Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Education and Promotion

Advisor

David Brown

Abstract

AbstractHomelessness among veterans in the United States is a multifaceted social and health concern that has continued to increase despite immense efforts to minimize and eliminate this issue. Numerous organizations have dedicated resources; however, many veterans do not use benefits and resources that are available to them, and homelessness remains a health and social concern. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how individual and interpersonal barriers, community factors, organizational structure, and existing policies for assistance are perceived by support staff that work with veterans with mental disorders who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This research was aimed to address what impact having dependents has on loss of purpose for veterans with mental disorders, best practices in educating servicemembers about benefits in military separation briefings, and barriers for accessing benefits using the social ecological model (SEM). A basic qualitative inquiry approach was used. In addition to recent peer-reviewed literature, semistructured interviews were used as a primary source of data. This included interviews from purposefully selected sites with individuals who worked at VA facilities and personnel from homeless charity organizations. In addition to factors such as substance abuse disorders, social support, and the need for advocacy, findings from this research show that a lack of dependents may also contribute to loss of purpose and unwillingness to better themselves. Educating those who assist veterans with mental disorders about this could have an influence on the approach they use in terms of their methods of assistance and eventually have a positive social impact on this population.

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