Understanding the Critical Ingredients for Facilitating Consumer Change in Housing First Programming: A Case Study Approach

• Published in: The journal of behavioral health services & research Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 169 - 179
• Main Authors: Watson, Dennis P., Wagner, Dana E., Rivers, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.04.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abstinence; Admissions; Case studies; Community and Environmental Psychology; Community based programmes; Consumers; Drug abuse; Drug use; Female; Focus Groups; Grounded theory; Harm reduction; Health care policy; Health Informatics; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health Psychology; Health services; Homeless people; Homeless Persons - psychology; Housing; Housing needs; Humans; Informants; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental Disorders - rehabilitation; Mental health; Mental health care; Midwestern United States; Organizational Case Studies; Psychiatry; Public assistance programs; Public Health; Public Housing; Qualitative Research; Researchers; Shelters; Social Support; Social Welfare; Studies; Substance abuse; Substance abuse treatment; Substance-Related Disorders - therapy; Midwestern United States; United States > US; Housing Program; Serious Mental Illness; Critical Ingredient; Harm Reduction; Mental Health Symptom
• ISSN: 1094-3412; 1556-3308
• DOI: 10.1007/s11414-012-9312-0

Housing First is a form of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless consumers with mental health and substance abuse issues. In light of the model’s growing popularity and wide diffusion, researchers and policy makers have identified a need to better understand its critical ingredients and the processes through which they affect consumer outcomes. Researchers used a bottom-up approach to understand the critical ingredients of Housing First within community-based programs. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 60 informants (staff and consumers) across 4 “successful” Housing First programs. Qualitative analysis demonstrated six program ingredients to be essential: (1) a low-threshold admissions policy, (2) harm reduction, (3) eviction prevention, (4) reduced service requirements, (5) separation of housing and services, and (6) consumer education.