| Description |
Following the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, a Global War on Terror (GWOT) was declared by George W. Bush. For this research, I interviewed six current conflict veterans who experienced homelessness in Salt Lake County following their military service. This research highlighted participant voices, faces, and lived experiences through photoelicitation and semi-structured interviews. The research pointed to childhood trauma, military trauma, substance use, criminal history, and unemployability to argue that the military preys on vulnerable individuals. Further, this research demonstrated the difficulties current conflict veterans face as the aforementioned vulnerabilities created a downward spiral defined by readjustment difficulties leading to their homelessness. This project then conceptualized how service providers can improve and expedite housing related supportive services by tailoring housing leads, having fewer points of contact, streamlining paperwork, and helping the veteran navigate transportation. |
