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Homelessness, Behavioral Health Disorders and Intimate Partner Violence: Barriers to Services for Women

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Abstract

Homeless women comprise a significant portion of the homeless population and may encounter multiple life stressors including mental illness, substance abuse, and trauma. Women who are homeless may experience difficulty gaining access to resources such as shelter and health care. In addition, the interaction of behavioral health problems with intimate partner violence (IPV) may create extraordinary barriers to their engagement in services. This paper explores the co-occurrence of homelessness, behavioral health problems, and IPV and lessons learned through a gender-specific homeless services program designed to reach women who are unengaged in traditional services. Recommendations for providing gender-responsive services are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA

    Allison N. Ponce

  2. Center for Public Health and Health Policy, University of Connecticut Health Center, 99 Ash Street, 2nd Floor, MC 7160, East Hartford, CT, 06108, USA

    Martha Staeheli Lawless

  3. Program for Recovery and Community Health, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 319 Peck Street, Building 1, New Haven, CT, 06513, USA

    Michael Rowe

Authors
  1. Allison N. Ponce
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  2. Martha Staeheli Lawless
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  3. Michael Rowe
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Correspondence to Allison N. Ponce.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

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Ponce, A.N., Lawless, M.S. & Rowe, M. Homelessness, Behavioral Health Disorders and Intimate Partner Violence: Barriers to Services for Women. Community Ment Health J 50, 831–840 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9712-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9712-0

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