Search Visit Give Apply

DSW Showcase Student Presentation

Sharetta Young

MSW

Addressing Homelessness and Mental Illness Among Veterans: A Systems-Level Approach

Concentration -

  • Wednesday, April 30, 2025 -
  • 10:30 am
Sign up for email notifications
Registration Coming Soon

Abstract

This Capstone explores promising approaches to addressing veteran homelessness, specifically through the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) and Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Team (BHIT) models. These models emphasize integrated, patient-centered care through interdisciplinary collaboration, aiming to provide holistic support that encompasses physical health, mental health, and social services. Additionally, the Federal Homelessness Prevention Framework offers a foundation for developing preventive strategies that promote housing stability and interagency cooperation. The Capstone expands the conceptual model that integrates PACT, BHIT, and the Federal Homelessness Prevention Framework, grounded in Systems Theory and the Person-Centered Approach. This model seeks to bridge gaps in current practices by fostering continuous, individualized care and collaboration among healthcare, housing, and social support systems. By addressing both immediate and long-term needs, this approach aims to reduce homelessness recurrence, stabilize mental health, and enhance the

Biography

Sharetta Young began her federal government career here at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VAMC in 2004 as a private contractor working at the Greenville Community-Based Outpatient Clinic as a Mental Health Social Worker. Throughout her 18-year-long federal service career, she has advanced as a supervisor in social work service, overseeing clinical social workers across diverse mental health programs and performing administrative functions such as setting performance expectations for teams. Sharetta’s advancement has continued as she has been the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health Service since 2019, where she clinically and administratively leads a multidisciplinary team of professionals and diverse levels of mental health programs, including residential care, outpatient mental health specialty, and acute mental health psychiatry care. The Secretary of the VA has recognized Mrs. Young for improving quality mental health care.
Mrs. Young has a master’s degree in social work and is currently enrolled in a doctoral social work program at the University of Kentucky and is currently a doctoral candidate. She is trained in Federal Contracting, Systems Re-Design for Lean Healthcare, Change Management, and Healthcare Leadership Development. She has served as the Co-Chair for VISN 16’s Social Work Professional Standards Board and as a VISN 16 Clinical Resource Hub Centralize Screening Coordinator. Currently, she is examining the PACT model and BHIT for her Capstone project, where the research focuses on whether these care models can enhance the quality of health and housing for veterans suffering from severe mental illness and homelessness. Mrs. Young and her husband, Sam, have five adult children.