title: Souls in Extremis: Enacting Processes of Recovery from Homelessness Among Older African American Women.
abstract: In a midwestern city of the USA, the authors implemented the Leaving Homelessness Intervention Research Project-and its eight subprojects-to further understand homelessness as experienced by older minority women, develop intervention strategies to facilitate the movement of the participants out of homelessness, and illuminate the women's recovery process. After reviewing the social issue of homelessness among older African American women in the USA, and offering a framework on recovery and qualitative themes of recovery among participants involved in the Telling My Story subproject, the authors present a four-factor model of recovery-focused practice. The model reflects two recovery paradigms: one that is responsive to the negative consequences people experience as a result of their exposure to extreme situations, such as homelessness, and a proactive one in which assistance is designed to help people in recovery advance their own self-development and move forward their process of individuation.
authors.affiliation: Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA. david.moxley@ou.edu.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Moxley
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Olivia G M
authors.initials: OGM
authors.lastname: Washington
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D015397:Program Evaluation; D029181:Spirituality; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: African American women; Helping processes; Homelessness; Individuation; Spirituality; Strengths-based practice