Our Heroes come home eager to see their families and to start a so call normal civilian life. A life that consists of maybe a 9-5 job with a decent apartment or house to share lasting memories. This would be great since the government gives them a check every month to supplement their new life. Unfortunately, life doesn’t end up that way for most Veterans. Instead they come home feeling lost and out of touch. Their minds are full of memories of seeing friends die or memories of taking a person’s life. All the while dealing with trying to find employment in an economy that is failing.
So now the Veteran is dealing with lack of family support which could come from divorce while being deployed and/or child support. The Veteran is dealing with trials, tribulations and frustrations of unemployment because of lack of skills and training which leads to unaffordable housing to maintain stability. Dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD can cause the Veterans to use drugs and /or alcohol. The horrors of what they left behind when deployed along with the horrors they are facing in a society that is failing them leads them to fill empty and alone causing addictions.
HOMELESS VETS Other types of mental issues could be depression, suicidal thoughts and/or feeling unworthy. Not only are Veterans dealing with mental issues, they are also suffering from some type of health condition. According to Fargo (2007), homelessness is associated with chronic health conditions and in 2009 among 136,000 homeless veterans, 53% had a chronic health condition. What is the solution? About half of homeless Veterans have serious mental illness and 70 percent have substance abuse problems.
The Essay on Shine: Meaning of Life and Human Condition
Shine highlights three major human conditions throughout the movie, the need for companionship, the unbroken human spirits and human’s tendency to reflect on the past. From these human conditions, scenes in Shine and use of camera techniques we learn how to approach situations and downhills in life and to rediscover and give purpose to life rather than give up and accept defeat. ...
How can the Veterans break through the barriers of homelessness to a road of self-sufficiency? There is a combination of community services and government agencies that are focused on helping our Heroes get off the streets and back into a sense of normalcy. Health Care – When homeless, where can Vets store medication? How can they pay for the meds that are needed to keep them stable? VA helps to manage their health care needs. Fargo (2012).
Continual health programs such as counseling, screening and outreach programs keep Veterans from relapsing back into homelessness. Housing – To combat homelessness with Veterans the Dept. f VA has adopted a no-tolerance policy called HUD-VASH (Housing and Urban Development Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing).
The government has implemented several programs to assist our Vets with housing and jobs. Chinman (2012).
Study shows after successful housing there is still a chance of someone sleeping on the streets short term but the chances are decreased because of constant monitoring through government programs and health clinics. OConnell (2008).
Employment – VA has proven that specialized training that caters to our Vets who are homeless with some type of mental disorder or substance abuse can be successful in gaining employment.
