289520
Effectiveness of housing first with assertive community treatment in a multi-city Canadian trial: 12 month outcomes
Monday, November 4, 2013
: 9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Stephen Hwang, MD, MPH,
Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and Division of General Internal Medicine, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
This presentation examines the effectiveness of Housing First (HF) programs that provide a combination of subsidized scatter site housing and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services to people with severe mental illness and other complex needs who are homeless. This randomized control trial conducted across five Canadian cities (Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Moncton) examines participants (N=500) access to housing, housing retention, and clinical and social outcomes as a function of receiving HF or treatment as usual (TAU). HLM statistical analyses was used to compare the two groups and showed that the HF group spent a greater proportion of time in housing in the first year of the study (obtained housing earlier) and that they remained housed for a longer period during that same time period. HF participants also reported greater improvements in their quality of life in the areas related to their living situation, safety, and leisure. Implications of the findings for modifying TAU programs as well as using a HF framework as a policy approach to addressing homelessness for people with complex needs will be discussed.
Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related public policy
Learning Objectives:
Describe the analytical methods used to test effectiveness
Evaluate one year outcomes that differ between the Assertive Community Treatment Housing First group and Treatment As Usual
Discuss the policy implications of these findings
Keyword(s): Homelessness, Mental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: The founder of Pathways to Housing and principle investigator on a number of evaluations of Housing First in the United States. I am member of national research team for At Home/Chez Soi. Research interests include housing first, recovery, system transformation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
