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HEALTH NEEDS AND VULNERABILITIES AMONG UNSHELTERED HOMELESS WOMEN. What the VI-SPDAT can tell us. Presentation Outline. Research Questions Overview of data Results Key Insights. Research Questions: For Homeless Women. Demographic characteristics and acuity
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HEALTH NEEDS AND VULNERABILITIES AMONG UNSHELTERED HOMELESS WOMEN What the VI-SPDAT can tell us
Presentation Outline • Research Questions • Overview of data • Results • Key Insights
Research Questions: For Homeless Women • Demographic characteristics and acuity • Self-reported causes of homelessness • Self-reported health, mental health, and substance abuse concerns • Risk of exploitation, risky behavior, and harm • Self-sufficiency
Overview of Data • 64,508 VI-SPAT assessments collected over 3 years (2/2015-4/2018) • Unsheltered and sheltered adults (25+) in 15 states from across the US • Entire community or a single service organization within a community represented • Convenience sample – no expectation that it is nationally representative • Data provided to NAEH and CPL by Iain DeJong, OrgCode
What are the demographic characteristics and overall acuity of homeless men and women?
Ethnicity and Race in VI-SPDAT Sample Source: OrgCode VI-SPDAT Assessments, 2015-2018
VI-SPDAT Score On average, unsheltered score twice as high on VI-SPDAT as sheltered individuals. Nearly entire sheltered sample scores below the average unsheltered individual
Abuse, trauma, and unhealthy relationships cause homelessness for unsheltered women.
Unsheltered Women Report Abuse or Trauma as Causes ofCurrent Homeless Spell
Negative Relationships Cause Loss of Housing among Unsheltered Men and Women
Differences in health, mental health, and service utilization among the sheltered and unsheltered by gender
Health Concerns among Homeless Individuals +10% +28% +72% Individuals with trimorbidity have reported having each of the three health concerns
Emergency Service Contacts in Previous Six Months Individuals with trimorbidity have reported having each of the three health concerns
Unsheltered women are at elevated risk for exploitation, self harm, and risky behavior and report less income.
…Report Recent Attempts of Self-Harm or Violence against Others…
…and More Frequently Report Risky Behavior, including sharing needles, drug trafficking, and sex for money…
…Report Fearing Legal Issues Will Prevent Them FromBeing Successfully Housed…
…and Struggle Meet Basic Needs, Such as Getting Food, and Bathing, and Finding a Bathroom…
…and Along with Unsheltered Men, are Less Likely to Report HavingSources of Income, especially under age 35
Women with the greatest vulnerabilities are unhoused for years and are not accessing emergency shelters.
Unsheltered Women Remain Without Stable Housing forMore Than a Decade (average)
Key Insights • Health and behavioral health and trauma are significant contributing factors to loss of housing, particularly for unsheltered women. • Unsheltered women experience major health, mental health, and substance abuse concerns while homeless. • Unsheltered homeless women are at elevated risk of exploitation, self-harm, risky behavior. • Unsheltered homeless report lower levels income, particularly among young people. • Unsheltered women remain unstably housed for long periods of time.