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The patterns and costs of services use among homeless families
Author(s) -
Culhane Dennis P.,
Park Jung Min,
Metraux Stephen
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.20473
Subject(s) - spell , type of service , social welfare , service (business) , community service , medicine , gerontology , nursing , psychology , business , sociology , political science , public relations , marketing , anthropology , law
This study examines families' use of behavioral health hospitalization and foster care placement before, during, and after shelter use, comparing families based on shelter pattern and type of housing exit. Results show that inpatient and foster care services use drops in the homelessness period, but rebounds after exit, regardless of pattern of shelter use and type of housing exit. Results suggest that shelters supplant use of services, but not on a sustained basis. Despite declines in concurrent services use, the homelessness period is overall more costly for episodically and long‐term shelter users, primarily owing to the high costs of shelter. High rates of inpatient and foster care services use after the homeless spell suggest that providers of homeless assistance should systematically screen and refer homeless families to ongoing community‐based service supports. Service use patterns indicate that homeless spells may disrupt continuity of care with community‐based health and social services. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.