Trauma and Adversity in the Lives of People Experiencing Homelessness

Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, can have a tremendous impact on future violence, victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. As such, early experiences are an important public health issue. Much of the foundational research in this area has examined the prevalence and consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledge ACEs as preventable and have therefore prioritized improving outcomes across the nation. Experiencing accumulated early-in-life adversities may lead to health-risk behaviors, such as substance abuse, and later-in-life health and social problems, including homelessness. Many social service agencies as well as the community at large are not thoroughly informed about these issues, often not recognizing when an individual has a history of trauma, which can then leave these concerns unaddressed. This chapter outlines trauma research with a focus on ACEs and homelessness and overviews Restorative Integral Support (RIS), an inclusive model for addressing ACEs and trauma by building resilience in programs and communities.