Preview

Homeless Veterans

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
888 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Homeless Veterans
Running Head: HOMELESS VETERANS

HOMELESS VETS
Homeless Veterans How do Veterans become homeless? Our Veterans, the ones who serve in the United States Military, have fought for our country and others. They have served us well by leaving their families behind and venturing off into unknown lands like Iraq and Afghanistan to make us proud of them. We call them Heroes until they return home. Our Heroes return safely home from death and destruction only to be made aware that they are no different from anyone else. Well if our Veterans are treated as anyone else than homelessness will not discriminate. Our Heroes come home eager to see their families and to start a so call normal civilian life. A life that consists of maybe a 9-5 job with a decent apartment or house to share lasting memories. This would be great since the government gives them a check every month to supplement their new life. Unfortunately, life doesn’t end up that way for most Veterans. Instead they come home feeling lost and out of touch. Their minds are full of memories of seeing friends die or memories of taking a person’s life. All the while dealing with trying to find employment in an economy that is failing. So now the Veteran is dealing with lack of family support which could come from divorce while being deployed and/or child support. The Veteran is dealing with trials, tribulations and frustrations of unemployment because of lack of skills and training which leads to unaffordable housing to maintain stability. Dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD can cause the Veterans to use drugs and /or alcohol. The horrors of what they left behind when deployed along with the horrors they are facing in a society that is failing them leads them to fill empty and alone causing addictions.

HOMELESS VETS Other types of mental issues could be depression, suicidal thoughts



References: Chinman, M., Hannah, G., & McCarthy, S. (2012). Lessons learned from a quality improvement intervention with homeless veteran services Kasprow. W., Rosenheck. R., (2007). Outcomes of critical time intervention case management of homeless veterans after psychiatric hospitalization O’Connell M, Kasprow W, Rosenheck R. (2008). Rates and Risk Factors for Homelessness after successful housing in a sample of formerly homeless veterans Rosenheck R, Mares A. (2007). Implementation of supported employment for homeless veterans with psychiatric or addiction disorders: two-year outcomes

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    We cannot be more than three car lengths away. My eyes are drawn to him, they are fixed and I cannot pull away. It must be 80 degrees on this hot and hazy Saturday afternoon yet with ease and comfort he wears a green hooded army jacket that also appears to be lined. It is not dirty, but it is not necessarily clean either. It is old! That’s what it is, old. His dulled out brownish salt and pepper hair appears finger-combed away from his face. Surely his full beard provides some protection from the intensity of the sun. His skin is aged, tan and weathered yet his face remains expressionless as if injected with Botox. His back is protected with the shade cast by the shadow of the tree he is sitting under. The leaves of the tree prove to be as unreliable as the conditions of life as they allow rays of sunlight to enter here and there. The light breeze offers some relief as it offers a refreshing cool air and then drastically changes as if blowing segments of sun rays in our direction. As each car approaches, he gazes upward ever so…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Soldiers returning from duty who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have the highest rate of suicide among veterans in our nation’s history. The rates post 2001, the real beginning of the USA’s involvement in these conflicts, have increased significantly more for the 2 branches of military that get more up close and personal with the conflicts (Army and Marines) versus those who fight from afar (Air-Force and Navy. In 2009 the US Army suicide rate was almost double that of regular civilians. While there are programs in place to help returning veterans, the Veterans Association (VA) is unorganized, outdated, and doesn’t do nearly enough to protect the mental health of those veterans. We need a new,…

    • 1897 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Because of their illness, soldiers are discharged from their duties but have a hard time adjusting to civilian life because they have specific skill sets. They also get a lump sum of money after missions instead of a steady pension which can be gobbled up quickly and leave them in financial stress for the rest of their lives. Financial issues are not helping the state of minds of the veterans. Many are already depressed and facing other mental problems, and financial issues are just making them worse.…

    • 922 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Veterans-Unsung Heroes

    • 2122 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Why are Veterans not integrating back into society with great success? Have you ever wondered what happens to Veterans once they return back from the war or from serving a tour of duty? How has their family survived without them while they were gone and what was their experience like without their loved one? In the following paragraphs you will read about the transitions that Veterans as well as their families have integrating back into the community, work, church, school and family life upon returning from serving a tour of duty. It is astounding how much assistance is provided to Veterans but sadly very few of them actually use the assistance provided to them which is what we will focus on in the next paragraphs.…

    • 2122 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    We need to enhance services for female vets which provide a safe place for them to address their issues and rehabilitate back into society. It’s easy to criticize the military for not providing proper exit education to our troops or to blame the VA for the demise of mental health providers. It’s human nature to look for a quick fix to a complex problem. However, war is an experience that keeps on giving back through addiction, divorce, flashbacks, etc. Our soldiers and their families need all the support we can provide. Jeff Susman eloquently states, “We need to do more to reintegrate returning vets into civilian life. The reality is that we owe our vets—and their families—far more than we provide. (Susman, 2012) Susman quotes a soldier he met on a plane a month before Memorial Day. He sat next to a young man returning from his tour of military duty…”He seemed mature, upbeat, and whole. But when I asked him about his experience, he responded: “Sir, I gotta tell you, what I saw was hell.” (Susman,…

    • 2238 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During World War 1, Congress developed a new system for veteran benefits. This included disability compensation, Active Duty and Veteran insurance programs as well as rehab programs for disabled vets. It is without a doubt that the VA has improved the quality of life for all veterans, but most people don’t see the significant efforts the VA has made to improve the lives of homeless veterans. In 2010, the Annual Homeless Assessment Reported an estimate of 144,842 veterans were homeless in 2010. Of that, 98 percent were single with no immediate family, 52% of the total homeless veterans were Caucasian males. While, 51 percent were disabled. Fast forward a few years, there are 442,723 homeless adults in 2014, about 11.3 percent are veterans. This is about a 35 percent decrease from the reported 2010 numbers. The homeless rate has decreased significantly in just four short years. The VA is working to improve the quality of life of America’s homeless vets and lower the threat of veterans becoming homeless by offering homeless veteran focused programs, from housing assistance, to health care, to employment…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    One-third of adult homeless men and nearly one-quarter of all homeless adults have served in the armed forces. On any given night fewer than 200,000 veterans may be homeless; and twice as many may experience homelessness during a year. I chose to explore the specific topic of “Veterans with Mental and Physical Disabilities” because based on recent and past studies, most homeless veterans suffer from mental and/or physical disabilities. About half of all homeless veterans suffer from mental illness and more than two-thirds suffer from substance abuse (alcohol and/or drugs). According to the U.S.…

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Our veterans are an important part to society. They gave their lives to protect their country every day. Though many face hard times and homelessness they are still part of society. The Department of Veteran Affairs has in place a plan to end homelessness by the end of this year. The public can lend a hand in helping to end veteran homelessness. Our veterans are falling asleep under the stars, on a bench, under a bridge, or in a tent city. Veterans are important people and our country would not be where it is without them. Even though veterans may put themselves in the situation, society and the Department…

    • 2398 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    Wounded Veterans

    • 1614 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Lin, Dr. (2012, September 18). Interview by J Westrich [Personal Interview]. Military veterans facing ptsd and tbi.…

    • 1614 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Readjustment In Veterans

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages

    When we think of veterans returning home from either from a tour in a combat zone or from completing their service to our nation. Veterans today are facing numerous problems such as: Readjustment, PTSD, Unemployment and homelessness. These are just a few of the many issues that they are facing when returning home.…

    • 1279 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People actually don’t understand that disabled veterans really don’t get what they truly deserve for what they have sacrificed to keep this country strong. I am a veteran from Operation Desert Storm. It took me 15 years to qualify for the Montgomery GI bill because of bad paperwork. I still have not qualified for a VA loan that I was supposed to be eligible for from the first time I went because of a bad divorce that I had to go through when I returned. Now I have returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom and I still don’t qualify because I am a single mother and I don’t make enough money because there are no jobs. Is it morally right for us to have to be discriminated against when, although we are alright, we will never be the same? There is no amount of money that can make us forget all that we had to go through. We lost Soldiers that we trained with. We lost Soldiers that died as heroes so that we could make it…

    • 978 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Disabled American Veterans

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Strategies to address early education on programs and services dedicated to military Veterans and the best practices for obtaining VHA treatment and…

    • 1210 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Following deployment, many veterans in the United States have a hard time joining the workforce. Two of the main concerns related to poor return to employment are PTSD and depression. According to Smith (2015), in 2009, 21.9 million veterans lived in the United States, and of those veterans only 9.8 million who were under the age of 65 had a job. Of the 21.9 million who were employed, nearly 5.5 millions veterans had a disability (Smith, 2015, p. 349). These statistics present the issue that there are many veterans who are unaccounted for in the workforce, however, there are many veterans that are employed that continue to suffer from mental illnesses. Current studies suggest that those veterans, who were diagnosed with PTSD, are less like…

    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Homeless Social Change

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, (2016), reported the current estimate of the homeless population at 549,928 to Congress November of 2016, after the completion of a point in time survey conducted one night at the end of January 2016 across the nation to include the sheltered and unsheltered homeless population. Of the 549,928 reported, 68% were residing in emergency shelters. The homeless population according to the report is comprised of veterans, families, unaccompanied youth 18-24 years, unaccompanied children under age 18 and single individuals. At some point and time, social workers will encounter this population regardless of their discipline and it is important to understand the issue, the person's perspective, and the needs and resources available to assist (Social Work Policy Institute, 2010). Social workers operate from the position of social change and understanding the many dimensions of homeless will assist social workers in the fight to end homelessness. There are many perspectives and misconceptions on the issue surrounding the homeless population. Society plays in integral role on the issue of homelessness and resources and actions taken to prevent the increasing numbers. As social workers, we have the ability to guide how homeless individuals and families see themselves and how society sees…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many service men and women served their country by fighting the war against terrorism in the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan. During this time these individuals were faced with the unbelievable grief of losing friends, loved ones, and comrades. They put their minds and bodies under an enormous amount of stress and pressure due to the on-edge atmosphere in which they were residing. Upon returning home from a six-month to a year deployment, these soldiers changed in ways they were not aware of. According to Clum, a combat veteran who had been deployed multiple times, he was unaware of his depression, and mild traumatic brain injury (Fox News). Veteran courts specialize in diagnosing and providing specific treatment for veterans like Clum. The licensed specialist identifies illnesses through therapy and counseling, as well as treats disorders with medication. Also, the specialized court system realizes that these issues are extremely real, and their mental health issue(s) may be the root of their willingness to break the law. Right before their deployment, one hundred percent of these veterans were law abiding citizens. After coming home, the physiological health issues sustained during the time of deployment were recognized by family, friends, and co-workers. The criminal activities in which these veterans were involved in goes against their…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays