American Journal of Community Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 2, 1994
Presents 12-month follow-up results from an outreach~linkage intervention with
persons who are homeless and mentally ill, contrasting these with results
obtained at 4 months. Both sets reflect the success of the program in placing
individuals in independent housing. However, longer term data provide useful
information regarding client movement patterns and increased tenure in
nonhomeless living arrangements beyond the termination of specialized
services. Analyses of 12-month residential outcomes identified four variables
as significant predictors: recruitment source, project service duration, CMH
service duration, and client age. In contrast to 4-month predictors, variables
reflecting baseline client functioning were no longer significantly related to
outcome, suggesting that the positive effects of the intervention may take longer
to achieve with some clients. Discussion focuses on the implications of these
effectiveness results for future research designs and measures as well as the
utility and limitations of preexperimental approaches for evaluating innovative
service models when implementation and efficacy experiences are lacking.