Date

7-15-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Thomas Vail

Keywords

Unhoused veterans, Homeless veterans, first-hand experience working with homeless veterans, Homeless veterans Tennessee, Veteran homelessness Tennessee, Veteran homelessness, First-hand accounts of homeless veterans, lived experiences with veteran homelessness, Mental health and homelessness among veterans, Rural veteran homelessness, alcohol and substance abuse, lack of affordable housing

Disciplines

Counseling | Education

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of service providers who work first-hand with homeless veterans in Tennessee. Americans seem to view homeless people as inferior to others without considering the factors that have led these individuals to become homeless. They fail to acknowledge the hardships they face, the daily challenges to their mental health, and the invisible wounds that go unnoticed and are often overlooked. As more men and women have returned to the United States following their service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other global locations, a significant number of combat veterans are struggling with untreated or unmanaged mental health issues. This has left many combat veterans unable to cope, leading them to resort to self-medication. Consequently, there has been a significant increase in alcohol use disorder (AUD), drug use disorder (DUD), legal issues, unemployment, and homelessness among veterans. This study presents evidence of the challenges faced by veterans, as told by those who work first-hand with them in an attempt to determine if psychological resilience is a factor contributing to some veterans becoming homeless while others maintain housing. Data analysis uncovered three themes: substance and alcohol use issues, lack of affordable and safe housing, and lack of transportation. Under the substance and alcohol use theme, the barriers to receiving treatment, willingness to participate in treatment, and availability to maintain sobriety following treatment were identified. The second theme emphasized challenges focusing on the lack of affordable and available housing and sub-themes identified were barriers to qualifying for available housing. The third theme identified was the lack of transportation, some smaller and metropolitan areas in Tennessee offer public transportation, however, most rural areas lack all public transportation, contributing to homeless veterans' inability to maintain employment.

Download

Share

COinS