The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #41303

Lawrence D. Rickards, PhD, Homeless Programs Branch, Center for Mental Health Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rm. 11C-05, Rockville, MD 20857, 301/443-3707, lrickard@samhsa.gov

While the literature documents an escalation in the number of homeless families, there is a paucity of intervention research focused on this population. Their pathways to homelessness are often complex, multi-factored, interactive, and do not lend themselves to simple categorization. Additionally, little is known about the content and configuration of promising treatment and service approaches to these homeless families and children.

In a response to this need, the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) launched the Collaborative Program on Homeless Families. This Program, begun in 1999, is a two-phased, 5-year, knowledge-development initiative, created to document and evaluate the effectiveness of time-limited, intensive intervention strategies for providing mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, trauma recovery, housing, support, and family preservation services to homeless mothers with psychiatric and/or substance use disorders who are caring for their dependent children. In the current Phase Two of the program, study sites are conducting cross- and individual- site evaluations of their interventions, participating in the development of the cross-site data analysis plan, and beginning collaboration on knowledge application and dissemination activities. For the cross-site study, eight sites are conducting baseline interviews using a common instrument developed in Phase One of the program. Follow-up interviews will be conducted at 3-, 9-, and 15- months post baseline. Cross-site activities are facilitated by a Coordinating Center.

This presentation will briefly describe the initiative and its goals, and serve as the introduction for the other presenters.

Learning Objectives: