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Publication Date: 2021
“A changing climate threatens to undermine the past 50 years of gains in public health, disrupting the wellbeing of communities and the foundations on which health systems are built… These effects act to exacerbate existing inequities, with vulnerable populations within and between countries affected more frequently and with a more lasting impact.” (Watts et al., 2020, p.134 - The 2020 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change:...
Publication Date: 2020
Little is known regarding the types of interventions most effective in supporting wellness and recovery of victims of gender-based violence, particularly those simultaneously experiencing homelessness. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 18 young women experiencing gender-based violence and homelessness who participated in a community-based, trauma-informed group intervention in Toronto, Canada. Participants completed audio-recorde...
Publication Date: 2020
Permanent supportive housing and income assistance are valuable interventions for homeless individuals. Homelessness can reduce physical and social wellbeing, presenting public health risks for infectious diseases, disability, and death. We did a systematic review, meta-analysis, and narrative synthesis to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of permanent supportive housing and income interventions on the health and social wellbei...
Publication Date: 2020
This guide presents clinical evidence to help develop interventions to improve health and social outcomes for folks vulnerably housed or experiencing homelessness.
Key Points:
Clinical assessment and care of homeless and vulnerably housed populations should include tailoring approaches to a person’s gender, age, Indigenous heritage, ethnicity and history of trauma; and advocacy for comprehensive primary health care.
As initial steps in the ca...
Publication Date: 2020
Frequent emergency department (ED) users experiencing homelessness are associated with high costs for healthcare systems yet interventions for this group have been minimally investigated. This study used 24-month data from a multisite randomized controlled trial of Housing First (HF) to examine how effective the intervention is in helping frequent ED users with a mental illness to achieve housing stability, improve behavioural health and function...
Publication Date: 2019
This column describes the development of a partnership between health care, housing, and intellectual disability services to support efforts by homeless adults with intellectual disabilities to exit homelessness. Applying a Housing First approach and philosophy, the partners launched a pilot intervention, which at its first phase engaged 26 homeless adults with intellectual disabilities in Toronto. This cross-sector service model was acceptable t...
Publication Date: 2019
Health utility assessments are important for economic evaluations but few instruments have been validated in homeless people with mental illness. We examined the convergent validity of the EuroQol-5 Dimension 3-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) as a measure of quality of life in homeless adults with mental illness.
Publication Date: 2019
We examined communities’ expressed needs for capacity building in the implementation of Housing First (HF) for persons experiencing homelessness. The findings are based on thematic analyses of qualitative data obtained from participants (n = 77) in 11 focus groups conducted in seven Canadian cities. We identified capacity building needs in the areas of training (e.g., HF principles, clinical services, landlord engagement) and technical assistance...
Publication Date: 2018
Abstract
Objective:
This study examines health and service use outcomes and associated factors among homeless adults participating in a brief interdisciplinary intervention following discharge from hospital.
Method:
Using a pre-post cohort design, 223 homeless adults with mental health needs were enrolled in the Coordinated Access to Care for the Homeless (CATCH) program, a 4- to 6-month interdisciplinary intervention offering case management, pe...
Publication Date: 2018
Abstract
Objective:
This study examines health and service use outcomes and associated factors among homeless adults participating in a brief interdisciplinary intervention following discharge from hospital.
Method:
Using a pre-post cohort design, 223 homeless adults with mental health needs were enrolled in the Coordinated Access to Care for the Homeless (CATCH) program, a 4- to 6-month interdisciplinary intervention offering case mana...
Publisher: Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press
Publication Date: 2018
Youth who are under-housed or street involved can experience crises that include injury by violence, aggressive behaviours, and thoughts of suicide. These crises can be challenging and frightening not only for the youth experiencing them, but also for service providers who work with these young people. Using a strength-based approach during a crisis helps youth develop personal agency. Personal agency refers to the sense of having control over on...
Organization: Wilfrid Laurier University
Publication Date: 2017
This report summarizes findings from a study conducted from 2013-16 of expanding Housing First (HF) in six Canadian communities: Fraser Valley, BC, Saskatoon, SK, Winnipeg, MB, Waterloo and York Regions, ON, and Halifax, NS. This research project, “Transforming Housing and Treatment Services for Chronically Homeless Persons with Mental Illness in Canada: A Systems Approach to Integrated Knowledge Translation,” was funded through the Canadian Inst...
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
Promoting timely and continuous care for people experiencing homelessness has been a challenge in many jurisdictions, plagued by access barriers and service fragmentation. As part of a larger programme evaluation, this study used qualitative methods to examine the role of a brief interdisciplinary intervention in supporting continuity of care for this population in a large Canadian urban centre. The intervention provides time-limited case managem...
Publication Date: 2017
Objectives:
This study aimed to identify challenges and facilitators of sustaining a Housing First intervention at the conclusion of a research demonstration project in Toronto.
Methods:
This qualitative study included key informant interviews with organizational leaders (N=13) and focus groups with service team members (N=14) and program participants (N=9) of the At Home/Chez Soi Research Demonstration Project. Thematic analysis was used to iden...
Publication Date: 2017
Research suggests that individuals experiencing homelessness have high rates of overweight and obesity. Unhealthy weights and homelessness are both associated with increased risk of poor health and mortality. Using longitudinal data from 575 participants at the Toronto site of the At Home/Chez Soi randomized controlled trial, we investigate the impact of receiving a Housing First intervention on the Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference o...
Publication Date: 2017
Objective
This study compares the effect of Housing First on older (≥50 years old) and younger (18–49 years old) homeless adults with mental illness participating in At Home/Chez Soi, a 24-month multisite randomized controlled trial of Housing First.
Method
At Home/Chez Soi, participants (n = 2148) were randomized to receive rent supplements with intensive case management or assertive community treatment, based on their need level for mental hea...
Publication Date: 2017
The Coordinated Access to Care for Homeless People (CATCH) program is a brief multidisciplinary case management intervention for homeless adults discharged from hospital in Toronto, Canada. Here we describe the rationale for CATCH program development, details of the mixed methods evaluation underway, and the characteristics of 225 CATCH service users. Funded in 2010 by the local health authority, CATCH aimed to improve access, continuity of care,...
Publication Date: 2017
Abstract
This research examined the sustainability of Canada's At Home/Chez Soi Housing First (HF) programs for homeless persons with mental illness 2 years after the end of the demonstration phase of a large (more than 2000 participants enrolled), five-site, randomized controlled trial. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 142 participants (key informants, HF staff, and persons with lived experience) to understand sustainability outcomes a...
Publication Date: 2016
Abstract
Background
Little is known about the effectiveness of Housing First (HF) among ethnic minority groups, despite its growing popularity for homeless adults experiencing mental illness. This randomized controlled trial tests the effectiveness of a HF program using rent supplements and intensive case management, enhanced by anti-racism and anti-oppression practices for homeless adults with mental illness from diverse ethnic minority backgr...