A mental health clinic in St. Louis, MO, provided the traditional outpatient treatment, which included psychotherapy, psychiatric medication, and assistance in obtaining social services. The service population included adults without housing who had a severe psychiatric disorder, no history of violent behavior, and an intention to stay in the St. Louis area for the duration of the study. The intervention lasted 12 months.
Comparing Outpatient Treatment to Drop-In Center showed the effect of being referred to a set of services that were unique to Outpatient Treatment or how much better Outpatient Treatment met participants’ needs. In contrast to Outpatient Treatment, Drop-In Center provided general health services, such as daytime shelter, food, clothing, showers, and recreational activities. This study also examined the effectiveness of the Continuous Treatment Team.
The intervention provided adults without housing with traditional outpatient treatment from a state mental health clinic to improve their housing, income, and well-being. This evaluation compared Outpatient Treatment to a separate intervention, Drop-In Center, to better understand which intervention might be more effective. Outpatient Treatment featured psychotherapy and psychiatric medication.