Three Stages of Homelessness: A Conceptual Model For Social Workers in Health Care

Abstract

This study examined 40 homeless people and their health care needs in Baltimore. As the length of the homelessness episode increased, the person's health care needs became more complex. Health care services must be appropriate to three stages of homelessness--marginal, recent, and chronic. An understanding of these stages can help social workers ensure that homeless people receive correct medical treatment and that they are assisted in reconnecting with mainstream society.