Toward Differentiated Decision-Making: Family Systems Theory with the Homeless Clinical Population

Abstract

The clinical treatment of the homeless population typically focuses on issues of mental illness and drug/alcohol dependency. This treatment, however, does not address the problems of the homeless who are not mentally ill or those without a dependency problem. Because of the nature of the presenting problems of the homeless, Bowen family systems theory provides an appropriate framework from which to view these cases. An effective framework of therapy using Bowen's family systems theory to work with the homeless clinical population is described. The four phases of this treatment framework include connection, assessment, treatment/consolidation, and crisis intervention. Through these phases, therapists work to help the homeless client identify emotional patterns and to make different decisions at key decision points, thereby breaking the pattern of behavior leading up to and maintaining homelessness. Clinical examples of each phase are provided.