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Publication Date: 2017
Background and Aims
Evidence supports the effectiveness of Housing First (HF) programs for people who are experiencing homelessness and mental illness; however, questions remain about its use in people with comorbid substance use disorders (SUD). The aim of this project was to test whether SUD modifies the effectiveness of an HF intervention.
Design
Secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial of HF versus treatment-as-usual (TAU...
Publication Date: 2017
Recent studies found that providing low threshold access to housing increased housing stability in individuals experiencing long-term homelessness. The Housing First model, traditionally designed to assist those with complex needs, has become increasingly popular in North America and elsewhere. This study used data from semi-structured interviews with fifteen men who were enrolled in and received assistance with finding, financing and maintaining...
Publication Date: 2016
Planning the implementation of evidence-based mental health services entails commitment to both rigour and community relevance, which entails navigating the challenges of collaboration between professionals and community members in a planning environment which is neither ‘top-down’ nor ‘bottom-up’. This research focused on collaboration among different stakeholders (e.g. researchers, service-providers, persons with lived experience [PWLE]) at fiv...
Publication Date: 2016
ABSTRACT
Qualitative narrative interviews were conducted with 195 participants with histories of homelessness and mental illness at baseline and at an 18-month follow-up. Participants were randomly assigned at baseline to Housing First (HF; n = 119) or treatment as usual (TAU; n = 76) in five Canadian cities. Changes in consumers’ narratives over time were examined for 13 life domains (e.g., housing stability, typical day, social relationships)....
Publication Date: 2014
This qualitative study examined how homeless individuals with mental illness experience pathways into homelessness. Study participants were enrolled in the At Home/Chez Soi project, a Pan-Canadian Randomized Controlled Trial comparing the Housing First approach with Treatment as Usual for homeless individuals. This inquiry is grounded in social ecological perspective, which considers interactions between individual and structural factors. Finding...
Organization: Mental Health Commission of Canada
Publication Date: 2014
This report documents the final results of the At Home/Chez Soi Toronto site’s research demonstration project, which examined Housing First as a means of ending homelessness for people who are living with mental illness with a particular focus on those from ethnoracial backgrounds. The project followed 575 participants for two years and compared Housing First to available local services.
Also available on the Mental Health Commission of Canada we...
Organization: Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael’s Hospital
Publication Date: 2014
In Toronto, police officers are often called to respond to mental health crises. To begin to address this issue, Toronto hospitals and Toronto Police Services developed ‘Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams’ (MCITs), each of which has one psychiatric nurse and one police officer with specialized training. There are currently six MCITs working out of hospitals in Toronto.
MCITs are generally dispatched at the request of ‘primary response units’ (PRUs)...
Publication Date: 2014
Objectives Hope is widely embraced as an important factor in the recovery process. The role of housing in inspiring hope and facilitating recovery has been explored with homeless populations but is not well understood. This study explores perspectives on hopes for recovery and the role of housing on these hopes from the perspective of homeless adults experiencing mental illness participating in a multisite Housing First randomised controlled tri...
Publication Date: 2012
A considerably higher rate of suicide exists among youth who are street-involved or homeless than among the general youth population. Research is needed to better understand the risk factors that predict suicidality within this vulnerable population. Our research makes a specific contribution in that it examines both suicidal ideation and attempts. Using data from a sample of 150 homeless and street-involved youth in Toronto, Canada we examine th...
Publication Date: 2013
A considerably higher rate of suicide exists among youth who are street-involved or homeless than among the general youth population. Research is needed to better understand the risk factors that predict suicidality within this vulnerable population. Our research makes a specific contribution in that it examines both suicidal ideation and attempts. Using data from a sample of 150 homeless and street-involved youth in Toronto, Canada we examine th...
Organization: Mental Health Commission of Canada; St. Michael’s Hospital
Publication Date: 2012
The ‘At Home/Chez Soi’ Research Demonstration Project (henceforth referred to as “the Project”) is a health intervention that explores a ‘Housing First’ approach to improving the lives of clients who experience both homelessness and serious mental health problems.1 ‘Housing First’ is a promising service model that has been increasingly implemented in North America, in which individuals experiencing homelessness and severe mental health problems a...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness
Publication Date: 2013
This chapter draws together research findings on co-use of multiple drugs and co-occurring mental health problems from the Youth Pathways Project. One hundred and fifty street youth in Toronto (2005-2006) were interviewed for this study and were split evenly by gender. Current use of alcohol and cannabis was greater among male than female street-involved youth (about 80% and 60% respectively); rates for other drugs (hallucinogens, amphetamines, c...
Publication Date: 2012
Continued action is needed to tackle health inequalities in Canada, as those of lower income continue to be at higher risk for a range of negative health outcomes. There is arguably a lack of political will to implement policy change in this respect. As a result, we investigated public awareness of income-related health inequalities in a generally representative sample of Ontarians in late 2010.
Publication Date: 2009
This resource provides information about community-based services within the Toronto area in regards to co-occurring disorders.
"Consultations with community-based service providers in Toronto identified a lack of strong research evidence about successful community-based interventions that address the needs of homeless clients experiencing concurrent mental health and substance use disorders. We undertook a collaborative research effort between a...
Publication Date: 2004
Objective: To explore how the nature youth expectancies (ie, their underlying attitudinal & motivational factors) influence help seeking behavioural patterns for Substance Use Problems (SUP). Method: Focus groups were conducted to collect the most important items/issues identified by youth, in their own words. Twenty-four participants were recruited, ranging in ages 14-21 years, 17 males, 7 females, which were formed into four focus g...