Sorting it out: Eliciting consumer priorities for recovery in supportive housing

Abstract

Objective This study aims to understand participant priorities in their personal recovery journey and their perspectives of recovery domains. Methods A card sort data gathering technique was employed to elicit priorities in recovery from consumers in supportive housing programs serving formerly homeless adults with severe mental illnesses in New York City. Participants (N=38) were asked to sort 12 cards printed with recovery domains in order of importance and describe the meaning attached to each domain. Results Mental health (95%), physical health (89%), and housing (92%) were the domains most frequently included and prioritized in the top three rankings. Family (76%) and partner (74%) were also frequently included and endorsed as most important second only to mental health. Housing was prioritized yet rated most important less often (58%). Work, school, hobbies, program, friends and neighborhood were less frequently endorsed. ‘Card sort talk’ revealed critical understanding of participants’ priorities and their reasons for endorsing other domains less frequently. Conclusions Most important to participants was regaining functional independence through improved mental and physical health and access to housing. With underlying principles of efficiency and empowerment, card sort is a promising engagement technique for providers to elicit consumer priorities in their own recovery.

Service use and recovery among currently and formerly homeless adults with mental illness

“…Consistent with past research examining recovery among people with mental illness who have histories of homelessness (e.g., Choy-Brown et al, 2016;Padgett et al, 2012Padgett et al, , 2016, participants in this study reported experiencing many adversities beyond their mental health and housing, such as substance use problems, trauma and victimization, chronic medical conditions, incarceration, sex work, social isolation and loneliness and food insecurity. As such, participants often discussed recovery more broadly, holistically considering how services affected their various challenges.…”

Priorities for Supportive Housing Services: Perspectives of People With Mental Illness in Northeastern Ontario

“…Through the use of a Q-sort activity, the authors of this study were able to operationalize the subjectivity within a group of persons crafting a life toward mental health and well-being in three communities within northeast Ontario. Another study by Choy- Brown, Pagdett, Smith, and Tiderington (2016) identified securing housing as a foundation for physical and mental health. The results of this study identify the four discrete viewpoints about priorities for supportive housing.…”

Supported housing for persons with serious mental illness and personal recovery: What do families think?

“…Beyond the context of caregiving, family perspectives on recovery have largely been ignored, despite family being recognized as an important ‘recovery domain’ (Choy-Brown, Padgett, Tran Smith, & Tiderington, 2016). Our study contributes to current knowledge by utilizing CHIME to map families’ views on personal recovery and to housing literature by exploring families’ perspectives on the connections between supported housing and recovery.…”