Homelessness, Behavioral Health Services, and Criminal Justice Involvement

• In Event: Crime Prevention and Deterrence

Abstract

SAMHSA Homelessness Programs fund grantees to provide services to expand and strengthen treatment to individuals with substance use, mental health, and co-occurring disorders and link treatment services with housing. Program goals are increased abstinence, mental health, and housing stability and decreased homelessness. Grantees target different subpopulations (e.g., veterans, youth, HIV, criminal justice), but many have criminal justice involvement before enrollment.
Results will be presented from analysis of thousands of client self-report interviews conducted in more than 100 grantee sites, supplemented with descriptive and qualitative information on programs. Analyses include (1) differences in prevalence and in baseline/follow-up changes, comparing standard SAMHSA GPRA interview measures of 30-day outcomes with study-specific Supplemental Client Interview measures of 6-month outcomes; (2) association between program models and baseline/follow-up changes in criminal justice involvement; (3) differences in these associations among various subgroups based on housing status, employment, veteran status, and demographic characteristics; and (4) differences in these associations in different programmatic and community contexts, e.g. differences in working arrangements and collaboration between service provides and law enforcement entities.
This presentation extends and updates previous findings by including clients and grantees from 4 distinct grant programs, funded over many grant cohorts.

Authors

• James Trudeau, RTI International

• Arnie Aldridge, RTI International

• Elizabeth Tibaduiza, RTI International

• Arianna Napier, RTI International