Homeless Outreach and Housing First: Books, Resources, and Interviews
~ Welcome ~
The highly acclaimed book Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways: From Words to Housing is based on my many years of doing outreach counseling, advocacy, and developing housing alternatives for chronically homeless individuals throughout NYC, Boston, and Western MA. Stories of survival, meaning making and overcoming are shared along with an approach for helping those who are most in need.
National Coalition for the Homeless included Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways (HNPP) on their list of 20 essential books on homelessness, hunger, and poverty.
This book (HNPP) is recommended by the following organizations:
- Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance
- Western MA Regional Network to End Homelessness
- Health Care for the Homeless - Boston
- National Coalition for the Homeless
- National Alliance to End Homelessness
I am donating 15% of my profits to a national (U.S.) charity that supports the goal and ideal of ending homelessness.
Thus far $937.59 has been donated! Please see Donations page for more details ~ Next donation will be on 8/15/2012!
$29.95 HardcoverE-book, paperback, and hardcover versions are available online via Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Better World Books, as well as many other outlets.
ForeWord Digital Review
"Given the enormous and increasing budget cuts facing these historically tax-supported programs, this epidemic of homelessness forces us to care for one another in creative ways that are unprecedented in recent memory. For this pressing reason, Levy's book presents a pretreatment model for action that is becoming necessary reading as narrative for improving policy, supervision, and outreach counseling services for the most vulnerable among us."
-Pamela Harris Kaiser - ForeWord Review of Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways
Northeast Public Radio Interview
"It looks to me like the bible for people who want to do this kind of work." -Dr. Alan Chartock-WAMC Public Radio
Here's the interview on WAMC Northeast Public Radio
Health Care for the Homeless Review
Levy crafts stories of characters who sear the memory: Old Man Ray, the World War 2 veteran who resents the VA system and regards himself as the de facto night watchman at Port Authority; Ben who claims to be a prophet disowned in his own country, crucified by the government and enslaved by poverty finds a bridge to the mainstream services and a path to housing through the common language of religious metaphors, including redemption and forgiveness; and Andrew who has been “mentally murdered” is helped to understand his own situation and gain disability benefits through the language of trauma; among others.
These stories are deftly interwoven with theory and practice as Levy constructs his developmental model of the engagement and pretreatment process. The outreach worker strives to understand the language and the culture of each homeless individual, builds a bridge to the mainstream services, and helps those providers to understand the special circumstances of these vulnerable people. Levy bears witness to the courage of these pilgrims who wander the streets of our cities, and his poignant book is a testament to the healing power of trusting and enduring relationships.
Jim O'Connell, MD - President and Street Physician for Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Dr. O'Connell is nationally recognized as one of the preeminent experts on homelessness and health care.
Introducing a new publication from the author of Homeless Narratives & Pretreatment Pathways
Homeless Outreach & Housing First: Lessons Learned by Jay S. Levy is an innovative and timely educational resource. This monograph (educational booklet) features three written works on homelessness inclusive of an article on moral, fiscal, and quality of life considerations, a new story entitled "Ronald's Narrative: The Original Housing First", and an interview that was originally featured in Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing. These three documents provide a rich and fertile resource for learning, reflecting, and informing needed action that promotes high quality outreach services and housing stabilization for the most vulnerable among us.
Homeless Outreach & Housing First (Kindle, Nook, and paperback versions) can be purchased here, as well as at Amazon and Barnes & Noble Websites.
I'd like to thank my publisher, Loving Healing Press, for their expertise, support, and feedback. Their website provides an array of interesting titles that include books on trauma, effective brief therapies, and real life stories at www.LHPress.com
