Report

A review of homelessness among veterans: Policy and practice implications for prevention and intervention efforts

The goal of this report is to provide a comprehensive review of the individual and structural factors and interactions that contribute to homelessness; to describe different levels of interventions, promising practices, and policy recommendations with a focus on preventing homelessness among Veterans. Topics and areas covered in this report include, but are not limited to: individual factors (socioeconomic status, gender/family issues, mental health and substance use disorders, criminal justice interactions); structural factors (housing availability/affordability, job security/unemployment/underemployment, health insurance, current recession and healthcare crisis); and Veterans issues (maintaining housing/employment after combat deployments, trauma experiences, PTSD and other clinical issues, need for continuity of care with VA services, factors that facilitate/interfere with benefit receipt).

Due to these authors areas of expertise there special recommendations focusing on gender issues, co-occurring disorders; integrated treatment (including substance use disorders, psychiatric disorders, trauma disorders, and criminal justice issues); discharge planning and an extensive discussion of criminal justice system issues for Veterans.