Housing First, Consumer Choice, and Harm Reduction for Homeless Individuals With a Dual Diagnosis

Abstract

Participants in the Housing First program were able to obtain and maintain independent housing without compromising psychiatric or substance abuse symptoms.

There's no place like (a) home: Ontological security among persons with serious mental illness in the United States

“…Findings from this and previous studies affirm that formerly homeless individuals with serious mental illness can live on their own without the need for on-site supervision and monitoring (Tsemberis, Gulcur & Nakae, 2004;Greenwood, Shaefer-McDaniel, Winkle & Tsemberis, 2005). Findings specific to this report demonstrate that they can also enjoy the benefits of a 'home'.…”

“…Persons in the earlier study had a documented DSM Axis 1 disorder and were referred for housing and services either from the streets or from hospitals; 90 percent also had substance abuse problems (Tsemberis et al, 2004).…”

“…The NYHS was a four-year trial in which homeless mentally ill adults received immediate housing through Pathways (the experimental condition) or 'usual care' ('treatment first') and were assessed for an array of outcomes (Tsemberis, Gulcur & Nakae, 2004). Quantitative findings from the NYHS revealed significantly greater housing stability among the experimental group members enrolled in Pathways (Padgett, Gulcur & Tsemberis, 2006;Tsemberis et al, 2004). …”

“…This qualitative descriptive study examines the subjective meaning of 'home' among 39 persons who were part of a unique urban experiment that provided homeless mentally ill adults in New York City with immediate access to independent housing in the late 1990s (Tsemberis, Gulcur, & Nakae, 2004). The following questions were addressed using grounded theory analyses of life history interviews:…”

Residential Trajectory and HIV High-Risk Behaviors among Montréal Street Youth—A Reciprocal Relationship

“…The concordance observed on a daily basis over the common period was satisfactory (1st quartile, 65%; median, 80%; 3rd quartile, 89%), and a kappa coefficient of 0.74 was obtained for the reliability of data on residential stability during this period (90.75 is considered excellent). 40 There is no standardized definition of residential stability. In some cases, housing environments considered "stable" do not include public housing resources, while in others this type of housing is included, except those offering temporary and short-term shelter.…”