New Book: Supporting Families Experiencing Homelessness: Current Practices and Future Directions

Posted by on January 06, 2014

Supporting Families Experiencing Homelessness: Current Practices and Future Directions

An important new book co-edited by People’s Emergency Center’s Visiting Scholar Dr. Staci Perlman has been published.

In addition to Dr. Perlman, a number of other local contributors are featured. They include: Dr. JJ Cutuli of Rutgers University; Dr. Janette Herbers of Villanova University; Karen Hudson of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Homeless Health Initiative;Sandy Sheller, a renowned family therapist who works in Philadelphia’s emergency housing programs; and PEC staff members Leigh Wilson and Joe Willard.

Homelessness among families with children in the U.S. is rising rapidly due to the economic downturn. Homelessness experiences and their associated risks places these families at jeopardy for many hardships. Although the impact of homelessness on families has been outlined in the literature, a consolidated approach to translating research findings into interventions and program practices that support families has been lacking. The goal for this book is to address this gap and raise the standard of services provided to families without homes through practices that are strength-based and culturally competent, and as such, are more likely to have a positive impact.

The specific aim of Supporting Families Experiencing Homelessness is to disseminate accessible information to frontline service providers, researchers, policy-makers, and students in three related domains. First, the book describes a contextual overview of family homelessness. An ecological and developmental framework for understanding the implications of homelessness from infancy through adulthood is presented, with reference to existing research. Second, the volume addresses innovative designs for providing collaboration between and among diverse services that interface with families experiencing homelessness. In so doing, the importance of providing families with culturally competent services that support them during episodes of homelessness as well as the period of rehousing is addressed. Third, examples of empirically proven interventions and best practices will be showcased and roadblocks that impede success and sustainability are discussed. Recommendations for future research endeavors and policy shifts appear in a special section at the end of each chapter.

UNIQUE ASPECTS OF SUPPORTING FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS:

• Addresses the ecology of family homelessness and the current research on educational, developmental, and mental health risks associated with homelessness
• Provides a multidisciplinary approach to service delivery that encourages integration of services across systems that provide assistance to families without homes
• Illuminates trauma-sensitive practices and program designs that reduce re-traumatization and that encourage experiences of safety and healing during episodes of homelessness
• Brings together current research and promising practical experiences from the field with the goal of improving practices that will optimally support children and families without homes.
• Emphasizes specific steps to insure the relevance of cultural competence in service delivery.
• Offers recommendations for future research and policy implications, along with current resources at the end of each chapter.

Buy your copy at http://Springer.com