U.S. Female Veterans, Homelessness, and Effective Social Services

Abstract The rate of homelessness among female veterans is a growing area of concern for social workers, health care providers and policy makers. Female veterans are more likely to have experienced trauma than their male counterparts (including child abuse, military sexual trauma or more recent incidents) as well as to have existing mental health challenges. These findings support the development of social services tailored to accommodate the specific needs of the growing female veteran population. Social workers need to play a proactive role in advocating for strengths-based treatment, supportive housing, employment strategies, and compassionate health care case management to prevent homelessness and to support female veteran community reintegration. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the factors that lead to homelessness in female veterans and to describe effective social service interventions to meet the needs of this population. Keywords: homelessness, transitional housing, women veterans, social support, gende