Two contemporary social problems of interest are transitional housing needs for homeless mothers and domestic violence in the African American community. Fischer (2000) wrote homeless families face the economic and personal challenges of sparse employment opportunities, child care and nutrition needs, compounded by the loss of adequate housing. Those with the greatest risk of being unemployed and of becoming long term welfare dependent are teen mothers (Fischer, 2000). In addition, depression and the loss of self-confidence are direct results of being homeless. Homelessness destroys self-esteem and promotes hopelessness. Although teen parents comprised only a small proportion of welfare recipients at any given time, 55% of all welfare recipients were single women who had given birth as teenagers (Wertheimer & Moore, 1998). One approach to help homeless mothers emerge from desperate circumstances to economic self-sufficiency is through transitional housing programs.
There are many causes of domestic violence or partner abuse among African Americans such as poverty, substance abuse, unemployment, health issues, lack of education, depression, displaced aggression and other societal stresses. Hampton & Yung (1996) concluded that “Community characteristics, not just individual family characteristics appear to have a significant impact on the risk for victimization by violent crime” (p. 19). Poussaint (1972, 1983) and Staples (1982, 1998) suggest that racial discrimination in the form of blocked access to educational and employment opportunities, has produced a chronic frustration syndrome among many Black males. * Identify which of the three major models of service delivery (Medical model, public health model or human services model) best describes the approaches commonly used in human service to address these two problems.
Transitional
References: Conklin, T. J. (2004) A public health model of care for corrections: Corrections Today, 66(6). 120-141. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Fischer, R. L. (2000). Toward self-sufficiency: Evaluating a transitional housing program for homeless families. Policy Studies Journal, 28(2), 402-420. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Hampton, R. L. & Yung, B. (1996). Violence in communities of color: Where we were, where we are, and where we need to be. In R. L. Hampton, P. Jenkins, & T. P. Gullotta (Eds.), Preventing violence in america. pp. 53-86. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Lesser, J. G., & Pope, D. S. (2007). Human behavior and social environment: Theory and Practice (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Oliver, W. (2000). Preventing domestic violence in the african american community: The rationale for popular culture interventions. Violence Against Women, 6, 533 Poussaint, A. J. (1972). Why blacks kill blacks. New York: Emerson Hall. Poussaint, A. J. (1983). Black on black homicide: A psycho-political perspective. Victimology, 8, 161-169. doi: 10. 1177/10778010022182010. Washington, T. A. (2002). The homeless need more than just a pillow, they need a pillar: An evaluation of the transitional housing program. Families in Society, 83(2), 183-188. Wertheimer, R. & Moore, K. (1998). Childbearing by teens: Links to welfare reform. Washington, D.C.: Urban Institute.