Learn more about homelessness, poverty, addiction, abuse, and related issues by reading the recent headlines below.
Young adult program offers college credits at rehab center
Sober College, an inpatient rehab center for young adults in Woodland Hills, California, is offering courses to its 60 residents, many of whom struggled at traditional colleges because of substance abuse problems. According to a USA Today report, the courses are offered through a partnership agreement with Woodbury University, which tailors some of its existing classes for Sober’s students and provides online lectures. The staff at Sober provides in-person instruction and academic coaching. Initially, Woodbury and Sober will create a 15-credit “Certificate of General Studies,” consisting of hands-on, lower-level courses.
Addictions and mental illness add to Oregon’s homeless
A new report shows that substance abuse and mental illness are significant factors that affect nearly 20,000 homeless people in Oregon. The one-night count the state’s department of Housing and Community Services conducted also showed that 31 percent of those experiencing homelessness are children, a 33 percent increase in just one year. An Examiner.com report noted that the state’s total increase in homelessness was 12 percent as compared to the past year. Among the homeless residents, nearly 2,400 reported mental or emotional problems, more than 2,800 said they had problems with substance abuse, and 1,015 claimed to have both an addiction and mental illness.
Dementia risk is increased for PTSD patients
New research concludes that older veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are almost twice as likely to develop dementia as veterans without the disorder. According to an MSNBC report, researchers tracked more than 180,000 veterans for seven years. All were older than age 55; 30 percent suffered from PTSD, but all were free from dementia when the study began. Some 11 percent of the vets with PTSD developed dementia, compared to just 7 percent of those without the disorder. A related study suggested that National Guard soldiers are more likely to suffer from depression and PTSD than active-duty soldiers after returning from combat.
Foundation aims end to homelessness in Utah
The former publisher of the Salt Lake Tribune and founder of the Crusade for the Homeless Foundation is asking Utah residents to give 1 percent of one year’s income one time. Jack Gallivan claims this would create a $100 million endowment fund that could build and maintain permanent housing and end chronic homelessness in the state. According to a Salt Lake Tribune report, Gallivan’s foundation has set up a website that calculates 1 percent of a potential donor’s income and allows that individual to make monthly payments. An estimated 2,500 housing units are needed in the state. The units would follow the model of the national Housing First plan: Singles and families live in apartment complexes and pay 30 percent of their incomes in rent. Gallivan claims that his plan would end chronic homelessness in the state by 2014.
British charity launches iHobo application
A new iPhone application intended to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people was launched by Depaul UK, a British charity that helps homeless, vulnerable, and disadvantaged youth. According to London’s The Independent, the application requires a user to provide food, shelter, and support for a virtual young person who has just become homeless. For three days, users must make decisions to prevent the homeless person from using drugs and to keep him or her from getting ill.
Pediatrics group urges alcohol screening
With ever-increasing evidence that alcohol permanently damages developing brains, the Committee on Substance Abuse for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending that doctors screen teenagers for alcohol use. According to a Wausau Daily Herald report, the AAP committee urges doctors to quiz children in middle school and older about their use of alcohol, and to talk with them about the effects alcohol might have on their developing brains. Teens who drink can permanently damage areas of the brain that control memory, emotions, impulse control, and organizational skills.
