Discussion Module 14: Homelessness, a complex and multifaceted issue, affects people and poses them multiple challenges including behavioural health problems such as substance use disorders and mental illness. This condition of chronic homelessness is “an episode of homelessness lasting a year or longer or multiple episodes of homelessness over a period of years” which accompanies other challenges such as physical health problems, trauma, social isolation, and criminal justice involvement (Foster et al.). These problems make it difficult for homeless people to access and maintain stable housing as well as to receive social support and adequate healthcare which subsequently leads them to end up using jails and emergency rooms as their primary sources of care which is an ineffective solution. To improve the lives of homeless individuals, evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different service models, enhance workforce development and training, disseminate and develop best guidelines and practices, and promote system integration and collaboration.
People with long-term homelessness can be provided with permanent supportive housing that combines affordable housing with supportive services such as substance use treatment, mental health care, and life skills training. This housing support prioritizes housing as a basic human right and does not impose any requirements or preconditions so the quality of life for homeless people with behavioural health programs can be improved and their use of emergency services can be reduced. Moreover, this supportive initiative would improve housing stability and health outcomes for homeless people.
In addition, many people with homelessness use the emergency departments as their only source of healthcare. They often use emergency departments for non-emergency or preventable conditions which may lead them to be not recognized by the staff which affects their access to referrals and appropriate care. For this to improve, the implementation of screening tools and protocols would help identify homeless patients or individuals so that they can be provided with respectful and passionate care. In addition, this would be helpful to involve social workers, peer specialists, and community health workers in the emergency department who can assist homeless individuals with their immediate needs such as shelter, food, and clothing, and link them to resources.
Works Cited
Foster, Susan, et al. “Services and Supports for Individuals with Co-Occurring Disorders and Long-Term Homelessness.” The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, vol. 37, 2010, pp. 239–51.
Cite This Work
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:
