Two weeks after our initial encounter with Felix, we were able to get in contact with Delores Martinez, the case manager at the California Hispanic Commission. She is the primary case manager that oversees year round shelter, and works outside the facility by providing guidance to families and referring them to other agencies that can help with a bigger scope of services. Some of these agencies include B.R.I.D.G.E.S rehab (provides residential treatment and social rehab to adults from ages 18-59), Spirit Family Services (provide walk in counseling for recovering alcoholics, domestic violence programs for men, and parenting classes), and Prototypes Community Assessment Center (aid in substance abuse and homeless intensive treatment, where the …show more content…
For one, as a group, it was difficult scheduling a time together to explore the different cities in our service planning area, and actually going around to find homeless individuals to observe. While one of us actually lives in the area and has a good understanding of the dynamic communities, the other one of us was unfamiliar with the area. The project could have been based on our own home towns, and thus it would have been more relatable to each of us. Another issue we had with the project was in finding homeless individuals during the day, or while driving. Oftentimes, we had to make multiple passes in order to confirm that an individual was actually homeless. We understand that this project is not solely about seeing the homeless, but it was still something to note.
Overall, interviewing a commission and homeless individual was a great learning experience, to where "we" as a class can make a change in the community. We can now say that we have learned more about the service planning area and that there is more to homelessness than meets the eye. Our neighborhoods, near and far, have a lot to improve on, and can slowly mitigate the issue of homelessness as long as we continue to understand and work at this
Share a brief summary of the interview you conducted. Include the nonprofit agency’s name and a brief description of the agency’s services.
This research project studied the broad subject of homelessness from a distinctive perspective. Homeless individuals have different needs, and different human services organizations offer many homeless service programs to individuals, from temporary shelter to transitional housing, and training and health programs among others. Nonetheless, the most important service needed for homeless individuals should be the one that leads to permanent housing solutions. However, findings from this research study suggested that not all homeless service programs are as effective in alleviating homelessness in the community, as most have been led to believe in the past. Therefore, the required question had to be, how effective are homeless service programs in alleviating homelessness in the City of Springfield MA? Finding an answer to that question was the primary reason for this research. This research study sought to know more about the effectiveness of two distinctive service programs, which although similar in services offered, both operate with completely different funding and visions on how to solve the
Homelessness is a serious issue that is looked down upon within my community. Many homeless die when it’s too hot, too cold, or too wet. The New Orleans Mission sees this a huge issue and argue that homeless people are real people who need real resources, like shelter, food, and clothes. In addition, they have found that, without supportive services, housing is often not enough to end homelessness. From helping homeless youth, to providing assistance in obtaining disability benefits, to providing transportation, to offering intensive job training assistance to homeless veterans. The New Orleans Mission operate a number of innovative
Going on the end of the year service trip to Denver really opened my eyes to how many people are affected by homelessness. Homelessness can have many causes and can happen to anyone. In our societal system today once someone has reached poverty and become homeless it is very hard to recover from this cycle of poverty.
There is a dire, hard pressing, unrelenting fact that San Diego, CA is home to more than 8,500 homeless individuals. On any given night there are more than 800 homeless people living unsheltered on the streets of downtown San Diego, a 26 percent increase since 2014 (Wrath, 2015). In order to begin to effectively assess the homeless crisis in downtown San Diego, a needs assessment should be completed to examine and determine the full extent of the social problem. Key informants are identified as well as the engagement and assessment skills a social worker would utilize in completing a needs assessment of the homeless crisis in downtown San Diego, California.
The state of California has an enormous amount of homeless people. The homeless population consists of individuals that do not have housing, money, food, and even everyday necessities. Also, there are many homeless veterans in C.A. who previously served for the country. Homelessness is a major health concern and issue that affects a person’s physical, mental, and social well being. Since homelessness is a major issue in C.A. there are policies and programs to assist those in need.
California streets are overwhelmed day-to-day by the homeless population, yet city and county services are limited and the issue continues on. To address the problem of homelessness in California, city and county leaders have collaborated and proposed future plans across the region. The city council recently approved a plan that involves the creation of services and programs to those who are homeless, but realizes the budget for funding these plans are not available at hand. The effort to solve the homelessness problem is not within the plans of strategies; however funding these strategies is the solution to making these plans a reality. Focusing on the issue, the city and county leaders have different roles that each are responsible for and the funds needed for these plans exceeds over $1.85 billion over the next ten years and currently about $30 million is already spent on strategies to reduce the homeless population.
I feel there is a need for services to help those who want assistance. The project affected me. I live in this area and although there are resources available, they tend to run out of space or funds quickly dissipate while trying to service the demands of the homeless population. The project has influenced me to become more active in my community, donating canned goods is not enough. One significant point I learned, was that the lack of an exact head count of the homeless in Jefferson County. Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission went out and completed surveys to aid with grants and HUD compliance, but they only reached five hundred (Lewis, 2017). Whereas, I found evidence to support that there is two-thousand or more homeless here. I feel a correct number is needed to obtain resources and funding for the organizations which serve them. From my group members, I learned that we are all headstrong with
A person is considered homeless when they do not have a permanent place to live. Homelessness is becoming more common every day. I had the rare opportunity to see and interact with the people facing the challenge of homelessness at the Homeless Connection Event. This paper will discuss my perceptions of the homeless before the event, a few interesting facts, and my thoughts after the event. The paper will also discuss my impressions of the homeless after the event and my opinion of the interprofessional relationship between students who participated in the event.
Scenario 4 entitled Homelessness involves a teacher that considers herself culturally competent. Jenny is a new second grade teacher who works at a racially/ethnically diverse elementary school in a high socio-economic neighborhood. The teacher informed and expected all her students to bring in materials for an art project. Two boys did not, they gave her a rude response to why they did not have them, and she was irritated that they did not tell her she could not get the materials. Eventually, she found out the boys were homeless and living in a shelter.
I totally agree with your concern and passion for the homeless population. It is a tremendous and serious issue that needs to be addressed and more people need to understand that somethings has to been done to help make a better living outcome for these individuals. During my research for the paper my passion is the same to help find a answer to aid in this homeless population. There are many different reasons and causes for homelessness among women, women/children, the youth, men, men/children and families. Therefore, to get a better understanding and help society to "wake up" and realize more services must be developed and in place to meet the need.
My participation in Project Homeless Connect was a learning experience. Before my participation, I had assumed homelessness meant as living on the streets or in shelters without basic needs like food and clothing. These assumptions changed when I volunteered at PHC here in Rochester. There is a stigma of mental illness and drug use associated with homelessness and I have been guilty of looking the other way because I thought the same. What I realized that day is I had more in common with the people I encountered than I thought. I was familiar with many of the services offered that day. I personally know how hard it is to get those basic needs met and could have easily been in the same situation myself. I know what a difference having your basic needs met can do for you as an individual; I know how it feels to need and not have anywhere to turn.
Kathy and Raymond have visits one day per week for two hours per day. Worker supervises these visits once per month. The first visit this worker will be supervising is on November 23, 2016. These visits occur at the Godfrey, Illinois McDonalds play place, but were taking place outside in the community prior to this when the weather is nicer. During the last supervised visit the case assistant observed Raymond reading the newspaper. The tried children interact with the case assistant; the case assistant redirects the children to interact with Kathy and Raymond. Johnathan spent most of the visit in the play place and Zoey spent most of the visit on the tablet. Raymond left the visit and returned 20 minutes later telling Kathy “they (the children)
Opportunities. There are many opportunities for assisting the homeless population. Increasing community awareness to there are not as privileged and no roof over their head and what they can do
John Paola, Iraqi Veteran, Currently couch surfing in his brothers one-bed room apartment after a very difficult divorce. John has been suffering from PTSD for the past 3 years, since returning from a 9months deployment to Iraq, john has been depending on his wife, and disability he got from Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Can not keep a job longer due to disability . After several confrontational incident with his brother’s girlfriend and determined to overcome tough times John came to HomeFirst of Santa Clara (Agency, a homeless shelter) to seek help.