Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-122) and index.

Studies have shown that health outcomes are disproportionately worse for homeless individuals as compared with individuals with stable housing (Brickner, Scanlan, and Conanan 1986); however, the unique coping mechanisms that they employ to protect their health have been largely understudied. Better understanding of attitudes and behaviors that individuals adopt to maintain their health, collectively termed “self-care” is imperative to the design and implementation of effective public health interventions for this population. The purpose of this thesis is to better understand both the barriers and coping strategies of transient populations. The two research questions guiding this thesis are: What barriers to health do transient residents in high-risk neighborhoods experience, and how do they mitigate the perceived or existing barriers? Findings from this analysis indicate that the most salient barriers for transient populations are lack of transportation, lack of health insurance, beliefs about health, and mental illness. The agency exercised by participants to improve their own health outcomes has important implications for the efficacy of health promotion campaigns and health policy aimed at high-risk populations.

abstract: This research is about urban homeless people's vulnerability to extreme temperatures and the related socio-spatial dynamics. Specifically, this research investigates heat related coping strategies homeless people use and how the urban environment setting impacts those coping strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with homeless people in Phoenix, Arizona during the summer of 2010. The findings demonstrate that homeless people have a variety of coping strategies and the urban environment setting unjustly impacts those strategies. The results suggest a need for further studies that focus spatial environmental effects on homeless people and other vulnerable populations. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Justice Studies 2011

The dissertation "Identity of young homeless person, its lifestyle and its motivation to change it" presents part of the results of the research grant "Psychosocial determinants of homelessness of young people", in which I contributed with Professor Vágnerová. The complete results can be seen in a monograph entitled "Homelessness as alternative existence of young people"(Vágnerová, Csémy, Marek, 2013). The dissertation attempts to describe homelessness as a process consisting of three parts. The first part ("pre-homelessness") follows primary factors of homelessness which means one person's "downfall"resulting in life on the street and reasons of homelessness. The second part ("in-homelessness") follows secondary factors that keep one person in the status of homelessness. The third part of the process ("post-homelessness") follows the reintegration process and tertiary factors which are barriers in the reintegration process. This division is being distinguished in both the theoretical as well as in the practical part. The theoretical part is divided into brief description of psychological theories, which may explain behavior of homeless people and into results of foreign research, which deal with the homelessness of young people. In the practical part we primarily follow descriptive quantitative part, which quantitatively describes life of homeless people. In the qualitative part, which is based on analysis (inspired by the Grounded Theory) of stories of former homeless people, I put together an adaptation and reintegration model of young homeless people. The findings of the quantitative part show that results of foreign research are similar to our research sample, except for some details (especially when it comes to U.S. population). The findings of the qualitative analysis discovered that respondents go through a negative impulse (devaluation of lifestyle) and through a positive impulse (discovery of a value outside of homelessness), through discovery of options how to reach this value, and how to obtain ability and skills to reach a change.

Esta tese teve como objetivo avaliar o Serviço Ação Rua, responsável pela abordagem e acompanhamento a crianças e adolescentes em situação de rua e suas famílias na cidade de Porto Alegre, Brasil. A organização metodológica é qualitativa, através de Estudo de Caso Único, com Unidades de Análise Incorporadas, abarcando o período de 2007 a 2009. Foram realizados cinco estudos: análise documental, que avaliou qualitativamente o processo de implantação e analisou dados quali-quantitativos; e quatro estudos que analisaram, a partir da realização de grupos focais, a percepção de adolescentes e famílias atendidas, trabalhadores sociais e gestores do Serviço. A partir da literatura sobre avaliação de programas e projetos sociais, e sobre intervenções em situação de rua, foram constituídos os referenciais de base que sustentam as análises, destacando-se o apoio social e a Teoria Bioecológica do Desenvolvimento Humano. O conjunto dos resultados originados nas unidades de análise incorporadas foi sintetizado em quatro eixos emergentes na avaliação do Caso Ação Rua: intervenção, relação em rede, modo de gestão e intersetorialidade. Destaca-se a relevância das relações proximais na implementação da intervenção, do estabelecimento de uma rede de apoio, de um modelo consistente de cooperação entre a sociedade civil e governo e da articulação com as políticas públicas do macrossistema. As experiências de transformação do serviço descritas neste estudo podem contribuir para a construção das políticas públicas para a situação de rua e risco social. / This thesis aimed to evaluate the Action Street Program (Serviço Ação Rua), responsible for approaching and monitoring homeless children and adolescents, as well as their families, in the city of Porto Alegre, Brasil. A qualitative methodology, through Single Case Study with Embedded Units of Analysis, covering the period from 2007 to 2009 was used. Five studies were conducted: a document analysis, which evaluated the implantation process qualitatively and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data; and four studies analyzed the perceptions of adolescents, families, social workers and service managers, through focus groups. Theoretical background comes from literature on the evaluation of both social programs and projects and interventions designed for homeless children, in which social support and bioecological theory of human development are highlighted. The overall results were synthesized into four emerging axes in the evaluation of the Street Action Case: intervention, network connection, management and intersectoral cooperation. The following items are emphasized: the relevance of the proximal processes on the intervention level, the establishment of a social support network, a consistent model of cooperation among civil society and the liaison with government and public policies in the macrosystem. The transformation experiences of the service described in this study can contribute to the construction of public policies for homelessness and social risk situation.

The work deals with the complicated problems of solving homelessness in Prague for the period 2013-2020. It analyzes the ethics of the proposals addressing homelessness in this period and compares it with the Action Plan, which preceded it. Ethical problems are defined on the basis of examples of social work practice with homeless people. The conclusion of my work is a proposal of possible solutions defined by ethical problems that arise from the analyzed concept.

For individuals with multiple and complex needs, leaving homelessness is recognised as a dynamic and complex process. Furthermore, despite the provision of supports, tenancies may not be maintained and individuals return to using homelessness services. Tenancy sustainment—the maintenance of a tenancy to avoid a premature end of tenure—is fundamental to the resolution and prevention of homelessness. There is a paucity of research about the occupations of individuals as they establish and maintain tenancies. This thesis aimed to understand the transition process from homelessness, and tenancy sustainment, from an occupational perspective, to inform a potential occupational therapy intervention. Underpinned by the Medical Research Council (2008) framework for the development and evaluation of complex interventions, a systematic review and a constructivist grounded theory study were conducted in a convergent mixed method study design. The systematic review synthesised the evidence on tenancy sustainment following homelessness from a broad range of studies. It presented positive determinants of tenancy sustainment at individual, interpersonal, community and structural levels. The constructivist grounded theory study was conducted with people who were experiencing or had experienced multiple exclusion homelessness as well as staff in homelessness services. Individuals (n=35) were purposively sampled and interviews using reflexive photography were conducted. A substantive theory about the core process of tenancy sustainment was conceptualised as ‘Making a Home’. This was enacted through identified occupational strategies of ‘putting your stamp on it’, ‘seeing a new self’ and ‘living the life’. Tenancy sustainment was experienced as ‘feeling at home’, which had two sub-categories: ‘belonging’, which was a sense of connection to place, as well as, ‘having connections’ to other people. The key mediating factor to enable tenancy sustainment was taking control over activities. The findings were synthesised to propose a framework of factors that influence successful tenancy sustainment. Engagement in occupations, as individuals established and sustained tenancies, provided a sense of well-being, a sense of control as well as social connections. This indicates the value, to all who support individuals leave homelessness, of providing opportunities and supporting tenants to engage in personally meaningful occupations. In addition, this thesis provides a foundation for the development of an occupational therapy intervention for tenancy sustainment following homelessness.

Esta tese teve como objetivo avaliar o Serviço Ação Rua, responsável pela abordagem e acompanhamento a crianças e adolescentes em situação de rua e suas famílias na cidade de Porto Alegre, Brasil. A organização metodológica é qualitativa, através de Estudo de Caso Único, com Unidades de Análise Incorporadas, abarcando o período de 2007 a 2009. Foram realizados cinco estudos: análise documental, que avaliou qualitativamente o processo de implantação e analisou dados quali-quantitativos; e quatro estudos que analisaram, a partir da realização de grupos focais, a percepção de adolescentes e famílias atendidas, trabalhadores sociais e gestores do Serviço. A partir da literatura sobre avaliação de programas e projetos sociais, e sobre intervenções em situação de rua, foram constituídos os referenciais de base que sustentam as análises, destacando-se o apoio social e a Teoria Bioecológica do Desenvolvimento Humano. O conjunto dos resultados originados nas unidades de análise incorporadas foi sintetizado em quatro eixos emergentes na avaliação do Caso Ação Rua: intervenção, relação em rede, modo de gestão e intersetorialidade. Destaca-se a relevância das relações proximais na implementação da intervenção, do estabelecimento de uma rede de apoio, de um modelo consistente de cooperação entre a sociedade civil e governo e da articulação com as políticas públicas do macrossistema. As experiências de transformação do serviço descritas neste estudo podem contribuir para a construção das políticas públicas para a situação de rua e risco social. / This thesis aimed to evaluate the Action Street Program (Serviço Ação Rua), responsible for approaching and monitoring homeless children and adolescents, as well as their families, in the city of Porto Alegre, Brasil. A qualitative methodology, through Single Case Study with Embedded Units of Analysis, covering the period from 2007 to 2009 was used. Five studies were conducted: a document analysis, which evaluated the implantation process qualitatively and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data; and four studies analyzed the perceptions of adolescents, families, social workers and service managers, through focus groups. Theoretical background comes from literature on the evaluation of both social programs and projects and interventions designed for homeless children, in which social support and bioecological theory of human development are highlighted. The overall results were synthesized into four emerging axes in the evaluation of the Street Action Case: intervention, network connection, management and intersectoral cooperation. The following items are emphasized: the relevance of the proximal processes on the intervention level, the establishment of a social support network, a consistent model of cooperation among civil society and the liaison with government and public policies in the macrosystem. The transformation experiences of the service described in this study can contribute to the construction of public policies for homelessness and social risk situation.

Diploma thesis is focused on the issue of male homelessness in České Budějovice. In theoretical parts I described mostly general causes of homelessness and other specific problems associated with life of the homeless. I targeted the impediments in return to the common life, such as difficulties in searching the employment, health state of this population and also a barrier in communication with organizations and institutions, which would facilitate their return to the common life. In the next parts I described services available to the homeless persons to manage their difficult situation in living in the Czech Republic. In relation to the social services I described fundamental legislature relevant to rendition of these services. Statistical data from count homeless in Prague and Brno were marginally enclosed to the theoretical parts. In practical parts I concentrated on usage of alcohol and other habit forming substances by the homeless persons, and on their going through an execution of punishment in former times. Further I focused on the causes of their hard life situation. All information for this research I obtained from the clients, who use the services of sanctuary house of St. Pavel in České Budějovice.

Abstract {--} Public opinion on homelessness The issue of homelessness became very relevant in the last year. At present, the number of people without home has been growing and a nation-wide problem comes into being which cannot be overlooked by the society. As well as other problems of the current world, also the issue of homelessness is one of the popular mediaʼs topics. The homelessness as extreme expression of the poverty and social exclusion is, all the time, an issue neglected not only by the specialists and the state, but also by the lay public. For this reason it is necessary to address the public and first of all to inform the public sufficiently of the given issue. Only based on the knowledge and understanding the people will be able to treat this issue thoroughly and in a thought-out way and they will not avert the eyes from this problem. The target of my thesis is to evaluate the attitude of public to the issue of homelessness. In connection with it two hypotheses were postulated: 1) The citizens of younger age (15-30 years) have a more tolerant attitude to the issue of homelessness than citizen of older age (31-70 let). 2) The women have a higher understanding for the aid to homeless persons then men. A quantitative research was made among persons in the age group of 15-70 years residing permanently in České Budějovice and surroundings, in the form of a controlled questionnaire applying the method of the accidental choice of the respondents. The whole research was performed in the hospital in České Budějovice under the supervision of the medical staff and partly also through internet. The research file consisted of 60% respondents. The questions in the questionnaire were directed on establishment of the attitude of the public to the issue of the persons without homes. On the questions formulated in this determined way the total attitude of the respondents to homeless people was estabilshed as well as the differences in the attitude to the homeless people depending on age and sex of the respondent. The results of the research part of the thesis really proved the highly negative attitude of citizens to homeless people, however, the persons of younger age (15-30 years) showed a higher tolerance rate then citizens of older age (31-70 years). The women also showed a higher extent of altruism then men. Based on these results the hypotheses postulated in advance were confirmed unambiguously and with them also the target of the thesis.