There is a dearth of literature describing the treatment needs of substance-abusing or chronically mentally ill homeless individuals who frequently utilize emergency medical services. This homeless subset represents a discrete population in the larger homeless community. We describe a pilot program, supported by local county public funds, and conducted by a local nonprofit social work agency, which was designed to provide intensive case management services to such a population. Outreach and case management activities resulted in linking clients to a broad range of entitlements and community services. Among those receiving outreach and case management services (n = 10), emergency services decreased by 58% in the year following referral compared to the year before (p < .03). Emergency services for the purpose of this study are defined as ambulance response and transport followed by emergency room admission and treatment. Those in a comparable control group (n = 8) showed no decrease in emergency service use. These results suggest that such community-based outreach programs can significantly improve patient outcome and provide substantial cost savings for local governments and hospitals. (Authors)
- About Homelessness
- Doing Research
- Community Profiles
- Solutions
- Blog
- About Us
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
Canadian Observatory on Homelessness- Search
About UsCanadian Observatory on Homelessness
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute devoted to homelessness in Canada. The COH is the curator of the Homeless Hub.
x