title: Barriers to Psychosocial Services among Homeless Women Veterans.
abstract: Veterans comprise a disproportionate fraction of the nation's homeless population, with women veterans up to four times more likely to be homeless than non-veteran women. This paper provides a grounded description of barriers to psychosocial services among homeless women veterans. Three focus groups were held in Los Angeles, CA, with a total of 29 homeless women veterans. These women described three primary, proximal (current) barriers: lack of information about services, limited access to services, and lack of coordination across services. Compared to non-veteran homeless women, women veterans potentially face additional challenges of trauma exposure during military service, post-military readjustment issues, and few services specific to women veterans. Understanding their service needs and experiences is critical to the development of relevant and appropriate services that move homeless women veterans away from vulnerability, into safety.
authors.affiliation: Research Health Scientist, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Associate Research Anthropologist, UCLA Department of Psychiatry, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Alison B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Poza Consulting Services, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Poza
authors.affiliation: Homeless Women Veterans Service Coordinator, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.affiliation: Professor of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Washington
keywords: homelessness; psychosocial services; qualitative research; substance abuse; treatment barriers; women veterans