2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

329536
Evaluation of an innovative program for homeless individuals with high medical costs: Differences in service delivery stemming from variation in state policy and local norms


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.

Margaret Paul, MS, Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Tod Mijanovich, PhD, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Public Health, New York University, New York, NY
Carolyn Berry, PhD, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Beth C. Weitzman, PhD, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Public Health, New York University, New York, NY
Margaret Giorgio, PhD MPH, College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York University, New York, NY
Gabriella Hermosi, Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Many public health and homeless service providers believe that the costs incurred by high-risk, medically needy homeless individuals could be reduced through the use of housing programs that integrate medical care management models and social service case management models. The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), with support from the Corporation for National Community Services’ Social Innovation Fund (SIF) initiative, is operating a multi-site demonstration program targeting high-cost homeless individuals for placement in supportive housing integrated with a range of services across four program sites: Los Angeles County, San Francisco, Washtenaw County, MI, and several cities in Connecticut. This presentation provides preliminary findings from our ongoing, mixed-methods evaluation of the program. Baseline survey data indicates that while all sites have a population in need of a number of services, there are important variations in needs by site:

*Bothered by their alcohol use: CT 18%; LA 19%; MI 46%; SF 11%

*Hear voices: CT 23%; LA 47%; MI 21%; SF 33%

*Probation/parole: CT 14%; LA 13%; MI 18%; SF 27%

*Difficulty walking/climbing stairs: CT 66%; LA 73% MI 45% SF 68%

*Five or more overnight hospitalizations in past year: CT 36%; LA 71%; MI 60%; SF 10%

Information gathered over two years of site visits indicate that the intensity and type of services delivered across program sites is dependent on state policies and local context/norms, not by client needs. This presentation will report on disparities between population needs and service availability as well as reasons for service limitations across sites.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice

Learning Objectives:
Describe challenges associated with implementing an innovative model for homeless high-utilizers across multiple sites in the United States.

Keyword(s): Health Care Access, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Ms. Paul joined the Department of Population Health at NYU School of Medicine as a research coordinator in September 2011. She has an MS in bioethics, policy and law from Arizona State University and over 7 years of research experience with mixed methods studies. Ms. Paul is also a doctoral candidate in the public health program at NYU.
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.

Back to: 4023.0: Policy Systems And Evaluation Strategies