NEED IN 12 HOURS or LESS

PLEASE UPLOAD EACH DISCUSSION SEPARATELY!!!!

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face- to face class by stating why you agree as pertaining to the discussion. Your response posts need to be at least 250 words each. Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Discussion 1 (Kelvin)

Homelessness is a huge social issue, and the situation is aggravated when veterans are among

those who are homeless. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (2022), the

United States has roughly 50,000 homeless veterans. This depressing statistic is the result of a

variety of historical and contemporary situations. The Vietnam War, Gulf War, and other

military conflicts have all been fertile ground for the growth of homeless veterans (Tsai, Mares,

& Rosenheck, 2012). Current reasons such as a shortage of affordable housing, mental health

challenges, and substance misuse issues all have a part to play in the situation.

Physical and mental health issues are two of the concerns that homeless veterans face. Chronic

ailments such as TB, liver disease, and hypertension are more common among homeless veterans

(Pandey, 2017). Furthermore, a lack of sufficient housing, nourishment, and hygiene might

render them susceptible to a variety of infections and illnesses. Homeless veterans are also more

likely to suffer from mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic

stress disorder (PTSD) (Tsai et al., 2012). These complexities make it difficult for homeless

veterans to reintegrate into society.

Human services experts are the lighthouse that guides the way in meeting the needs of homeless

veterans. Providing comprehensive case management services is like providing a roadmap to

homeless veterans, helping them navigate the terrains of life. This approach entails analyzing

veterans' needs and giving them the resources they require, such as healthcare, education, and job

opportunities (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 2022). Human services providers can

also help homeless veterans by providing counseling and mental health services to tackle their

mental health difficulties.

Governmental and societal programs act as a beacon of light for homeless veterans, providing

them with a path towards a better life. The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)

program, for example, provides rental assistance and case management services to homeless

veterans (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2022). The VASH program is a joint effort by the

Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development. Another project is the

Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP), which provides homeless veterans with job

training, counseling, and job placement services (Department of Labor, 2022).

The issue of homeless veterans is like a tangled web, with both past and current factors that

contribute to the problem. Homeless veterans are vulnerable to physical and mental health issues.

Human service providers can be a bridge to connect the needs of homeless veterans by offering

comprehensive case management, counseling, and mental health care. Several societal and

governmental programs, such as the VASH program and the HVRP program, have been

developed nationally to assist homeless veterans. It is imperative that society tackles this

issue and provides homeless veterans with a ladder of support to help them climb out of

homelessness.

References:

Department of Labor. (2022). Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program

(HVRP). https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/hvrpLinks to an external site.

Department of Veterans Affairs. (2022). Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)

program. https://www.va.gov/homeless/vash.aspLinks to an external site.

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. (2022). Homeless Veterans. https://www.nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/Lin ks to an external site.

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face- to face class by stating why you agree as pertaining to the discussion. Your response posts need to be at least 250 words each. Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Discussion 2 (Raymond)

I chose the homeless veteran population and can relate with this topic being I am a veteran and had my struggles and bouts with mental anxiety as well as depression I think it was that being I didn't want to socialize with people on my return from the military and know, I never received treatment for illness because at the time I wasn't sure exactly what was going on in my life, [Ferguson, 2022]. I eventually equated my feeling with excitement as well as boredom and disappointment being my life was not the same and I was anxious, [excited] to get my life in order and was disappointed [angry] because the journey to success was taking a long route towards my goal.

There are numerous family members that served in the military who suffers from anxiety and depression [PTSD], and causes them to be anti-social and want to be left alone on various occasions, like family reunions, parties, and just hanging out with love ones. At the present time I work with many veterans who are incarcerated due to many issues they faced while living on the streets of NYC and some are still there waiting for the help that was never given to them being on their return [veterans] were not afforded the opportunities that was available due to lack of education or drug-addition , and mental illnesses.

There are many reasons why veteran's are homeless and the struggles they face are very difficult to overcome, like changes in economic infrastructure which resulted in

fewer well-paying jobs, as well as the transition from military life to civilian life are some of the underlying dynamics associated with veteran homelessness, [Martin, 2018].

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans [NCHV] is a non-profit organization and provides resources and assistance that provides local, state, and federal agencies emergency funding for housing, food, health services, job training, and placement assistance, as well as legal work, and case management for numerous homeless veterans but the main problem is the veterans have to want this assistance and be determine to better their way of life. We can talk about all the agencies that are out there to assist homeless veterans but it is up to the individuals who are homeless [veterans] to find and want the assistance that is available.

There are may ways human service professionals can help homeless veterans and I consider myself one of those human service professional being I work with veterans everyday that eventually will come home and my job is to help them on their transition back into society where I offer them information and set-up interviews with numerous agencies to assist them once they are released. But as I mentioned before, it is up to the veterans to go to these interviews and follow-up on the services that are being offered. Remember the old saying 'You can take a person to water, but they have to want the water to quench their thirst". There are many options and most important to me is mental-health because many veterans suffer from Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression. Opportunities for housing and job seeking help if that is what they truly want as well as academic opportunities [college], and it is unfortunate but many veterans I have worked with just wanted a place to call home without a lot of noise or intrusions from other people because living on the streets are dangerous for anyone and yes veterans are physically abused all the time and their reward for serving our country is abandonment in their time of need, [Life123, 2020].

Yes, we offer them services but what good is a resource if you don't have any information concerning the resource so it is imperative that we as a people do better with our homeless veterans and remember, they were in a home when they decided to join the military at least we can make sure they have a home when they come back from the military is that to much to give...I wonder?

References:

Life 123, https://www.life123.com/article/veterans- benefits?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740009%26ad%3DLinks to an external site.

Martin, M. E. [2018]. Introduction to human services: Through the eyes of practice settings [4th ed.]. Pearson

Psych Central, https://psychcentral.com/depression/depression-versus-anxiety

Respond to the Classmate’s Discussion (below) as you would in a face- to face class by stating why you agree as pertaining to the discussion. Your response posts need to be at least 250 words each. Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Discussion 3 (Dianne)

After reading Chapter Nine the population that I have chosen to discuss is one that is near and dear to my heart, Homeless Veterans. Living in an urban city I see firsthand the tragic effects the experiences of war can have on former soldiers and their families. In my household I have a stepson who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, "PTSD is a mental disorder that may develop after exposure to exceptionally threatening or horrifying events" (Bisson,2015). The sometimes-debilitating disorder can impede veterans transition back into civilian life impacting their ability to cope with socio- emotional existence and daily tasks. Per the article Homeless veterans: Perspectives on social services use a veteran stated the following “I have such a violent temper, I just can’t stand to be told too many things, I work hard, but sooner or later someone says something and I snap. Before Vietnam I was polite, courteous, and kind” (Applewhite,1997).

History has shown that American government and its citizens have found difficulty effectively executing inventions to support veterans combating issues of homelessness physical illness, alcohol and other substance abuse, issues as they are “programmed to do nothin’ but kill or be killed” (Applewhite,1997). As per the article a veteran states “We were never deprogrammed when we came back from the war” which contributes to the contemporary issue of ‘public perception’ which subsequently affects the resources available to soldiers upon discharged from the armed services.

The findings of the “U.S. Conference of Mayors report also found that about 28 percent of homeless adults were severely mentally ill while 13 percent were veterans," (Martin, 2018). The shared effects of economic neglect, housing shortages, employment opportunity, mental health crisis’ population of homeless veterans have resulted in a countrywide problem that will escalate if the path to sustainment is not corrected. To honor and empower wounded warriors. Organizations such as the Wounded Warrior Project established in has been pivotal in guiding military veterans back to civilian living, their sole missions is to ‘honor and empower wounded warriors’. On their journey back to family and post military living

Reference

Applewhite, S. L. (1997). Homeless veterans: Perspectives on social services use. Social Work, 42(1), 19-30.

Bisson, J. I., Cosgrove, S., Lewis, C., & Roberts, N. P. (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder. Bmj, 351.

Martin, M. E. (2018). Introduction to human services: Through the eyes of practice settings (4th ed.). Pearson.

https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission