Research Goals
The goal of this project was to conduct an in-depth examination of how Housing First (HF)/supportive housing programs targeting individuals with concurrent mental disorders (ICMDs), more specifically, persons with a mental health disorder in conjunction with an addiction, are implemented in order develop a model that can be used to scale or replicate HF in cities of various sizes.
Methodology
In order to create an implementation model of Housing First, process evaluations were conducted at Pacific Coast Apartments in Vancouver, McEwen Manor in Regina and Canora Place in Edmonton. At each of the three sites, staff and stakeholders were interviewed (4 to 7 at each site) as well as clients (on average, 10-12 clients at each site). In Vancouver, stakeholders were interviewed from Pacific Coast Apartments, Coast Mental Health, ACT outreach, and the Mental Health Commission. In Edmonton, stakeholders from Jasper Place Health and Wellness Centre, Canora Place, Homeward Trust, the City of Edmonton, and the community of Canora were interviewed. In Regina, stakeholders were interviewed from McEwen Manor, Ranch Ehrlo and the Regina Qu’Appelle Mental Health Clinic. Client case reviews and document analyses were also conducted.