It has long been recognized that a significant proportion of homeless adults have AOD disorders. Little research has been done to quantify the costs of public services provided to this population, or to identify factors that predict cost. This NIAAA-funded study examined the costs and predictors of cost of public sector service use by 797 homeless adults sampled from shelters and streets in Houston, TX. The street sample was supplemented by a purposive one; neither differed significantly along key demographic dimensions. Weights were used to adjust for differential sampling probabilities and nonresponse. Survey data were through a 90-minute structured interview that included information permitting the identification of AOD disorder (326 in the sample), and use of AOD treatment services. In addition, participants were asked to consent to the release of data from 11 different agencies representing four systems of care: medical and mental health care, social services and criminal justice. Often these administrative data sources included costs; when they did not, we used agency-level information to estimate service-specific average costs. AOD treatment costs were obtained from representative programs used by the homeless. Because we do not have specific program AOD treatment use information, we developed a weighted average cost using weights reflecting the program-specific proportion of homeless persons treated. Total estimated sector-specific service costs are presented, with breakdowns for those with and without AOD. We then present a more detailed analysis examining the factors affecting costs among those persons with AOD who do and do not receive treatment.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe public sector service costs incurred by homeless persons with and without AOD disorder. 2. Identify factors that explain cost differences between homeless persons with AOD disorders who receive or do not receive AOD treatment. 3. Discuss three issues related to determining costs using administrative secondary data sources
Keywords: Cost Issues, Homeless
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.