Specific Population and Advocate Role Paper

In this country today, there are thousands of people who are homeless. A homeless person is someone who doesn’t have a permanent home to live; this also means a person who is sleeping in a relative’s sofa or floor. Illness, violence, addictions, poor nutrition, and unemployment are some of the problems that come alone with homelessness. “The most proximate cause of homelessness in America is poverty” (St. Martin’s Hospitality Center, 2013). In this paper, I will briefly touch on issues of advocacy in human services. I will also examine and briefly discuss the homeless population; including my perspective on my ability to assist with the issues that the homeless face such as shelter, food, clothing, transportation, and job training as an advocate.
Since the population of homelessness is on the rise, new programs have been formulated by experts in order to aid the homeless and try to prevent the homeless population from increasing. “Advocacy refers to influencing decisions that affect the welfare or interests of another individual or group” (Barsky, A.E, 2000). Helping clients set goals, educating them of the resources they have available, helping them find the available resources, and working towards changes in policies that limit their abilities would be a way of me advocating for the homeless. Empowering clients to change their situation is an important way for me to advocate. One of the best ways that I could advocate for the homeless would consist of me empowering them to put for effort for change, while still guiding them to making necessary changes needed in order for achievement of their goals. These changes should be desired by the person. These changes can include rehabilitation from drug addiction, job training, and education: These are life style changes that must be desired in order to empower the client.