Programs to Assist Homeless Population.
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Homeless is a term that refers to lack of a fixed, regular, enough nighttime residence including supervised public or private shelters that provides temporary accommodations, institutional settings providing temporary shelters, or public or private places that are not designed for use as regular sleeping accommodation for humans. Among the factors contributing to the homelessness includes poverty, employment, family disputes, addictions disorders, natural calamities, mental illnesses ad lack of affordable health care. The rate of homelessness for ethnic groups and race varies with geographic locations. However, there have been a lot of efforts and measures that have been put in place to combat homelessness.
The Charlotte Rescue Mission is a residential program that serves host around 540 men and 360 females who are experiencing the disease of addiction yearly. It is a non-business religious program offered for free (Kub, 2014). The program is designed to treat people from inside out by addressing their physical and spiritual needs through a variety of classes and counselling that the clients attend. The period of the program provides the clients with 12-step meetings, group and individuals counselling, chapel teachings and work on their general education development which leads to certification upon completion. Charlotte Rescue Mission has nurses and nursing facilities that help clients who may have diabetes and other related diseases. The program has served the society for many years (Kub, 2014). The program aims to help individuals who are fighting addictions and homelessness to accomplish spiritual, mental, social, and vocational goals and be freed from addiction.
Most of the residents in the Rebound describe themselves as homeless. With the help of well-wishers, general funding from churches, foundations and businesses, Charlotte Rescue Mission has managed to accommodate and serves them without any payment. Charlotte Rescue Mission has managed to succeed in their program by ensuring that the clients, after completing the program, get employment, have a stable life with their families and the long-term sobriety (Kub, 2014). The program also offers accommodation to its clients as they await employment.
Families with children are the most significant growing segment of the homeless population basing on the recent statistics (Kluwer, 2018). Single female parents contribute to the highest number of homeless families. The increase in poverty rates is attributed to lower or no wages, loss of jobs that offer security, an increase in temporary and part-time jobs, erosion of the actual value of minimum wage and decline in public service (Kluwer, 2018). All these cause poverty that in turns causes homelessness to most population.
Public and private sectors programs are addressing the challenges facing the homeless community through impacting homelessness on various levels while guaranteeing synchronized, complete and methodical approach to solving problems of homelessness (Kluwer, 2018). Public and private sectors have customized resources targeting to support homeless populace. The federal funds include the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Center for Mental health services, National Resources Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness, the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives among others.
The programs that are established under the private sectors to help the homeless population includes the National Coalition for the Homelessness, National Center on Family Homelessness, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Homes for the Homeless, National Low Income Coalition among other programs (Kluwer, 2018). Community Housing Network (CHN) was set up in 1987 to offer stable, supportive accommodation for thousands of citizens challenged with mental health conditions, infatuation turmoil and histories of homelessness (Kluwer, 2018). CHN offers heed to disadvantaged population and people whose rights have been curtailed. They give refuge to persons who have been barred from the typical community.
CHN establishes settings such as health care centres, churches, community centres, and social service agencies (Kluwer, 2018). The program campaigns for affordable housing, employment opportunities and quality health care amenities for the homeless groups. CHN participates in fun drives intended to build the hospitals, community centres and churches for the disadvantaged groups (Kluwer, 2018). CHN provides the health care services because the homeless populations are at higher risks for HIV, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections since they lack education on health issues.
CHN offers financial counselling, aid in identifying financial support and assist in accessing social services, temporary housing, or health care to avoid a housing, health or family crisis. It is common to find that most homeless youths suffer from depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, stress and low esteem due to the effects of violence (Kluwer, 2018). The HCN program awards grants to community-based organizations that seek to offer valuable health care to the homeless. PATH is another program formed under the McKinney Act to support the delivery of services to persons with severe mental illnesses, including those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (Kluwer, 2018). The Interagency Council of Homelessness directs the federal response to homelessness and creates a national partnership with public and private sectors to reduce and end homelessness.
References
Kub, J. (2014). Interview With Julie Viveros, RN, Director of Nursing, Charlotte Rescue Mission, Rebound Men’s Program. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 25(4), 211-213. Available at https://journals.lww.com/jan/fulltext/2014/10000/Interview_With_Julie_Viveros,_RN,_Director_of.11.aspx
Kluwer, W. (2018). Chap. 28: Working with the homeless. Available at https://quizlet.com/435694213/chap-28-working-with-the-homeless-flash-cards/.