Homelessness and Macro Interventions

The emergence of social work and macro practice is often associated with the eradication of poverty and prevention of homelessness through the efforts of 19th century settlement houses. Structural violence and social determinants of homelessness are often grounded in unequal social, political, and economic conditions. Health and mental health were affected by the lack of stable housing, causing and increasing the complexity of health and human service needs and services. Furthermore, due to inequities, some populations are inadvertently more likely to face chronic homelessness, which can be mitigated through the role community-engagement and macro practice interventions.

DEGREE OF INVASION OF HORSES PARASCARIS EQUORUM UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS OF CONTENT

The significant dependence on the invasion of Parascaris equorum horses with different maintenance technologies was studied. Methods of helminthocoprooscopy revealed the spread of parascaridosis of horses kept in stable and herd conditions in the Pobeda farm in the Cheremshansky district of the Republic of Tatarstan. The high invasion of animals with herd and stable housing is apparently associated with a large contamination of horse stalls, stables, care items and the surrounding area with parascaride eggs. The maximum parasiticidal infection of horses was established with stable maintenance. As a result of the studies, it was found that the maximum extent of invasion (EI) of horses in the examined farm with stable technology of keeping was 42.8 % and herd content was 37.5 %. The intensity of invasion (II) by parascarides varied from 23.7±3.4 to 77.3±5.6 ind. eggs in 1 g of feces, depending on the technology of maintenance.

Recognizing the Multitude of Housing Barriers Facing Homeless and Unstably Housed Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) seek services from domestic violence (DV) programs for a multitude of reasons. One critical need for many survivors, that has often been overlooked when considering the services DV programs provide, is stable housing. DV programs typically offer safety planning, counseling, advocacy, support groups, and some form of temporary safe housing (e.g., shelter, transitional housing), but increasingly, survivors need assistance securing safe and stable long-term housing. It is imperative, then, that program staff have the information, resources, and skills needed to effectively assist survivors with this essential need. This study examined the housing barriers facing 406 homeless or unstably housed intimate partner violence survivors seeking help from one of five domestic violence programs. In-depth interviews conducted shortly after they sought services revealed that many survivors had a prior history of homelessness, and the vast majority reported at least five issues they faced that made obtaining safe and affordable housing difficult. Findings emphasize the importance of advocates specifically asking about potential housing barriers, and having the knowledge, skills, and community connections needed to effectively assist homeless and unstably housed survivors.

Brief Note: Exploratory Examination of How Race and Criminal Record Relate to Housing Instability Among Domestic Violence Survivors

Housing instability is a critical concern in the United States, and domestic violence (DV) survivors are a group at high risk for experiencing housing instability or of becoming unhoused. Prior research has also identified having a criminal record (CR) as being a major barrier to obtaining stable housing, and this is truer for Black and Latinx people compared to their White counterparts. No study has examined whether comparable trends exist among survivors of DV, a group also at elevated risk of having a CR, sometimes related to their experience of abuse. The current exploratory study included 305 unhoused or unstably housed female DV survivors who had sought out DV support services. Multivariate regressions explored if survivor race and CR were separately linked to greater housing instability. CR was then explored as a potential moderator in the relation between race and housing instability. Results revealed that DV survivors with a CR faced greater housing instability than those without a CR, Black and Latina survivors experienced greater housing stability than did White survivors, and CR did not moderate the relation between race and housing instability. The racial differences were unexpected and are discussed in light of methodological limitations. This is the first study to date to explore the role of CR possession on housing instability for DV survivors.

Barriers to recruitment, retention and intervention delivery in a randomized trial among patients with firearm injuries

Background We discuss barriers to recruitment, retention, and intervention delivery in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of patients presenting with firearm injuries to a Level 1 trauma center. The intervention was adapted from the Critical Time Intervention and included a six-month period of support in the community after hospital discharge to address recovery goals. This study was one of the first RCTs of a hospital- and community-based intervention provided solely among patients with firearm injuries. Main text Barriers to recruitment included limited staffing, coupled with wide variability in length of stay and admission times, which made it difficult to predict the best time to recruit. At the same time, more acutely affected patients needed more time to stabilize in order to determine whether eligibility criteria were met. Barriers to retention included insufficient patient resources for stable housing, communication and transportation, as well as limited time for patients to meet with study staff to respond to follow-up surveys. These barriers similarly affected intervention delivery as patients who were recruited, but had fewer resources to help with recovery, had lower intervention engagement. These barriers fall within the broader context of system avoidance (e.g., avoiding institutions that keep formal records). Since the patient sample was racially diverse with the majority of patients having prior criminal justice system involvement, this may have precluded active participation from some patients, especially those from communities that have been subject to long and sustained history of trauma and racism. We discuss approaches to overcoming these barriers and the importance of such efforts to further implement and evaluate hospital-based violence intervention programs in the future. Conclusion Developing strategies to overcome barriers to data collection and ongoing participant contact are essential to gathering robust information to understand how well violence prevention programs work and providing the best care possible for people recovering from injuries. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT02630225. Registered 12/15/2015.

Leaving rehab: enhancing transitions into stable housing

The project will examine the coordination between residential treatment and housing and social support services using international comparisons and linked administrative data followed by testing in the field. It aims to enhance transition planning and reduce the risk of housing instability for individuals leaving treatment for mental health and/or substance use problems.

“I Hope I Make It”: Alternative School Students’ Attendance and the Need for an Expanded Accountability

Few empirical studies describe the interior world of alternative school settings. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 11 alternative school students, discussing factors that contribute to absenteeism as well as the circumstances that led them to enroll in an alternative setting. We find that students’ regular attendance is facilitated by (1) stable housing, (2) a means of transportation to school, (3) feelings of belonging, and (4) flexible supports from staff. Given that two of these pertain to matters beyond the school, we argue for an “expanded accountability,” in which the language of “accountability” is broadened to encompass non-educational policymaking.

Leaving rehab: enhancing transitions into stable housing

The project will examine the coordination between residential treatment and housing and social support services using international comparisons and linked administrative data followed by testing in the field. It aims to enhance transition planning and reduce the risk of housing instability for individuals leaving treatment for mental health and/or substance use problems.

A cross-sectional study of factors associated with unstable housing among marginalized people who use drugs in Ottawa, Canada

Introduction Housing affects an individual’s physical and mental health, particularly among people who use substances. Understanding the association between individual characteristics and housing status can inform housing policy and help optimize the care of people who use drugs. The objective of this study was to explore the factors associated with unstable housing among people who use drugs in Ottawa. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from 782 participants in the Participatory Research in Ottawa: Understanding Drugs (PROUD) Study. PROUD is a prospective cohort study of people who use drugs in Ottawa. Between March and December 2013, participants were recruited through peer-based recruitment on the streets and in social services settings and completed a peer-administered questionnaire that explored socio-demographic information, drug use patterns, community integration, experiences with police and incarceration, and access to health care and harm reduction services. Eligibility criteria included age of 16 years or older, self-reported illicit drug use within the past 12 months and having lived in Ottawa for at least 3 months. Housing status was determined by self-report. “Stable housing” was defined as residence in a house or apartment and “unstable housing” was defined as all other residence types. Exploratory multivariable logistic regression analyses of the association between characteristics of people who use drugs and their housing status were conducted. Results Factors that were associated with unstable housing included: recent incarceration; not having a regular doctor; not having received support from a peer worker; low monthly income; income source other than public disability support payments; and younger age. Gender, language, ethnicity, education level, opioid use and injection drug use were not independently associated with housing status. Conclusions People who use drugs face significant barriers to stable housing. These results highlight key areas to address in order to improve housing stability among this community.