Psychological Services for Children and Families Who Are Homeless

Abstract

(from the chapter) Persons who are homeless are not new to the streets of America. However, the documented existence of homeless children and families is a relatively recent phenomenon. This growing population of homeless children and families requires psychological services and resources that will assist them while they are homeless, help them to move to permanent housing, and ultimately, prevent future homelessness. The goal of this chapter is to describe the current state of psychological services for children and families who are homeless. It is important to note that some of these services are directed primarily toward parents, others toward children, and some toward family intervention. For our purposes, "psychological services" are broadly conceptualized to include counseling interventions (e.g., family, group, and individual counseling), psychoeducational activities (e.g., parenting skills and life skills training), substance abuse treatments, cognitive developmental assessments and interventions, and other services that focus on prevention (e.g., early intervention programs). Psychological service providers include psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, mental health counselors, psychiatric nurses, pastoral counselors, school counselors, and school psychologists. The chapter will briefly review issues addressed in psychological services for homeless families, describe common models for delivery of these services and offer suggestions for service improvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)