Earnings

Earnings

Project-Based Transitional Housing (PBTH) (as compared with Permanent Housing Subsidy [SUB]) had the largest effects on long-term annual earnings (an average of $2,594 per year). PBTH was a housing initiative that gave families temporary, subsidized housing and case management, with the goal of helping them obtain permanent housing. This evaluation directly compared PBTH with a separate intervention, SUB, to better understand which of the two interventions might be more effective; the distinctive feature of PBTH is that families received temporary subsidized housing.

Employment

Employment

Project-Based Transitional Housing (PBTH) (as compared with Permanent Housing Subsidy [SUB]) had the largest effects on long-term employment (an average of 2 percentage points). PBTH was a housing initiative that gave families temporary, subsidized housing and case management, with the goal of helping them obtain permanent housing. This evaluation directly compared PBTH with a separate intervention, SUB, to better understand which of the two interventions might be more effective; the distinctive feature of PBTH is that families received temporary subsidized housing.

Public benefit receipt

Public benefit receipt

Permanent Housing Subsidy (SUB) (as compared with Project-Based Transitional Housing [PBTH]) had the largest effects on long-term benefit receipt (decreasing the amount of public benefits received by $41 per year). SUB aimed to provide housing stability for families as a means to improving their economic outcomes. This evaluation directly compared SUB with a separate intervention, PBTH, to better understand which of the two interventions might be more effective; the distinctive feature of SUB is that it provided permanent assistance with housing rental costs through state or local public housing agencies (PHAs).

Effects on long-term benefit receipt

Continuous Treatment Team (as compared to Drop-In Center)

Continuous Treatment Team provided participants with an unlimited amount of community-based services and an individualized plan to address their specific needs. Clinical case managers worked closely with clients to create their individualized plan; address their health needs; and help them access housing, transportation, and money management 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, MO, area for the duration of the study.

Outpatient Treatment (as compared to Drop-In Center)

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.

Drop-In Center (as compared to Outpatient Treatment)

Adults without housing were assigned to one of two drop-in centers (one exclusive to women, one for both genders). Drop-in centers provided daytime shelter, food, clothing, showers, recreational activities, and referrals to social services from on-site social workers.  The service population included adults with a mental illness who were also experiencing homelessness. This intervention was implemented in St. Louis, Missouri. The intervention lasted 12 months.

Outpatient Treatment (as compared to Continuous Treatment Team)

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.

Continuous Treatment Team (as compared to Outpatient Treatment)

Continuous Treatment Team provided participants with an unlimited amount of community-based services and an individualized plan to address their specific needs. Clinical case managers worked closely with clients to create their individualized plan; address their health needs; and help them access housing, transportation, and money management 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, MO, area for the duration of the study.

Social Enterprise Intervention (SEI) (as compared with Individual Placement and Support [IPS])

SEI participants received continuous case management over the full 20-month intervention period. For the first eight months, participants attended classes twice a week for one and a half hours each session. In the vocational skills acquisition phase (four months), participants learned vocational skills such as, photography and silk-screening. In the small business skills acquisition phase (four months), participants learned accounting, budgeting, marketing, and management skills.

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) (as compared with Social Enterprise Intervention [SEI])

The IPS model provides customized and long-term vocational, case management, and mental health services to youth experiencing homelessness to help them get a job and maintain their employment. The model follows eight supported-employment principles, all of which relate to theories of psychiatric recovery. IPS participants were assigned to an employment specialist, case manager, and clinician at study enrollment. All study staff were co-located to integrate mental health services with job search supports.

The New Orleans Homeless Substance Abusers Project (NOHSAP)—Transitional Care (TC)

The NOHSAP-TC program served adults experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders in the greater New Orleans area. Only people who completed a seven-day detoxification program in the NOHSAP facility could enroll in TC. The detoxification program involved daily group meetings, limited assessment and case management, and an introduction to principles from Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Cocaine Anonymous. During the TC program, participants were housed in the NOHSAP residential facility.