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13 views

Current Issue

Uploaded by

kennabolen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CURRENT ISSUE OUTLINE KENNABOLEN1

Current Issue: Homelessness in Society

Crisis:

● Americans do not have homes to live in and they are unable to find jobs in this market

that will support them and their housing needs. Children, adolescents, and adults are all

facing problems with housing. There are not enough shelters to assist low-income

families and in need in the big cities and surrounding areas where the cost of living and

housing has increased tremendously.

● Approximately 1.5 million children experience homelessness in America each year. The

current economic recession and staggering numbers of housing foreclosures have caused

the number of homeless families to increase dramatically. The impact of homelessness on

families and children is devastating. Without a place to call home, children are severely

challenged by unpredictability, dislocation, and chaos. Homelessness and exposure to

traumatic stresses place them at high risk for poor mental health outcomes. (Bassuk,

2010)

● Research demonstrates that homelessness among older adults will significantly increase

in the coming decades due to population aging, a trend of first-time homelessness at

mid-life, and continued economic vulnerability into old age without appropriate

prevention and policy response. (Murphy, 2018).

● “Just a quarter of Americans – including similar shares of Republicans (27%) and

Democrats (22%) – describe unemployment as a very big problem. The share who view

unemployment as a very big problem is essentially unchanged since 2022” (Nadeem,

2024).
CURRENT ISSUE OUTLINE KENNABOLEN2

Counseling Perspective:

Clients who are in a crisis of becoming homeless need support and resources to help them

find shelter or somewhere to live. As we approach the winter and the rise in the cost of living

along with homeless shelters and section 8 housing being filled and on waitlists, we are in a

housing crisis. As a counselor, it is our responsibility to advocate for our clients and help them

get the resources they need. It is important to have a voice and advocate for the people who are

suffering on the streets and living in homelessness. Especially for the families who have nowhere

to go and no references to gain a supportive network. People will disabilities often find it more

difficult to focus on tasks or complete simple paperwork that might be needed to find a new

home or do research within the housing community. This is why having honest, clear, direct

conversations with people who are in need is so important. Observing the client when they are in

crisis to identify their needs and next steps helps make changes for the better.

Intervention:

Find support in the community through Case Management for housing or agencies that are

willing to help. Have resources available for apartments that are involved with low-income housing.

Become aware of the client’s income and how to find a housing situation that they can hopefully afford.

Look into a mental health exam to decide if the client is eligible for disability. Ensure the client and their

family have support systems within the community. Identify any other friends and family that could help

the client and their family in the meantime. Identify goals and action steps for the client to make.

Advocate for clients with the state and city officials. Discuss with the client what immediate needs

they have as they have to identify what types of assistance will be most appropriate for their

situation. Determine what belongings they have and their source of food and income. Clients

who are homeless and experiencing a crisis in becoming homeless need support from the

community.
CURRENT ISSUE OUTLINE KENNABOLEN3

References:

Bassuk, E. L. (2010). Ending child homelessness in America. American Journal of


Orthopsychiatry, 80(4), 496–504.
https://doi-org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01052.x

Gryglewicz, K., Peterson, A., Nam, E., Vance, M. M., Borntrager, L., & Karver, M. S. (2023).
Caring transitions—A care coordination intervention to reduce suicide risk among youth
discharged from inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis
Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 44(1), 7–13.
https://doi-org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/10.1027/0227-5910/a000795

Murphy, E. R., & Eghaneyan, B. H. (2018). Understanding the phenomenon of older adult
homelessness in North America: A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis. British Journal
of Social Work, 48(8), 2361–2380.
https://doi-org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/10.1093/bjsw/bcx163

Nadeem, R. (2024, May 23). Top problems facing the U.S. Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/05/23/top-problems-facing-the-u-s/

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