Homeless Veterans: Background/Current Analysis

BACKGROUND:

Homeless veterans has become a growing problem due to the lack of treatment and benefits given to those who served our country. This is not a new issue and it has occurred over decades. A few of the reasons of why veterans are homeless is because of the limited access to proper health care, affordable housing and income that is sustainable. There are also veterans at risk of homelessness due to poor living conditions, poverty, and no support after returning from active duty. In addition to those obstacles, most veterans are facing traumatic effects such as, dissociation, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, depression, adjustment disorder which all makes it harder for them to actually seek employment and further education. 

The expansion of what is considered a homeless veteran came to be due to the conditions and the acknowledgement of the different situations of a veteran. For example, there are different types of discharge that effects the eligibility of benefits. There are veterans who are dishonorably discharged (DH), bad conduct discharge (BDC), or other than honorable discharge (OTH). Veterans with those types of discharges will not receive the same help and benefits that they are entitled to because of incidents that may or may not have been caused or influenced by trauma they sustained during battle. Before, only honorable discharge and general discharge would receive veteran’s benefits but now there is a policy in progress fighting to change that. 

Circumstantial situations involving DH and OTH discharge have to be reviewed thoroughly before determining if they are eligible for assistance. This method of determining isn’t working because there are too many veterans who are homeless and suffering from untreated issues because they did not receive the benefits that could have helped them. For example, transitioning programs for veterans working to gain those skills and abilities to get back into society and function well with the community. Educational opportunities for veterans who are working to further their education, and health care benefits that can assist them in treating their illnesses. The policies overall have changed greatly considering how most programs have strict requirements. Most policies are incorporating the measures to where a veteran who was not honorably discharged can receive some benefits but there are conditions that include “Veterans or veteran’s families fleeing:

• Domestic violence
• Dating violence
• Sexual assault
• Stalking

Or any other dangerous or life-threatening condition in the current housing situation”. In addition to that, there are only a few policies that have those options for veterans who are not honorably discharged. 

For this particular issue, I do not find the policies overall effective solely because it is not covering the broad aspect of the problem. From what I have researched and learned so far, it tells me that there has to be a certain degree of the situation for help and benefits to be given to a veteran. In my mind there are holes and cracks in this policy because what if the majority of homeless veterans do not meet the criteria of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, etc.? There needs to be a coverage for every angle to make sure no veteran is going untreated because of an incident during their serving time. 

CURRENT ANALYSIS:

There is a broad list of programs and services listed for homeless veterans that address the issue. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor has programs in place to support veterans who need assistance transitioning into society, finding employment and finding stable homes to live in. The only flaw in some of those programs and services is that most would not supply help to those who are not honorably discharged. Anything but honorable seemed to hold a stigma and most veterans won’t even make it pass the front desk with that status. There needs to be programs and services out there to help these men who served for our country and risked their lives. 

In correspondence to the NASW code of ethics, they do not go hand in hand. Yes, the well-being of a person is valued but that being is a person picked from a group to best fit the requirements. There are rules and regulations that need to be enforce but at what cost? Service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence. Those are NASW values. Policies have a problem and create a solution, but don’t offer variety within that solution. The NASW code of ethics does not discriminate because of the situation. It vows to serve everyone who comes seeking help. The policies that I’ve come across helps select few and that needs to change.

References

"Beta." H.R.897. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. <http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/897>.

"U.S. Department of Labor -- Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) -- Fact Sheet 1." U.S. Department of Labor -- Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) -- Fact Sheet 1. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/vwip/vwip_fs.htm>.