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Subgroups
Once potential participants completed drug and alcohol detoxification, they received a baseline assessment by research staff to determine their eligibility for the study. Participants (known to be experiencing homelessness and to have substance use disorders at intake) were deemed eligible if they had lived in or near Albuquerque, NM, for three months or more, did not have serious disabilities, and had no dependent children. Once determined eligible, participants were randomly assigned to one of three study groups. The intervention condition reviewed here was provided throughout the study duration. Due to implementation challenges with the initial comparison condition, which provided housing assistance without peer support, the no-housing comparison group condition was not introduced until eight months after the first participant was randomly assigned. At this point, the decision was made to only assign females (approximately 13 percent of the study sample) to one of the other two study conditions (the first of which is not reviewed here) to ensure they received housing. The analyses do not further adjust for differing probabilities of random assignment to the study conditions over time and by gender.
April 1991 to December 1993
The Lovelace Medical Foundation in collaboration with Albuquerque's Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Clinic in partnership with St. Martin's Hospitality Center (SMC)
The intervention condition of housing with peer support provides medium-intensity services to adults who are experiencing homelessness and also have alcohol use disorders. They must have lived in or near Albuquerque, NM, for three months or more. (Participants must also not have serious disabilities or dependent children.) All participants have successfully completed a detoxification from alcohol at a residential treatment facility for 2 to 10 days before beginning services. Comparison group participants receive cost-free housing from Project H&ART in a substance-free living environment alongside support from residence managers who are also recently recovering from alcohol dependence. Residence managers encourage comparison group participants to set personal goals and build peer support networks, but these outcomes are not enforced. Comparison group participants are only required to (1) remain alcohol and drug free (as determined by random drug tests), (2) attend weekly community meetings, and (3) inform residence managers twice weekly about any other community services received.
The comparison condition of substance use treatment and transportation assistance provides low-intensity services to adults who are experiencing homelessness with alcohol use disorders if they have been in or near Albuquerque, NM, for three months or more. (Participants must also not have serious disabilities or dependent children.) Comparison participants are provided with referrals to local and statewide alcohol treatment services, were paid bus fare to get to these facilities, and were paid to provide data on their use of health services at biweekly check-ins with program staff. The comparison condition began operating in December 1991, approximately eight months after the first study participant was randomized. This replaced a housed comparison condition that was terminated due to implementation issues and limitations in the unsupervised service delivery model.
None
Project H&ART took place in Albuquerque, NM. Study participants were housed in study-provided apartments, and most program activities took place in a nearby office building.
Alcohol use; Housing stability