Vulnerable Populations Hum 176

Human beings are fallible creatures. In no way are they perfect. They are outstanding and intricate and amazing but by no means are they structurally sound. A tortoise has a shell on its back built for defense, porcupines have quills to protect themselves from potential dangers, and alligators have rough scaly skin, long tails that can be used as a weapon and a powerful mouth to both defend themselves and attack prey. Human beings have none of that. Structurally we are as soft and penetrable as a defenseless animal. Human beings are vulnerable. Throughout the history of mankind we have always been vulnerable. Despite our superior intellect and ability to think which we use to our advantage to help protect and advance ourselves there are still human populations that are considered very vulnerable. In this paper we will take a brief look into the history of our selected vulnerable population, we will discuss the nature of the social problems and issues that are experienced, we will view the demographics and common clinical issues and intervention strategies as well as discuss the potential for future interventions. According to the Stewart B. McKinney Act, 42 U.S.C. § 11301, et seq. (1994), a person is considered homeless who "lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence; and... has a primary night time residency that is: (A) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations... (B) An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or (C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings." The term “homeless individual” does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of Congress or a state law." 42 U.S.C. § 11302(c)

Homelessness is a widespread issue throughout the world and affects every country and every society. The homeless...