Running head: COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS
COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS
Liberty University
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COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS
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Abstract
The goal of this assignment is to conduct a community mental health needs and resources
assessment that assed me with getting acquainted with mental health needs in my community. I
focused on the resources to best assess the underserved and marginalized homeless population
within the Hollywood community in Broward County, Florida.
Keywords: Homeless, Hollywood, Broward County, Florida.
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COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS
The City of Hollywood is a community with the Broward county, in South Florida.
Hollywood, Florida's estimated population is 154,823 according to the most recent United States
census estimates. Hollywood, Florida is the 12th largest city in Florida based on official 2017
estimates from the US Census Bureau. The overall median age is 42.1 years, 40.3 years for
males, and 43.6 years for females. For every 100 females there are 99.6 males. Based on data
from the American Community Survey, in 2017 there were 69,754 households in the city, with an
average size of 2.65 people per household. The median income for households in Hollywood,
Florida is $41,000, while the mean household income is $69,902, bring it below the national
average. According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Hollywood Fl was:
White: 70.62%, Black or African American: 17.69%, Asian: 2.26% , Native American:
0.17%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.07%, Two or more races: 4.14% Other race: 5.05%
Out of the 69, 754 Hollywood, Fl population, 52.50% of residents speak only English,
while 47.50% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is
Spanish, which is spoken by 33.92% of the population. The race most likely to be in poverty in
Hollywood Fl is Black, with 20.77% below the poverty level. (MLA Data Center results for
Hollywood, Florida, n.d.) The race least likely to be in poverty in Hollywood Fl is Native, with
6.92% below the poverty level. The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past
12 months was 2.56%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.63%, and for those that did not
work, the poverty rate was 26.85%. 64.79% of Hollywood Fl residents were born in the United
States, with 31.14% having been born in Florida. 14.59% of residents are not US citizens. Of
those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America. (MLA Data
Center results for Hollywood, Florida, n.d.)
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Local Mental Health Needs Assessment
The Access Ranking indicates show much access to mental health care exists within a
state. The access measures include access to insurance, access to treatment, quality and cost of
insurance, access to special education, and workforce availability. A ranking of 1 indicates that a
state provides the most access to insurance and mental health treatment. A ranking of 50
indicates the least level of access to insurance and mental health treatment in the U.S. Source:
The State of Florida ranked 44. 61.7% of adults with Any Mental Illness in Florida did not
receive treatment and the National average – 55.8%. Suicide counts are higher than homicides in
62 of Florida’s 67 counties. 93% of the state experienced more suicides than homicides in 2016.
(SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, n.d.)
Specific population – (Mentally Ill and Chronic Homelessness)
Due to the stigma surrounding mental health conditions and addiction, many suffer in
silence. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that 35 to 50 percent
of people with mental illness in developed countries do not receive treatment. In developing
countries, this estimate rises to 76 to 85 percent. Of the 21.7 million individuals suffering from
addiction in the United States, only 10.8 percent of them sought treatment at a specialty facility.
There are huge portions of our population who are not receiving the medical care they need to
manage their condition either because they feel ashamed, are undiagnosed, are in prison, are
homeless, or have been neglected (World Health Statistics 2011, n.d.). These various factors can
be attributed to the lack of awareness and acceptance in our country and around the globe. Not
only are these individuals suffering but their families and relationships are negatively impacted
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as well. Approximately 22% of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of
severe and persistent mental illness. (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2001)
Despite the disproportionate number of severely mentally ill people among the homeless
population, increases in homelessness are not attributable to the release of severely mentally ill
people from institutions. Most patients were released from mental hospitals in the 1950s and
1960s, yet vast increases in homelessness did not occur until the 1980s, when incomes and
housing options for those living on the margins began to diminish rapidly.
According to the Federal Task Force on Homelessness and Severe Mental Illness, only 5
to 7% of homeless persons with mental illness need to be institutionalized; most can live in the
community with the appropriate supportive housing options. (United States Interagency Council
on Homelessness, 2013) However, many mentally ill homeless people are unable to obtain
access to supportive housing and/or other treatment services. The mental health support services
most needed include case management, housing, and treatment. The relationship between
addiction and homelessness is complex and controversial. While rates of alcohol and drug abuse
are disproportionately high among the homeless population, the increase in homelessness over
the past two decades cannot be explained by addiction alone. Many people who are addicted to
alcohol and drugs never become homeless, but people who are poor and addicted are clearly at
increased risk of homelessness. The reason this topic was chosen is despite all the statistic and
need to improve services and access, Broward has eliminated their overnight program funding
many homeless shelters that provide for this needed population have to now turn many people
away.
COMMUNITY NEEDS ANALYSIS
In the absence of appropriate treatment, addiction may doom one's chances of getting
housing once on the streets. Homeless people often face insurmountable barriers to obtaining
health care, including addictive disorder treatment services and recovery supports. “As of
January 2018, Florida had an estimated 31,030 experiencing homelessness on any given day, as
reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). Of that Total, 2,757 were family households, 2,543 were Veterans, 1,892 were
unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 5,302 were individuals experiencing chronic
homelessness.
Local Resources Assessment
Broward county provides a unique service call the “The Homeless Survival Guide” this
pamphlet is handed out to the homeless daily. It consists of information to every shelter, food
site, free clinic, mental health services, addiction and recovery centers, shower locations,
supplies stations, and other needed resources needed to live on the streets. The local and private
sectors came together and formed the Homeless Initiative Partnership (HIP), which is the
designated Lead Agency for the Broward County Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) Board as
well as the CoC’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
HIP- serves as staff to the CoC Board, the County’s focal point for planning and coordinating
services for homeless families and individuals.
The Homeless Shelter Directory- 211-broward.org
Provide other homeless resources such as transitional resources for the homeless. Homeless
clinic and treatment center resources.
HOPE South Florida- hopesouthflorida.org
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Work collectively with local churches to provide a holistic response to homelessness. Their
services include crisis housing, shared meals, mobile showers, transportation and clothing,
employment assistance, family support teams and a rapid re-housing program.
ARCHWAYS (www.archways.org , n.d.)
Provides behavioral healthcare to persons suffering from severe and persistent mental illness or
mental illness/substance abuse issues. Treatment services include case management,
nursing/medical care, psychosocial rehabilitation, outpatient treatment, psychiatric evaluations,
medication monitoring, supported employment services, residential supported housing and
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Also provides prevention through education to
youth and adults in the community on various topics including substance abuse prevention and
violence prevention.
The Rome Rescue Mission- (romemission.org, n.d.)
Provides Christian based assistance to those needing shelter, food, and basic life necessities.
They transform lives through programming that promotes individual success, pride-in-self and a
personal relationship with God.
Our Calling- (www.ourcalling.org, n.d.)
Supports an app that can be downloaded so that a person can use a phone or other device to find
shelter, supplies or come in from the cold.
Better Way of Miami – http://www.betterwaymiami.org
Better Way is a non-profit behavioral health center providing substance abuse and mental health
services to the community.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MIAMI - www.ccadm.org
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Provide Sliding Scale Spanish, Creole Provides social services including behavioral health, adult
day care centers, transitional housing, and emergency financial assistance.
HENDERSON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH - (www.hendersonbehavioralhealth.org, n.d.)
Provides crisis intervention, inpatient crisis stabilization, supported employment, housing, youth
transitional housing, and group homes, homeless outreach and emergency shelter, forensic
services, medication management, adult and youth outpatient mental health and co-occurring
treatment, adult and youth case management, psycho-social rehabilitation and college/university
student counseling.
HOMELESS HELPLINE 954-563-HELP http://www.broward.org/homeless
Provide a friendly voice that can help you get the information, service or assistance you
need to get back on your feet.
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA FLORIDA 954-735-5068 www.voaflorida.org
Provides supportive housing to adults, families, and veterans experiencing homelessness,
individuals with mental illness and/or substance abuse, and persons with limited financial
resources. Helps with behavioral health care, supportive housing, education, training, and
employment.
Personal reflection: Reflect on how this project has changed your view of your community
and/or aided you in better understanding your community. You may use first person in this
section.
For the section of services, I listed a few agencies for their uniqueness when it
comes to providing services. Each one of the programs provides a particular service, from the
pamphlet that provides at a glance resources to the program that developed and manages an app
that finds needed services and supplies to the homeless. When planning for a community needs
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assessment is just as critical as conducting the actual assessment. I needed to ensure that I had
the right resources to help and that I have identified the logistics and content of the assessment,
what data to collect, how to collect the data and from whom. I Identified 10 programs to ensure
the size is manageable, allow for adequate representation of different perspectives, and to
account for attrition of members. Include representatives of different stakeholder groups. In this
area I have not seen a wraparound service that provides all the needs of this underserved
population. Over the years I have had to privilege of working with many of these programs in
partnership with my own program to find shelter and services to families that have a member that
is severely disabled. The story of Micelle brought me to mind how easy it is become homeless
and the impact in our mental stability, Michelle came in to see Dr. Hall and then disclosed that as
a child she was homeless and bounce around from many years from one shelter to another after
her mother left her abusive father to protect herself and her family. She in turn due to a breakup
and financial difficulties she found herself somewhat in the same predicaments on the verge of
losing her son because she also chooses poorly when it came to a husband. (Sue, D.W.,
Gallardo, M.E., & Neville, H.A., 2013). I have invested a lot of time and effort making sure that
I have built relationships with programs that assisted with homelessness. Over the past month I
had to use some of the resources to for myself and family. Like Michelle and her mother, I was
on the verge of being homeless with an ailing mother, a granddaughter and one of my two girls
because I also made a mistake in my choice for a husband.
While rates of alcohol and drug abuse are disproportionately high among the homeless
population, the increase in homelessness over the past two decades cannot be explained the
decease in services and the still raising homeless population. People who are poor and addicted
are clearly at increased risk of homelessness. The reason this topic was chosen is despite all the
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statistic and need to improve services and access, Broward is still eliminating services that can
save lives and keep families together. I hope that with constant advocacy and demand for service
Broward would do better for their citizens.
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References
Aarons, G. A., Aarons, G. A., Glisson, C., Green, P. D., Hoagwood, K., Kelleher, K. J., &
Landsverk, J. (2012). The organizational social context of mental health services and
clinician attitudes toward evidence-based practice: a United States national study.
Implementation Science, 7(1), 56-56. Retrieved 11 22, 2019, from
https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1748-5908-7-56
Do, W. W. (n.d.). Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. website. Retrieved 11 22,
2019, from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc.:
http://www.catholiccharitiesadm.org/what_we_do.htm
Florida Demographics - Get Current Census Data for Florida. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 22, 2019,
from https://www.florida-demographics.com/
MLA Data Center results for Hollywood, Florida. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 22, 2019, from Modern
Language Association:
http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=12&county_id=&mode=&zip=&place_i
d=32000&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r
SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 22,
2019, from https://www.samhsa.gov/
Sue, D.W., Gallardo, M.E., & Neville, H.A. (2013). Case Studies in Multicultural Counseling
and Therapy. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. (2013). Retrieved 11 22, 2019, from
http://usich.gov/
World Health Statistics 2011. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 22, 2019, from World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/2011/en/
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