Impact of housing and work supports on outcomes for chronically homeless adults with mental illness: LA's HOPE.

Objective: This study examined the impact of a federally funded housing and employment demonstration program (Los Angeles' Homeless Opportunity Providing Employment [LA's HOPE]) for homeless adults with mental illness.

Methods: The sample included all participants enrolled between July 1, 2004, and May 17, 2005, in one of 18 Los Angeles County community mental health centers offering a state-funded program (AB2034) to reduce homelessness among people with serious mental illness. Fifty-six demonstration clients enrolled in three centers received housing and special employment supports.

Predicting women's perceptions of domestic violence and sexual assault agency helpfulness: what matters to program clients?

Study goals were to assess if community agency interactions, the characteristics of services provided by staff, and the combinations of services received can predict women's perceptions of victim service helpfulness around domestic violence and sexual assault. Data were collected from agency representatives in 26 communities, and both women who used services and others living in the community (n = 1,509 women). Women found nonprofit victim services more helpful based on staff behavior in those agencies and the extent to which women felt control when working with staff; helpfulness of services was enhanced when agencies interacted with the legal system and other community agencies.

Community-wide strategies for preventing homelessness: recent evidence.

This article summarizes the findings of a study of community-wide strategies for preventing homelessness among families and single adults with serious mental illness, conducted for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The study involved six communities, of which this article focuses on five. A major finding of this study was that it was difficult to identify sites with community-wide strategies, and even harder to find any that maintained data capable of documenting prevention success.

Impact of permanent supportive housing on the use of acute care health services by homeless adults.

Objective: This analysis examined the impact of permanent supportive housing on the use of acute care public health services by homeless people with mental illness, substance use disorder, and other disabilities.

Methods: The sample consisted of 236 single adults who entered supportive housing at two San Francisco sites, Canon Kip Community House and the Lyric Hotel, between October 10, 1994, and June 30, 1998. Eighty percent had a diagnosis of dual psychiatric and substance use disorders.

Impacts of agency coordination on nonprofit domestic violence and sexual assault programs in communities with STOP formula grant funding.

The goals of the current study are (a) to understand the community and state context in which STOP(Services* Training* Officers* Prosecutors)-funded victim service (VS) programs operate, (b) to assess the degree to which receipt of STOP funding for VS programs and the degree of state-level STOP agency support for collaboration among community agencies have led to improved program services and community interaction, and (c) to assess the degree to which improved interaction between community agencies leads to improvements for VS programs. The results show that community interaction between VS programs and other community agencies can improve VS program services as reported by service providers. In addition, the higher the pre-STOP levels of activity around violence against women issues in communities, the more agencies can enhance their service system with STOP funding.

Reasons to invest in adolescents.

Purpose: To discuss the frequent failure of the United States (and other countries) to make the types of investment in youth that would increase the future prospects of youth from high-risk backgrounds. I argue that these investments are worth making, and describe the types of research and knowledge dissemination that will be necessary to promote such investments.

Approach: I begin with a framework for thinking about and working with adolescents.