Lack of housing stability is a significant obstacle to sustained recovery from substance abuse and continued engagement in treatment strengthens recovery. A "Shelter Plus Care" program in Massachusetts, with federal funding from Housing and Urban Development (HUD), combines subsidized housing with substance abuse treatment for previously homeless individuals in recovery, especially women wishing to reunite with children in the care of the Department of Social Services (DSS). A complex collaboration among multiple state agencies, this program involves four substance abuse service organizations, under contract with the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The paper reports on the process and outcomes evaluation of this program conducted by Health and Addictions Research, Inc. also under contract with the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. Research techniques included anthropological participant observation at program activities and meetings of the interagency oversight committee; focus groups and interviews with program participants, service providers, and representatives of state agencies; and quarterly surveys on program participants and their children completed by service providers. The process evaluation highlighted the importance of interagency collaboration in this program and structural factors contributing to difficulties in recruiting appropriate participants. Outcomes of interest include family reunification, increased income and parenting skills and decreased substance use among participating individuals, as well as increased use of appropriate services by their children. The paper also explores the value of combining qualitative and quantitative techniques in program evaluation.
Learning Objectives: 1. Define a "Shelter Plus Care" program. 2. Describe structural factors influencing recruitment into a supportive housing and substance abuse treatment program. 3. Discuss difficulties involved in complex interagency collaborations combining housing and substance abuse treatment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Health and Addictions Research, Inc., Institute for Health and Recovery, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, Massachusetts Housing and Finance Adminis
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I am employed by Health and Addictions Research, Inc., which is conducting the evaluation of this program under contract with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. I work on a separate research contract with th