NURS FPX 4055 Assessment 2 Community Resources

NURS FPX 4055 Assessment 2 Community Resources

Student name

Capella University

NURS-FPX4055 Optimizing Population Health through Community Practice

Professor Name

Submission Date

Community Resources

The problem of homelessness in families is a critical social health disorder. Family homelessness is harmful in terms of physical and mental well-being of children and parents (Marcal et al., 2021).Such an evaluation examines the stance of the selected community resource National Center for Family Homelessness (NCFH), addressing the problem of family homelessness. The evaluation is based on the research, policy advocacy, and community support. These are attempts to stabilize housing and provide equal access to health services. The paper examines the initiatives of NCFH, challenges with funding, and effects of legislation, and finally illuminates how nurses can contribute to solving the problem of homeless families. Through consideration of these aspects, the evaluation shows how nonprofits and healthcare workers could collaborate to enhance community health.

Organization’s Mission and Vision Contribute to Public Health and Safety Improvements

Organization’s Ability to Promote Equal Opportunity and Improve Quality of Life

The NCFH attempts to provide equal opportunity by breaking down systematic barriers that cause homelessness among families. The social reasons such as stigma of mental illness and poverty are usually signs to the family that they do not need the needed services (Kuhney et al., 2023). NCFH is attempting to accomplish this type of challenge by promoting inclusive policies and educating front-line workers on the special needs of homeless families. The organization enables the provision of more sensitive and fair systems of delivering services to the marginalized families by means of organizing awareness campaigns and professional training programs, and allows the marginalized families to have access to the care that they deserve.

The NCFH is culturally an advocate of access and respect for services towards diverse backgrounds. Despite the fact that homelessness impacts people of all races, ethnicities, and cultural groups, there are still disparities in terms of access to housing and the services provided (Willison et al., 2023). The organization does studies that point out such disparities and collaborates with the community to come up with culturally competent practices. An example to point to is the creation of the trauma-informed practice at the NCFH, which considers the cultural environment of the homeless family, especially those who have historically been disadvantaged (National Center for Homeless Education, n.d.). Trust and interaction, these measures generate and enhance the efficiency of interventions and make results more equitable.

• Economic Barriers Solutions

One of the most significant causes of family homelessness is still economic barriers. With the increase in house prices and no salary increment, many families are surviving on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis. The NCFH promotes affordable housing policy and economic assistance that offer a means of ensuring that families become economically stable (Broman, 2023). The policy and funding decisions at both the state and national levels are informed by their work to establish a safety net that ensures that homelessness does not happen in the first place. The NCFH assists homeless families to overcome homelessness experiences and lead healthy and sustainable lives through the provision of a living wage, rent support, and job training.

It is even harder when a family is physically challenged by disabilities and long-term health conditions that complicate the process of obtaining stable housing. NCFH works with healthcare providers and housing agencies to mediate health and housing. As an illustration, their work advocates permanent supportive housing models with affordable housing in full wraparound health and social services, as reported in the works of Tremblay et al. (2024). This type of integrated approach is not only helpful in enhancing the quality of life of chronic disease or disabled persons but also decreases the burden on the emergency departments and hospitals. In such a way, the NCFH makes communities stronger and assists families in becoming stable with the help of integrated care.

Impact of Funding Sources, Policy, and Legislation on Service Delivery

One of the reasons why the National Center of Family Homelessness can execute its mission is the source of funds. Presentation of services offered by the organization is through government grants, personal foundations, and donations. The McKinney-Vento Act is one of the federal grants that provide the necessary funding to homeless youth and children services, and other grants fund the research and capacity-building (Mosley, 2021). The use of volatile funding sources is, however, a problem. The NCFH is likely to be compelled to reduce outreach, training, and technical assistance services that are vital to the disadvantaged communities because of budget cutbacks or delays. These funding relationships must be in the minds of the nurses and other clinicians as they dictate the quality and extent of services available to the vulnerable groups.

• Policy Impact NCFH

The decisions made by state and federal policies greatly influence the role played by the NCFH. The prevalence of the homeless and the comfort with which families may leave the situation are determined by state and federal housing affordability policies, income support policies, and health care access policies (Tanner, 2024). As an example, the Medicaid eligibility policy increases homeless families’ access to the needed health care, which consequently eases housing stability.

On the other hand, strict zoning rules or insufficient funds to finance programs to provide affordable housing may contribute to homelessness (Hanley, 2023). NCFH has been actively involved in advocacy to influence policies in order to make the decision-makers realize the health and human consequences of not taking any action. The nurses also play a role in promoting the policies supporting the objective of community health by joining health and housing equity coalitions.

The McKinney-Vento Act and the American Rescue Plan Act are some of the legislation that have overtly influenced the service provision of the NCFH. The McKinney-Vento Act requires protection of homeless students, and the NCFH offers compliance advice and best practices to schools, as demonstrated by the study conducted by Mosley. (2021). The American Rescue Plan caused the distribution of large sums of money in combating pandemic homelessness, which the NCFH assisted in spreading by partnering with local organizations.

This legislative move serves to show how legislation empowers or cripples organizations in their roles to support vulnerable groups (Joshi et al., 2022). To a citizen, particularly one who has kids, this kind of legislation is what can either provide them with timely intervention or further sink them into crisis. Such legal provisions need to be known to the public or community health nurses so that they can be in a better position to cater to patients who are experiencing housing instability more holistically.

Impact on Local Community Health and Safety Needs and Nurse Involvement

The NCFH plays an important role in health and safety needs of the local communities, as it takes into account the root causes of the issue of homelessness and proposes particular solutions.Homeless families are usually characterized by a range of health issues, such as non-treated chronic diseases, mental disorders, and developmental disability among children and adolescents, because of the fluctuating family conditions (Lee, 2024). These risks are minimized by the efforts put in by the NCFH in creating liaisons between families and relevant health and social services. The agency can promote early referral of the homeless families, both out of schools and health centers, to intervene in time before the situation worsens to greater heights due to health issues, and reduce congestion in the emergency centers.

• Nurses’ NCFH Engagement

Nurses can truly be engaged in the NCFH in various ways that can be considered quite effective. Nurses are frontline workers in healthcare and, so, have the most chances to recognize housing instability when performing patient assessment (Flaubert, 2021). With homelessness screening tools incorporated into practice, nurses are able to make referrals to local agencies to help support the NCFH efforts. Moreover, the research conducted by Flaubert (2021) allows nurses to contribute to or assist in training programs among healthcare staff members to competently approach the homeless families through the toolkits and curricula developed by NCFH. Collaboration between nursing practitioners and healthcare centers, such as NCFH, forms the chain of care between vulnerable groups.

In addition, nurses can also take part in systemic change via the advocacy of NCFH policy positions and legislative lobbying. Nurses can contribute to the voice of this vital organization, whether they write to policymakers, work on local task forces, or educate the populace about the health effects of homelessness (Bell et al., 2022). Their input introduces a valuable insight based on empathy and clinical experience to help in a more balanced and health-centered reaction to the eradication of family homelessness. Finally, collaboration between nurses and the National Center of Family Homelessness will result in healthier, safer, and more resilient communities.

Conclusion

The National Center of Family Homelessness aids in solving the issue of homelessness and social health. It uses policy advocacy, learning and cross sector work. NCFH is making a difference in improving lives by disseminating equality in housing, health, and social services and reducing health burdens. One of the significant roles is played by nurses, who screen patients, make referrals, and facilitate policies. All these combined efforts provide long-term solutions that respond to both short-term and long-term transformation.

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