Psychometric properties of the measure of achieved capabilities in homeless services

Abstract

Background Purposeful participation in personally meaningful life tasks, enjoyment of positive reciprocal relationships, and opportunities to realize one’s potential are growth-related aspects of a meaningful life that should be considered important dimensions of recovery from homelessness. The extent to which homeless services support individuals to achieve the capabilities they need to become who they want to be and do what they want to do is, in turn, an important indicator of their effectiveness. In this study, we developed a measure of achieved capabilities (MACHS) for use in homeless services settings, and assessed its construct and concurrent validity. Methods We analysed data collected from homeless services users at two time points in eight European countries to assess the factor structure and psychometric properties of the new measure. Participants were adults engaged with either Housing First (n = 245) or treatment as usual (n = 320). Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a four-factor structure of the capabilities measure: community integration, optimism, safety, and self-determination. We obtained evidence for construct validity through observed correlations between achieved capabilities and recovery, working alliance and satisfaction with services. Moreover, we obtained evidence of the measure’s concurrent validity from its positive association between HF and personal recovery, which was fully mediated by achieved capabilities. Conclusions Findings demonstrate that the MACHS is a valid and reliable measure that may be used to assess the extent to which homeless services support their clients to develop capabilities needed for growth-related recovery. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.

Distal supports, capabilities, and growth‐focused recovery: A comparison of Housing First and the staircase continuum of care

“…Our findings also confirm and extend previous research that demonstrated the importance of distal supports and community integration to recovery and well‐being (e.g., Terry et al, 2019). In the present study, participants engaged with HF programs reported more growth‐related recovery in areas such as hope and goals (Corrigan et al, 2004) and in achieved capabilities (Greenwood et al, 2023) than did participants engaged with TAU. The effect of service type on these outcomes was carried through distal supports and community integration, a finding that offers an explanation for the processes through which the structure and philosophy of HF gets translated into positive outcomes for clients.…”

“…The Measure of Achieved Capabilities in Homeless Services (MACHS; Greenwood et al, 2023) is a 21‐item scale that assesses the extent to which individuals in homeless situations perceive their service provider as supporting them to achieve capabilities to be who they want to be and do what they want to do (Nussbaum & Sen, 2011; Sen, 1979). For example, participants are asked to indicate their agreement with statements such as, “Through this programme one is able to feel safe where one lives” on a scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly disagree .…”

“…In the present research, we tested the hypotheses that individuals engaged with HF programs would report greater recovery as measured on the Recovery Assessment Scale (Corrigan & Phelan, 2004) and more achieved capabilities (Greenwood et al, 2023) than individuals engaged with traditional staircase services. Further, we hypothesized an indirect relationship of program type to our recovery outcomes in which the effect of program type is mediated by distal support and community integration (see Figure 1).…”

“…These “weak ties,” referred to as “distal supports” (DS), may help new residents feel accepted and recognized, and so foster a sense of belonging, which is important to recovery and well‐being (Townley et al, 2013; Wieland et al, 2007). In this study, we examined the relationship of distal supports to community integration (McColl et al, 2001), achieved capabilities (Greenwood et al, 2023), and growth‐related recovery (Corrigan et al, 2004) for adults with histories of homelessness and complex needs who were engaged with either HF services or traditional services aligned with the staircase continuum of care, which we refer to as treatment as usual (TAU).…”