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Veteran Homeless Project
by: Jon Wiebe


Introduction
This project began in the spring of 1998, with guidance from two local Vietnam veterans. The initial direction was developed from my work as an intern at a local Veterans Center, and the existing accomplishments of a small, local non-profit agency, which provides domiciliary and counseling services to a socially marginalized and stigmatized population; homeless veterans.

In the autumn of 1998, we had formulated a rough plan to expand this organization's program with the hope of providing a wider range of rehabilitative services to its clients. Through a liberal literature search, I identified a number of studies pertinent to veteran populations. Two of these studies had specific relevance to what it was we thought we wanted to accomplish. The first was conducted by the Veterans Administration and looked at self-valuation and self- esteem reporting of homeless veterans before, during and after participation in a governmental domiciliary program. The second study was conducted in 1997, which identified obstacles to social service delivery from the perspective of the homeless veterans. Specific information on area homeless populations were estimated from a 1995 study of homelessness populations conducted in the Chico area. From this, it was estimated that the veteran make up of the total homeless population ranged anywhere from 15 to 30 percent, at any given time.

The 1997 study went so far as to identify several categories of barriers to homeless veteran access to services: chronic health and mental health issues, resource access difficulties and public perception problems. Within these, a host of service provider issues (i.e. worker in-sensitivities, labeling, negative policies and procedures, discrimination and inadequate delivery systems) were seen as major barriers to service. Pre-conceptions and bias were also identified as contributing factors to the negative experiences of these veterans.

In late October 1998, I conducted a limited survey with the intent to capture some of the perceptions held by service administrators, supervisors and clients at the local level. This small and very limited snapshot suggested the following:
  1. Poverty is compounded in this population primarily by limited access to opportunities for employment, which is worsened by the absence of base levels of housing.
  2. This population generally reports significant feelings of marginalization and as being "out-cast" by society as a whole. However, despite specific incident of violence within the past 6 months, there is a reported sense of empathy for the homeless within this community.
  3. Barriers to social services identified by local veterans were similar to those identified in the 1997 study cite earlier, and included inadequate support systems, insensitivity of service providers, and systemic bias towards veterans and males.
  4. The systemic problem (unit of attention) identified in the survey was conversely recognized among survey respondents as individual behaviors on one hand, and community/social environment on the other.


Statement of Need
As a marginalized (special) population, homeless veterans are generally absent of social services for a variety of reasons. These range from psychological disorders to lack of support mechanisms and resources to systemic bias and stigmatization. The cumulative effect for many is a cycle of chronic and repetitive homelessness.

Description of the Intervention
From this was developed an intervention statement for the non-profit organization's revised program:
  1. To develop existing program policies and procedures and to increase veteran use of local community social service resources.
  2. To expand the existing program through identification client needs and application for grant monies to fund additional in-house rehabilitative services.
  3. To augment veteran outreach programs through the implementation of an ongoing food bank for homeless and low-income veterans.


Evaluation of the Intervention
Interventions and evaluation are ongoing at this time. Project completion is not anticipated until the end of the Spring 1999 semester.
  1. Simply put, part of the transition from living on the street is getting program clients plugged into available social services in a structure that is both accommodating and demanding. New and revised policy and procedures can create some of this structure. Input has been gathered from organizational experience, client feedback and "best-practices" from existing veteran domiciliary programs to revise existing and develop new policies and procedures. New procedures will include formal client contracts that specifically target and monitor the individual needs of the clients (i.e. application processes to local, state and federal social services; rehabilitation counseling, etc.).
  2. Program expansion through grant funding has been a particular challenge. On-site needs remain a primary issue. Efforts to self -monitor, or "assign" house supervisors from among the clients have proven nominally successful. Primary needs are 24-hour supervision and regular on-site substance abuse counseling, both of which can be met through small annual grants. Private and public funding sources have been identified, however the application timelines for these vary throughout the year. At this point, proposal summaries and outlines are being developed for use as a template for grant applications at later dates.
  3. Initially, in targeting the homeless population for the Food Bank, we found through lack of initial response that local services were meeting their daily needs. From this we widened the focus to include low-income veterans. The first Food Bank was conducted on April 30th, 1999 with nominal success; seven out of an anticipated ten homeless and low-income veterans participated. We are continuing to incrementally expand exposure through flyers and word-of-mouth, and anticipate ten to twelve participants in the month of May.


Reflections on the Project
"veterans helping veterans." The vision of this agency has always been to move in the direction of increasing services and opportunities. By continuing to build incrementally on past lessons and measures of success, this organization can continue to provide resources, opportunity and a gateway of sorts for the re-socialization of this impoverished group.

Please contact the author at: jweeb@eudoramail.com


References
Applewhite, S. L. (1997); Homeless Veterans: Perspectives on Social Services Use; Social Work, 42(1), 19 - 31.

Lloyd-Cobb, P., Dixon, D. R. (1995); A Preliminary Evaluation of the Effects of a Veterans' Hospital Domiciliary Program for Homeless Persons; Research on Social Work Practice, 5(3), 309-316.

Waste, R. J. Ph.D. (1994); A Study of the Homeless Population of Butte County, California; Robert Waste and Associates. Unpublished. Chico, California.

Interviews
Adminsitrator, Public Social Service Agency, Chico, CA.

Administrator, Non-Profit Agency providing Homeless Services, Chico, CA.

Supervisor, Public Service Agency, Chico, CA.

Supervisor, Non-Profit Agency providing Homeless Services, Chico, CA.

Homeless Veteran, age 47, Chico, CA.

Homeless Veteran, age 43, Chico, CA.

Homeless Veteran, age 54, Chico, CA.

Homeless Veteran, age 51, Chico, CA.

Homeless Veteran, age 49, Chico, CA.

Homeless Veteran, age 56, Chico, CA.

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