Addressing Mental Health of Homeless People: A Proposal Report

This report, authored by Alice Wong, is a proposal submitted to the City Council addressing the critical issue of mental health among homeless populations in the United States. The core argument centers on the exacerbating effect of homelessness on mental illness, advocating for increased funding towards supportive and independent housing initiatives. The proposal highlights the prevalence of mental health issues among the homeless, citing studies that demonstrate the link between homelessness, psychological distress, and risky behaviors. The report outlines the benefits and feasibility of the proposed work, including survey-based research to collect data on homelessness duration, mental illness, and access to mental health services. The methodology involves surveys across multiple regions with at least 30 participants, followed by thematic analysis. The report provides a schedule, cost estimates, and resource requirements, concluding with a call to action for policymakers and support groups to address the crisis. The research aims to underscore the importance of intervention and the development of shelters for the displaced. The report references several studies supporting the arguments and provides a clear plan for data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings.

Memorandum
To: City Council
From: Alice Wong
Date: February 2, 2020
Subject: Mental Health of Homeless People
Introduction:
The main purpose of this research is to address the effect of the homelessness status on the
individual's psychological condition and the mental health and region of interest is United States.
I propose greater funding for supportive housing and independent housing for people struggling
with homelessness issues. The main rationale for increasing funding in this area is that
homelessness is a traumatic condition that exacerbates mental illness and leads to higher levels
of psychological distress, risky behavior and alcohol use. Thus, as homelessness increases the
cost linked to mental illness, getting funding is important to eliminate its adverse impact on
mental health of an individual. This funding could be achieved by making key stakeholders
aware about the prevalence of homelessness and the extent to which it increase risk of mental
illness.
Background:
As compared to the general population, mental illness is more likely to prevail in the psyche of
the people who have been homeless. This has been proved by numerous studies done in the past
which shows the prevalence of mental illness among homeless people. As per the study
conducted in the year 2015 by Narendorf (2017), a huge proportion of the participants reported
being homeless and this contributed to mental illness by disrupting social support networks,
foster care involvement and traumatic care. Thus, interconnection between homelessness and
mental health was seriously proved by this study. The study by Perry and Craig (2015) indicated
that compared to those who are houses, the prevalence of serious mental illness is higher in
homeless people. This has contributed to high rate of self-harm, attempted suicide and
personality disorder. Thus, identifying appropriate interventions that improve mental health of
homeless people is important.
Benefits and Feasibility:
According to the study by Lam, Arora and Menchine (2016), 15% of people with mental illness
suffer from homelessness. These groups of people are vulnerable to substance abuse, infection
and limited self-care ability. The benefit of the proposal lies in its ability to substantiate the fact
that mental illness is one of the contributing factors behind the homeless status of a huge number
of people and draw the concentration toward the issue (Martin 2015).
The research will be feasible, as it would as the research will be conducted by surveys in
different areas and this is achievable by visiting homeless group and completing the survey
questionnaire.
Description of the proposed work:

The research report will give an overview about background information related to the research
topic, benefits of the research, methods to be used and cost and resourced needed for the work It
is planned to use at least 10 references to validate the findings in the report and compare the
findings with past research. It is also planned to develop a brochure so that all participants could
easily understand the purpose of the project. The project report will be of 10 pages and it will
have 3 visuals to further enhance the quality of the work However, the only limitation is that as
this survey will be completed by verbal means or written means instead of online mode, the
process may be time consuming.
Methods:
The research will be conducted using survey method. The survey question will collect data
related to duration of homelessness, presence of mental illness and access to mental health
services. The research will be conducted in at least two regions and with at least 30 participants.
After completing surveys with US homeless citizens, the data will be analyzed using thematic
analysis.
Schedule:
The estimated time required to complete the proposed work is one month. I'll continue my
reports and have cover letters completed by the 18th of February. The executive summary will be
written by February 24th, and the full final report will be finished by March 9th.
Cost and resources:
The resources would primarily comprise of the survey questionnaire as well as the papers
published in the medical journals. The case studies as well as the research paper conducted
previously will also be utilized by the researcher.
Conclusions:
The research seeks to substantiate the fact that among the huge portion of the people who have
become homeless, their mental health issues are one of the most important contributing factors
behind homeless state. As such, the research tries to emphasize the importance of the
intervention of the policy makers as well as help –groups to build shelters for the displaced and
do the necessities towards mitigating this rising issue.

References:
Lam, C.N., Arora, S. & Menchine, M., (2016). Increased 30-day emergency department revisits
among homeless patients with mental health conditions. Western Journal of Emergency
Medicine, 17(5), p.607.
Martin, E.J., (2015). Affordable housing, homelessness, and mental health: What heath care
policy needs to address. Journal of health and human services administration, pp.67-89.
Narendorf, S.C., (2017). Intersection of homelessness and mental health: A mixed methods study
of young adults who accessed psychiatric emergency services. Children and Youth
Services Review, 81, pp.54-62.
Perry, J. & Craig, T.K., (2015). Homelessness and mental health. Trends in Urology & Men's
Health, 6(2), pp.19-21.