• Roya Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Sophie Feller, Gery W Ryan, Lisa Altman, Donna L Washington, Sheryl Kataoka, and Lillian Gelberg.
• From the VA Health Service Research & Development (HSR&D) Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA (RI-M, LG); UCLA Division of Population Behavioral Health, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA (RI-M, SK); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (RI-M, SF, SK); Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, California (GWR); Office of Healthcare Transformation and Innovation, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA (LA, LG); Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (LA, DLW); UCLA Center for Health Services and Society, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA (SK); Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA (LG); and Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA (LG). Rijadimaghsoodi@mednet.ucla.edu.
• J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Mar 1; 34 (2): 309319309-319.

BackgroundVeteran family homelessness is a significant issue, yet little is known about the needs and barriers to services of veteran families experiencing homelessness. This qualitative study examined the experiences, needs, and barriers to services among homeless-experienced veteran families to inform providers for this important population.MethodsTwenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted from February through September 2016 with 18 veteran parents with a recent history of homelessness (9 mothers, 9 fathers), and 7 homeless service providers throughout Los Angeles County. The "Sector Wheel for Under-Resourced Populations" data elicitation approach was used to conduct the interviews, which allowed the participant to guide the interview by discussing different sectors of a family's life affected by homelessness. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and themes were coded with Atlas.ti.ResultsInterviews revealed parenting stress and worsening family mental health during homelessness. Participants described barriers to navigating housing, social, and health services with children, including not knowing where to seek help, difficulty connecting to health and social services in the community, and a lack of family-focused services. Parents encountered discrimination by landlords and lack of access to permanent housing in safe neighborhoods.ConclusionsFindings demonstrate a need for delivering family-centered and comprehensive services to homeless-experienced veteran families that recognize the multifaceted needs of this population. Advocacy initiatives are needed to address discrimination against veterans experiencing family homelessness and increase access to affordable permanent housing in safe neighborhoods for families.© Copyright 2021 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

17 keywords...

hide…