Vaccine Completion Among Homeless Men Recently Released on Parole: Randomized Clinical Trial

Although hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are vaccine-preventable diseases, few homeless parolees coming out of prisons and jails have received the hepatitis A and B vaccination series. The study focused on completion of the HAV and HBV vaccine series among homeless men on parole. The efficacy of three levels of peer coaching (PC) and nurse-delivered interventions was compared at 12-month follow-...

Tuberculosis among the Homeless — Preventing Another Outbreak through Community Action

Over the past 20 years, when the United States has seen substantial tuberculosis outbreaks, they have frequently originated in homeless shelters in cities such as Atlanta, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Although such outbreaks have fortunately been contained through immediate implementation of surveillance measures, the lack of dedicated policies on treating homeless people with latent tuberculosis infection means...

A comparison of three interventions for homeless youth evidencing substance use disorders: Results of a randomized clinical trial

Homeless adolescents and young adults are considered one of the most vulnerable populations worldwide with an estimated 100 million globally (UNESCO, 2007), and 500,000 to 2.8 million in the U.S. alone (Bucher, 2008; Cooper, 2006). A multitude of studies document high rates of alcohol and drug use, sexual risk behaviors and physical and mental health vulnerabilities (Robertson & Toro, 1999). Homeless adolescents and young...

Shelter from the Storm: Weather-Induced Patterns in the Use of Emergency Shelters

A. Jadidzadeh

R. Kneebone

In Calgary, where winters are almost always long and temperatures can plummet below -30 C, it seems logical to assume that the highest rate of emergency-shelter use would occur on the coldest of days. On very cold days one might expect rough sleepers – those who for a variety of reasons sleep outdoors – to sleep in shelters. And yet, if social agencies were to operate on that assumption, and were to focus on significantly...

Relationships Between Caregiver Violence Exposure, Caregiver Depression, and Youth Behavioral Health Among Homeless Families

Mandy McGuire-Schwartz

Homelessness affects a large and increasing number of families in the United States, and exposure to violence and other potentially traumatic events is common among homeless families. It is important to understand more about this population and, more specifically, about the relationship between youth mental health and caregiver mental health and trauma exposure among homeless families, in order to better serve the needs of...

Neurocognitive impairment in a large sample of homeless adults with mental illness

This study examines neurocognitive functioning in a large, well-characterized sample of homeless adults with mental illness and assesses demographic and clinical factors associated with neurocognitive performance. A total of 1500 homeless adults with mental illness enrolled in the At Home Chez Soi study completed neuropsychological measures assessing speed of information processing, memory, and executive functioning....

Gender Influences on Hepatitis C Incidence Among Street Youth in a Canadian Setting

Few studies have examined gender-based differences in the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among street-involved youth. We compared rates of HCV infection among male and female street-involved youth in a Canadian setting. The At-Risk Youth Study is a prospective cohort of drug-using street-involved youth. Study recruitment and follow-up occurred in Vancouver, Canada, between September 2005 and November 2011. Eligible...

Is Smoking Cessation Associated with Worse Comorbid Substance Use Outcomes among Homeless Adults?

Smoking prevalence among homeless adults is exceedingly high, and high rates of comorbid substance use are among the barriers to abstinence experienced by this group. The extent to which smoking cessation might engender an escalation in comorbid substance use could be a concern prohibiting treatment provision and engagement. This study examined whether smoking abstinence status was associated with alcohol and substance use at...

No Safe Place: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities

Tristia Bauman

Imagine a world where it is illegal to sit down. Could you survive if there were no place you were allowed to fall asleep, to store your belongings, or to stand still? For most of us, these scenarios seem unrealistic to the point of being ludicrous. But, for homeless people across America, these circumstances are an ordinary part of daily life. Homelessness continues to be a national crisis, affecting millions of people each...

An Examination of Housing First Initiatives for Individuals with Concurrent Mental Disorders: Implementation and Feasibility

Supportive housing programs, particularly Housing First (HF) initiatives, have been strongly recommended for eliminating homelessness and have been found to be effective even with hard-to-house homeless populations such as individuals with concurrent disorders (ICMDs). However, a review of the literature and research documents indicate that little is known about the implementation of HF for ICMDs and whether these programs...

Journey to Healing: Aboriginal People with Addiction and Mental Health Issues

Helping to promote healing in Aboriginal people with addiction and mental health issues requires specialized knowledge and unique skills. Health, social service and justice workers must first have a grasp of history and the emotional legacy that today’s generation of Aboriginal people carry. They must also be prepared to blend Aboriginal and Western approaches to match their clients’ unique world views. Journey to Healing is...

Cognitive Deficit and Mental Health in Homeless Transition-Age Youth

There is increasing recognition of the cognitive consequences of socioeconomic adversity during childhood, which can impair learning and negatively affect social and emotional development. However, there is a paucity of research on cognitive functioning and mental health among transition-age homeless youth. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by examining the prevalence and functional significance of cognitive...

Prevalence and structural correlates of gender based violence among a prospective cohort of female sex workers

Rights violations and abuses experienced by female sex workers are seldom considered in discussions of violence against women, as shown by a review of the global scope and magnitude of gender based violence. The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women defined the term “gender based abuse” as “any act of gender based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical...

Traumatic brain injury and cognitive impairment in men who are homeless

The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive performance among a sample of men in a residential unit of an urban homeless shelter and to compare cognitive performance between those with and without a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants were screened for TBI using the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire, and cognitive function using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological...

Alternative Shelter Models to Address Rising Family Homelessness: Preliminary Investigation into the Social and Economic Benefits of Master Leasing Apartments as Emergency Shelter

Macy-Hurley,Ryan

Tanya Tull

The provision of adequate temporary housing to homeless families is a major concern for policy makers and practitioners across the country, particularly during challenging economic times. Prior to the current recession, homeless families already comprised one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. The present “perfect storm” of mounting unemployment, deepening poverty, and the mortgage meltdown has left...

Intervening with homeless youths: Direct practice without blaming the victim

Laura R. Bronstein

Homeless adolescents present with an array of difficulties, being perhaps the neediest group of youths in the U.S. While policy and programmatic needs of this population are often discussed, their clinical needs can be overlooked for fear of “implied victin blaming”. This paper examines characteristics of homeless youths, diverse practice methods that have been applied to this population, and related theories. Three models of...

Communication and Coordination in an Interorganizational System Service Provision for the Urban Homeless

Homelessness in today's urban centers poses a problem of huge proportions. Increasingly, the homeless and the urban dilemma are intertwined. Cause and effect are blurred as the needs of the homeless confront and affront while shaping urban policy. Because of the diverse nature and needs of the American homeless population, individual organizations are not able to provide the range of services necessary for survival on the...

A Review of the Literature on Intergenerational Trauma, Mental Health, Violence Against Women, Addictions and Homelessness among Aboriginal Women of the North

An informative review of the current literature conducted for the Aboriginal Women’s Initiative focusing on the history and impact of abuse on Aboriginal women in the Sudbury area and highlighting needs and gaps. Provides background information including the history of Aboriginal women and the impact of colonization, examines the challenges for women who experience violence, mental health, addiction and homelessness, and...

Education in a Homeless Shelter to Improve the Nutrition of Young Children

This resource provides information about a study conducted to determine the best way to educate homeless mothers and cafeteria workers about maintaining the nutrition of homeless children. The objective was to improve the nutritional status of homeless children by implementing an educational program for their mothers and the cafeteria staff at a homeless shelter. Program evaluation included before and after measures of...

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