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Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW OF BEST PRACTICES 1
Literature Review of Best Practices
Jackie Gifford
Capella University
Research In Social Work Practice
Adam Quinn
08/10/2021
Literature Review of Best Practices
Arguably, homeless individuals often deal with mental illness problems, and the economic situation worsens the situation. An individual cannot exit from homelessness individually, and the combination of mental illness and homelessness is a vicious cycle that cannot be broken and require evidence-based interventions. The allocation of over 4 million by the city of Erikson is meant to provide mental health services to the homeless. Still, the model can only be effective if evidence-based practices are used to ensure adequate budgetary allocation and address homelessness. This section provides empirical evidence on selected interventions to help Erickson city implement the service model.
Interventions
Non-Abstinence-Contingent Housing Programs
Studies by Munthe-Kaas et al. (2018) revealed that providing stable housing is the first step towards the provision of mental health services. In this case, housing provision should not be tied to any conditions but rather make the client ready by providing a stabilized environment. Thus, the housing first is the preferred housing model developed by the pathway alliance is such a viable intervention. Van Wormer and van Wormer (2009) noted that the non-abstinence housing program has a proven retention rate of 85% and is far superior to conventional housing systems. Munthe-Kaas et al. (2018) reported that in the non-abstinence housing programs provide, a client is provided with housing based on their wishes and offered psychiatric help in the form of the adapted version.
Standard Case Management
The other preferable intervention is standard case management. Studies by De Vet et al. (2013) examining the utilization of services between the case management and the control revealed that SCM participants received more support than control group. Munthe-Kaas et al. (2018) also noted that SCM has positive effects and reduces the number of homeless individuals within 12 months by half, at the same time reducing the probability of such individuals becoming homeless. Besides, the case management approach is also efficient in providing mental health services that are specific and tailored to meet the needs of the individual. (De Vet et al., 2013) argued that case management increased involvement in psychiatric services and increased the number of people in contact with mental health services. The after-mentioned intervention can be incorporated to develop a service model that prepares the clients for treatment while addressing issues related to homelessness.
Origin, Prevalence, and Correlations
According to Munthe-Kaas et al. (2018), issues related to homelessness originated during the colonial era and when people were forced to move out of their homes searching for work. Over time, the problem is widespread in urban centers, which is attributed to loss of housing facilities, unemployment, and the inability of people to support them even when provided with entitlement and makeshift labor (Sullivan & Burke, 2013). Homeless problems are more prevalent in Europe due to the disintutionalization and the decline of single housing units (Sullivan & Burke, 2013). There is a correlation between mental illness and homelessness, with high rates of personability disorders, self-harm, and suicide reported in 25-30% of the street population (Perry & Craig, 2015). Hence, as Perry and Craig 92015) noted, integrating mental illness and housing is associated with positive outcomes depicted by improved quality of life and efficacy of the case management in dealing with mental illness.
Role of the Literature concerning the Topic
The literature review provides empirical evidence on the intervention used to develop a model that addresses mental illness and homelessness. As per the scenario, Erickson city aims at using 4 million dollars to create outpatient mental health services targeting the homeless. In this case, developing the best service model requires a better understanding of the cause, the prevalence, and the correlation between mental illness and homelessness. Hence, through the literature review, empirical data would select the best intervention that solves the problem and ensures the model’s long-term sustainability through prudent utilization of the funds.
Conducting Literature Review for the Intervention Strategy
The first step in the literature review process is to develop a search strategy that will include the inclusion and exclusion criteria and keywords. In this case, once the preferred and credible data source has been identifies, the inclusion criteria will be all randomized control trails studies with a keen focus on the homeless population but without restriction on the types of mental illness and studies that focused on case management and Non-Abstinence-Contingent Housing Programs. The exclusion criteria will include excluding all other studies with other study designs and those that only focus on cost-related and admissions to psychiatric centers. The selected article will be reviewed to ensure that they align with the selection criteria and data extracted using a pre-determined data form. The result will be presented for further discussion and recommendations.
Evaluation of the Source of Information
The after-mentioned articles apply to the scenario and provide valuable data about budgeting, planning, and the best intervention. De Vet et al. (2013) provide insight into the effectiveness of CSM as a best practice for homeless people, while Hwang and Burns’s (2014) article delves into the health issue facing homeless people due to the likelihood of comorbidity. In Munthe-Kaas et al.’s (2018) article, emphasis has been placed on the diverse intervention incorporated to address homeless and mental health. Perry and Craig (2015) argue that addressing mental illness and ignoring homelessness would result in adverse outcomes. Other articles provide further insight into the relationship between mental health and homelessness (van Wormer & van Wormer, 2009) and the challenges associated with providing mental health services to the homeless (Winiarski et al., 2020). It is essential to gain insight into the route cause for homelessness. In this context, Sullivan and Burke (2013) delve into the single room occupancy and how it contributed to the homeless problem in New York. The city has allocated 4 million, and thus, planning and budgetary allocation is of utmost importance in providing mental health services. Toyama et al. (2017) provide insight into the Peruvian health reforms adopted in the city to create a compelling and sustainable service provision model.
Applicability of the Articles
The scenario provides three interrelated components: planning for mental services, intervention, and the need to solve homelessness in the city. In this regard, the selected articles are applicable since the article provides empirical data that will guide the formation of an effective services model. In this case, the services model should be guided by prudent utilization of the taxpayer’s money and yield tangible results. On the other hand, selecting the best intervention will promote efficiency and a result-oriented model that addresses the population’s needs. Suppose the city focuses on mental health issues only. In that case, the fund will not yield maximum results but addressing issue would result in a prudent allocation of resources and return on investment in better population health outcomes.
References
De Vet, R., van Luijtelaar, M. J. A., Brilleslijper-Kater, S. N., Vanderplasschen, W., Beijersbergen, M. D., & Wolf, J. R. L. M. (2013). Effectiveness of Case Management for Homeless Persons: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Public Health, 103(10), e13–e26. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2013.301491
Hwang, S. W., & Burns, T. (2014). Health interventions for people who are homeless. The Lancet, 384(9953), 1541–1547. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(14)61133-8
Munthe-Kaas, H. M., Berg, R. C., & Blaasvaer, N. (2018). Effectiveness of interventions to reduce homelessness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 14(1), 1–281. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2018.3
Perry, J., & Craig, T. K. J. (2015). Homelessness and mental health. Trends in Urology & Men’s Health, 6(2), 19–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/tre.445
Sullivan, B. J., & Burke, J. (2013). Single-Room Occupancy Housing in New York City: The Origins and Dimensions of a Crisis. CUNY Law Review, 17(01), 113. https://doi.org/10.31641/clr170104
Toyama, M., Castillo, H., Galea, J. T., Brandt, L. R., Mendoza, M., Herrera, V., Mitrani, M., Cutipé, Y., Cavero, V., Diez-Canseco, F., & Miranda, J. J. (2017). Peruvian Mental Health Reform: A Framework for Scaling-up Mental Health Services. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 6(9), 501–508. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2017.07
van Wormer, R., & van Wormer, K. (2009). Non-Abstinence-Based Supportive Housing for Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders: A Human Rights Perspective. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 20(2), 152–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428230903301394
Winiarski, D. A., Rufa, A. K., Bounds, D. T., Glover, A. C., Hill, K. A., & Karnik, N. S. (2020). Assessing and treating complex mental health needs among homeless youth in a shelter-based clinic. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-4953-9