No description available.

Community integration is based on the premise that people with disabilities should have opportunities equal to their non-disabled counterparts (Wong & Solomon, 2002). The purpose of this research was to investigate predictors of community integration and the experiences of community integration for vulnerably housed (i.e., housing that falls below standard levels of adequacy, affordability, and suitability (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2008)) women with a history of homelessness. A quantitative study design used data from women participants in the Health and Housing in Transition (HHiT) study in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver at two-time points (i.e., follow-up 2 (N = 217) and follow-up 3 (N = 208)). Furthermore, a longitudinal qualitative study (i.e., baseline (N = 16) and 6-month follow-up (N = 13)) was also conducted with female participants from the Supportive Housing for People with Problematic Substance Use (SHARPE) evaluation study in Ottawa. Participants were interviewed using mapping techniques, neighbourhood walk-along, and semi-structured photo- elicitation methods. Overall, the findings of the studies show that both individual and environmental factors play an important role in community integration. Together, these studies suggest that for formerly homeless women, factors that have the greatest association with community integration are feeling healthy, having social support, partaking in organized activities, receiving greater income support, feeling protected from victimization, and living in high quality apartments and neighbourhoods close to amenities. Implications of these findings for future research and for improving neighbourhood integration of tenants were also discussed.

Bostad Först, en intervention som syftar till att lösa kronisk hemlöshet, har visat sig vara ett framgångsrikt och ekonomiskt hållbart alternativ under de senaste tre decennierna. Men i utvärderingarna nämns sällan erfarenheterna från boende inom Bostad Först och främst påverkan på deras återhämtningsprocess. Tidigare forskning visar att erfarenheterna är mångfacetterade, i varierande grad beroende på ämne och att de ofta motsäger varandra. Detta gäller också för detta forskningsprojekt. De olika upplevelserna berättar om en intervention med medkänsla, sociala interaktioner, en säker och stödjande miljö och en utgångspunkt för förändring, men också en av osäkerhet, kampen mot att hålla sig nykter och hur svårt det är att gå från ett liv på gatorna. Så länge organisationer som utövar Bostad Först kontinuerligt undersöker behoven hos sina boende och ordnar sina servicelager i enlighet med dessa uppfyller interventionen till synes delar av en återhämtningsprocess. / Housing First, an intervention aimed at ending chronic homelessness, has shown itself to be a successful and financially viable alternative during the past three decades. But evaluations seldom mention the experiences from residents of Housing First and the impact it has on their process of recovery. Earlier research shows the experiences to be multifaceted, with varying degrees depending on topic and that they, more often than not, contradict one another. This holds true for this research project as well. The different experiences tell a story of residency of Housing First to be one of compassion, social interactions, a safe and supportive environment and a starting point for change, but also one of insecurity, struggles with staying abstinent and how hard it is to transition from a life on the streets. As long as organizations practicing Housing First continually investigate their residential needs and ranson their service inventory accordingly, the intervention seemingly fulfills the elements of recovery.

Den svenska hemlösheten är ett växande samhälleligt problem. Det finns ingen vedertagengenerell bostadspolitik som avgör hur sociala insatser bör bedrivas för att bekämpahemlösheten. I den här studien har vi valt att titta närmare på en relativt ny insats i relation tillden svenska kontexten vad gäller hemlöshetsfrågor, Bostad först. Sedan ungefär 2010-talethar Bostad först börjat användas i ett antal svenska kommuner som ett försök att motverkahemlösheten och låta personer som befunnit sig i hemlöshet en längre period, ofta medkringliggande problematik, att bli så kallade “bo-redo” och lära sig att sköta en bostad ochbibehålla densamma. Genom att genomföra semistrukturerade intervjuer medyrkesverksamma som har erfarenhet av att arbeta med Bostad först har studien strävat efteratt erhålla en bredare uppfattning och förståelse av hur Bostad först implementerats i Sverige.Datamaterialet består av fyra intervjupersoner varav samtliga har arbetat med, eller är aktuelltverksamma inom Bostad först. I analysen av empirin har vi i första hand utgått frånstigmateori och kunskapsöversikten för att förstå och tolka det insamlade datamaterialet. Avde viktigaste slutsatserna hör att Bostad först med sin kravlöshet och individanpassning tycksvara ett framgångsrikt sätt att bekämpa hemlöshet på för de mest utsatta personerna där andratyper av insatser inte når fram.

Svenska socialförvaltningar styrs kommunalt och innebär olika arbetsmetoder i olika kommuner för de anställda socialsekreterarna. Vidare tillåter det ett brett tolkningsutrymme i deras arbete med hemlösa klienter. För att uppnå ett tillfredsställande resultat i de hjälpinsatser som kan erbjudas krävs det en individanpassad bedömning utifrån de resurser som finns och ett bemötande som skiljer sig för varje enskild individ. Den höga arbetsbelastningen som är ett problem idag beror på olika saker men sju av tio socialsekreterare kan tänka sig lämna socialtjänsten. Syftet med denna undersökning var att utreda vilka förväntningar som finns på yrket samt om det finns rollkonflikter. För att undersöka detta genomfördes intervjuer med åtta socialsekreterare anställda på socialförvaltningen i Skåne län. Det insamlade materialet analyserades inom ramarna av begreppet gräsrotsbyråkrater som definierar statligt anställda myndighetsutövare och begreppet rollkonflikter som beskriver hur individer påverkas av att behöva inta olika roller. Resultatet visade att förväntningarna av det sociala arbetet inte uppfylldes men att det skiljer sig mellan att arbeta inom bostad-först metoder och traditionella handläggande socialsekreterare. / The Swedish social authorities are governed communally and means that social workers in different counties have different working methods. That also means that they have a wide interpretation in their work with homeless clients. In order to achieve a satisfying result in their assistance it requires an individualized evaluation based on the available resources and a treatment which is different for each individual. Today’s problem for socialworkers is a high workload depending on various things but seven out of ten social workers would consider leaving the social services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expectations of the profession and whether there are role conflicts emerging. To investigate this, interviews were conducted with eight social workers employed in Skåne county, Sweden. The collected material was analyzed within the framework of the concept of street-level bureaucrats that defines state employees exercising authority and the concept of role conflicts which describes how individuals are affected by having to assume different roles. The results showed that the expectations of social work were not met but that it differs between working in the housingfirst method and traditional work of social secretary.

This research was designed to identify primary contributing factors to homelessness as identified by homeless individuals in Riverside County. This research might assist future researchers as well as help to implement treatment services to decrease homelessness. Qualitative data was analyzed to determine contributing factors leading to homelessness as well as the impact of treatment on overcoming barriers essential to obtaining housing. Demographic data was also analyzed based on the sample of individuals interviewed. The results of this study showed that mental health and substance abuse are two main factors which deter stable placement and lead to prolonged homelessness. This study concludes with a discussion of findings and recommendations for further research.

Over 71% of American homeless individuals are adults over 25 years of age, and the numbers are increasing. Approximately 25% of homeless individuals own a companion animal (CA). Because most service providers do not allow CAs within their facilities, the current $60.2 billion dollar national budget for homeless resources may be underutilized or forfeited altogether by homeless adults with a CA. The purpose of this study was to explore community service utilization by homeless adults with a CA through the lens of attachment theory. The research question addressed the lived experiences and perceptions of homeless adults who own CAs regarding community service utilization. This is a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study in which 11 participants were interviewed individually from a semi-structured, researcher created questionnaire. Participants were homeless adults at an emergency shelter in Texas or Oklahoma where their CAs were allowed. Through coding and thematic analysis, 3 themes developed: familial attachment to a CA, a willingness to forego services that do not accommodate their CA, and false belief in their CA as a necessary service provider. The results of this study builds upon the existing body of knowledge regarding homelessness, CAs, and community services as well as informs service provision, education, and policy. Positive social change implications include awareness of the perceptions and beliefs provided by this unique unsheltered sub-population who experienced physical illnesses, trauma, and a close familial bond with their CA. Their lived experiences are key indicators for community service providers and governmental organizations consideration in reference to budgeting allocations and future research.

No description available.

Boendestöd är en framgångsfaktor i arbetet med att stötta utsatta grupper med att klara ett eget boende inte minst för missbrukare. Det här är en jämförande studie baserad på intervjuer med sex boendestödjare som arbetar med missbrukare och sex boendestödjare som arbetar med psykiskt funktionshindrade. Syftet är att undersöka boendestödjarnas uppfattningar om sitt arbete och deras upplevelser av vad arbetet innehåller. Varför är det vanligt med olika organisationer för missbruk och psykiskt funktionshinder? Vad är det som rättfärdigar indelningen i de två grupperna och vad blir konsekvenserna för brukarna och för de professionella som arbetar med boendestöd för grupperna? Resultatet är analyserat med tidigare forskning kring boende och stöd, forskning om professioner framväxt och teorier om socialkonstruktivism. Resultatet visar att kategoriseringen kan ha med vilket fokus boendestödet får och att boendestöd för missbrukare inriktas mot att missbrukaren skall klara sitt eget boende utan att vräkas. Dessutom finns det ett indirekt tvång inbyggt i boendestödet för missbrukare vilket inte återfinns i arbetet med de psykiskt funktionshindrade. Avslutningsvis är det möjligt att peka på att indelningen medför betydande konsekvenser för missbrukarna i jämförelse med övriga psykiskt funktionshindrade även om grunden för beslutet kring kategoriseringen är osäker. / Daily life support is a key success factor in efforts to support vulnerable groups in managing their own living and this is certainly true for addicts. This is a comparative study based on interviews with six daily supporters who work with addicts and six daily supporters who are working with mentally disabled clients. The purpose is to examine their experiences and their perceptions of what the work contains. What justifies the separation of the two groups and what are the consequences for the clients and for the professionals who work with daily life support for the two groups? The result is analyzed with earlier research in the area of daily life support, research concerning the development of professions and theories of social constructivism. The result shows that the categorization may has to do with the focus of the work with living support and that the daily living support for addicts often is directed towards the addicts ability to manage their own accommodation without risking the tenants to be evicted. In addition, the categorization implicates for addicts in terms of the existence of an indirect constraint embedded in the work of daily life support for addicts which is not found in the work of the mentally ill clients. Finally, it is possible to point to a significant difference in terms of consequences for the addicts in relation to the mentally ill group even if the base for the decision of categorization may be uncertain.

In a recent report on the state of homelessness in Canada, it is estimated that at least 200,000 Canadians access homeless emergency services or sleep outside per year, with approximately 30, 000 homeless on any given night (Gaetz, Donaldson, Richter, Gulliver, 2013, 5). A strategy to address homelessness is Housing First. Housing First is an evidenced-based housing intervention strategy which provides homeless individuals with immediate access to housing and supports. A unique feature of this program is that participants are offered immediate housing of their choice. Prior to the introduction of Housing First, housing intervention strategies focused on “housing readiness” and often required sobriety or psychiatric treatment prior to entry. The Housing First approach has demonstrated significant recovery, cost savings and housing retention rates in The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) At Home/Chez Soi project—one of the world’s largest research studies utilizing a randomized control trial to study the outcomes of the Housing First approach. The At Home/Chez Soi project operated in five cities across Canada; Toronto, Montreal, Moncton, Winnipeg and Vancouver. Approximately 14% of At Home/Chez Soi participants had three or more moves and a portion of individuals in the MHCC’s study struggled to achieve stable housing. In an early findings report released by the MHCC one of the main themes that emerged from qualitative interviews conducted by At Home/Chez Soi project researchers included “changes in the social aspects of day to day life” once acquiring housing. Some of these changes were described to be negative. This finding highlights the impacts that the acquisition of housing may have on the experiences of Housing First participants. This demonstrates a need for further research to explore how social experiences relate to housing retention and mental health recovery in Housing First programming. In this research, I address this gap by focusing on understanding the social experiences of participants of Housing First programming for whom the transition into stable housing was difficult. More specifically, I ask “In relation to factors that impact housing retention, what is the experience of social connection and sense of community for a group of participants who had difficulty transitioning into housing provided through the At Home/Chez Soi Housing First program?” In this thesis, I present qualitative findings from narratives collected from 5 participants of the At Home/Chez Soi project for whom the transition to stable tenancy was difficult. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants who had a range of experiences with housing retention including one participant who remained in their first apartment, and four others who had between 1-4 moves during their involvement in the At Home/Chez Soi project. In this research, I explored whether the fundamental needs of social connection and sense of community are instrumental in producing positive outcomes such as mental health recovery and housing retention in Housing First programming. Using narrative methodology and interpretive description, I further explore how the unmet needs of social connection and sense of community can assist in understanding the challenges experienced by individuals who struggle to transition into stable housing. The findings demonstrate that participants experienced a shift in social connection and sense of belonging to the “street”, to a feeling of connection to the housed community. All of the participants expressed wanting to disassociate themselves from the DTES. This was difficult because of stigmatization particularly on the part of the landlords and neighbours in their new communities. Discriminatory treatment in their housing served to reinforce negative feelings of self. The process of shifting to a sense of belonging to the housed community presented additional challenges, such as periods of isolation and/or being in the difficult position of saying “no” to friends in order to preserve their tenancy by abiding by the rules of the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA). Participants overcame these challenges by making adjustments in meeting their social needs. Some ways that participants demonstrated resilience included connecting with professionals, creating community in local shops, setting boundaries with old friends, and in some instances, cutting off from old friends. I conclude that social connection is paramount for these individuals. I also contend that the participants are resourceful in ensuring these needs are met. Recommendations for new or existing Housing First programming are made to ensure sensitivities and practices are geared to supporting these connections including offering flexibility and choice around locations and activities for weekly meetings with case managers. Other recommendations, specific to the transition into housing include incorporating a survey of important shops or services during the housing search process, and ensuring a good landlord-tenant fit during the housing selection process. / Graduate / 0617 / jynene_s@hotmail.com