Nellie Ortiz
BSHS 441
October 24, 2012
Sandra Elizondo
Advocacy
This paper is to take in hand the issues of advocacy in the human services field. It will observe a specific population of clientele with particular needs; the population specifically is the homeless people. Homeless people need assistance with food, clothing, shelter, job training, and transportation needs, specially homeless people are in need of someone to speak for them, or to lead them to the correct path way.
Homeless People & Problems Today there are between one thousand four hundred homeless in the El Paso TX, imagine what the population is in the whole entire United States. It is said that: "The most proximate cause of homelessness in America is poverty" (University of Richmond, 2003), not only poverty but employment better yet to blame the economy. The definition of being homeless means that a person does not have a permanent place to live or stay. No only being homeless is a problem also being poor in nutrition, unemployment, illnesses, drug addictions, and violence. Homelessness is growing tremendously each year and studies have showed that new programs and aid must be given to homeless people; to find a way to maintain it and or to preventing it from growing.
Meeting those challenges how to help a homeless person. Being an advocate myself, working with the State, Health and Human Services Commission, I have directed homeless people on how they can be eligible to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition program, and the basic needs to be eligible. Empowering the client or homeless person to change their situation for their own benefits, leading them to the correct program or facility where they can get help, helping the homeless people by taking the first step. I find it interesting how advocating for the homeless could involve responsibilities for example: helping the client set goals, educating them about available resources, helping them locate
References: Barsky, A. E. (2000). Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions. Thomson Learning. University of Richmond. (2003). Solutions for America: Preventing Homelessness in America. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from Ebooks. www.phoenix.edu/library.com