Intervention group participants were referred to local and state alcohol treatment services, were provided with bus fare to these facilities, and were paid to provide data on their use of health services at biweekly check-ins with program staff.
Eligible participants included adults experiencing homelessness who had alcohol use disorders; who lived in or near Albuquerque, NM, for three months or more; and who did not have serious disabilities or dependent children. The intervention lasted four months.
Comparing Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance to Case Management, Substance Use Counseling, Plus Housing with Peer Support showed the effect of being referred to a set of services that were unique to Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance or how much better Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance met participants’ needs. Case Management, Substance Use Counseling, Plus Housing with Peer Support included group and individual therapy, art therapy, psychodrama, group education classes, Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and case management. Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance included referrals to local and state alcohol treatment services, paid bus fare to these facilities, and payment for providing data on health services use. This evaluation also examined Housing Without Peer Support and Case Management, Substance Use Counseling, Plus Housing with Peer Support as compared with Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance.
The Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance intervention provided low-intensity services to adults experiencing homelessness who had alcohol use disorders to increase positive outcomes relating to substance use, residential stability, and employment. This evaluation compared Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance to a separate intervention, Case Management, Substance Use Counseling, Plus Housing with Peer Support, to better understand which intervention might be more effective. Referrals to Substance Use Treatment and Transportation Assistance featured low-intensity services, such as referrals to local and state alcohol treatment services, paid bus fair to those services, and payment for personal data on health services use.