Looking through the timelines and perspectives was very interesting to me, however The Homeless Assistance Act, which passed in 1987, really caught my eye. This act is so intriguing to me because years ago when I was younger and sold Girl Scout cookies on the streets of Boston there were many homeless people and I was able to become acquainted with some of them. In the late 1980’s, many Americans found themselves homeless. The Nations economy went from manufacturing to Service Industries, jobs were lost, and pay was at minimum wage level. These factors sent many people into severe poverty. Many people could no longer afford their homes and became homeless. Also, the number of psychiatric institutions fell and the patients were let out with the understanding that they would be helped by community health …show more content…
Researchers are now looking at why people become homeless. They found that some are economical, yet many become homeless because of a childhood trauma, people with alcohol or drug abuse or any other mental issues. Now people are trying to treat the individual or group various ways to cope with their issues and get them back on their feet again. In one study “Maguire tells me about a pilot research project he ran that aimed to break this cycle”. At its heart was the Provision of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)” (Jarett, 2010). Maguire’s theory is that many of the homeless population will also have a negative childhood experience that leads them to have very poor coping skills. “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that treats problems and boosts happiness by modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts” (Psychology Today, 2018). “CBT focuses on solutions, encouraging patients to challenge distorted cognitions and change destructive patterns of behavior” (Psychology Today,