Strategies to Reduce Frequent Emergency Department Use among Persons Experiencing Homelessness with Mental Health Conditions: a Scoping Review.

The USA has some of the highest utilization rates of the Emergency Department (ED) worldwide, leading to increased healthcare costs, constrained resources, and fragmented care. Many of the highest ED utilizers are persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) and those with mental health conditions, with even higher use by those with comorbid social challenges. This study reviewed the literature assessing interventional approaches in the ED to minimize the burden of ED utilization by PEH with associated mental health conditions. We first conducted an informal literature review of high ED utilizers and their most common presenting symptoms. We then conducted a scoping review of articles according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines; we used PubMed and Web of Science databases as well as Google Scholar. We screened the titles and abstracts of studies that evaluated programs that aimed to reduce ED usage by patients with mental illness who were also experiencing homelessness. Of the 1574 titles and abstracts screened, 49 full texts were examined for eligibility. Of those, 35 articles were excluded for a final count of 14 included studies. We found that the studies fell under two main interventional categories: housing support and care management. There were various approaches to reduce ED visits from PEH with mental illness around the world. Overall, these studies found varying degrees of success in reducing ED visits for both housing intervention and care management strategies. Comparison of these studies reveals that the success of related strategies like housing support often have different outcomes which can be attributed to the differences between the populations studied, previously available community resources, and other psychosocial factors affecting study participants. Overall, the most successful studies found that a tailored approach that addresses the unique needs of participants had the greatest impact on reducing ED visits and hospitalizations. Further research is needed to determine the best strategies for specific populations and how to promote health equity among PEH with associated mental health conditions.

Prevalence, risks and outcomes of frailty in People Experiencing Homelessness: a protocol for secondary analysis of Health Needs Audit data.

Frailty describes a health state related to ageing where people become less resilient to health challenges and more likely to have adverse outcomes if they become unwell. People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are known to have poor health, with research suggesting that many become frail at a younger age than the general population. Previous research using small-scale primary data collection suggests that the prevalence of frailty in homeless populations varies widely (16-55%), with variations in sample sizes and settings partially accounting for differences in current estimates. The prevalence, risks, and outcomes of frailty in PEH are poorly understood. We propose to carry out a secondary analysis of existing health survey data collected from 2,792 PEH. This will involve creating a Frailty Index (FI) to identify frail people within the dataset. Regression analyses will be used to identify associations between potential risk factors and outcomes of frailty in this population. This protocol will: 1) Outline the creation of a FI to assess the frailty prevalence within a dataset of health information collected from a cohort of PEH and 2) Describe proposed methods of regression analysis for identification of associations between frailty and risks factors/outcomes of frailty in the cohort of PEH within the dataset. The processes described in this paper can inform future development of FIs in other datasets. It is expected that the FI created will be an appropriate and robust method for identifying frailty in a cohort of PEH and results of the secondary data analysis will provide a more robust estimate of the associations between frailty and risk factors/outcomes.

Test results pending at discharge among emergency department patients experiencing homelessness.

BACKGROUND: Persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) are vulnerable emergency department (ED) patients due to high rates of multi-comorbidity and mortality, as well as a lack of follow up care. Communication of test results pending at discharge (TPAD) is an important area of post-ED follow up care. We examined phone access, successful contact, and change in treatment among PEH and non-PEH with TPAD from the ED. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study and included all abnormal TPAD and patient telephone notes regarding TPAD over 7 months extracted from the electronic health record of a single, high-volume, urban, safety-net hospital in Denver, Colorado. Two investigators reviewed all data to determine phone access, successful contact, and recommended treatment change. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables and compared between PEH and non-PEH. We assessed associations between homelessness and successful contact and phone access while adjusting for age and sex using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 940 patient encounters with TPAD were included. 142 telephone notes regarding abnormal TPAD were included, of which 33 (23 %) were to PEH. Compared to PEH, housed patients were significantly more likely to have access to a phone (+31 %, 95 % CI: 14-48 %), have an active phone (+46 %, 95 % CI: 29-64 %), and be successfully contacted (+42 %, 95 % CI: 24-60 %), but were less likely to have a recommended change in treatment (-14 %, 95 % CI: -24 to -5 %). Homelessness was significantly associated with decreased successful contact (odds ratio [OR] 0.16, 95 % CI: 0.07-0.38) and decreased phone access (OR 0.11, 95 % CI: 0.04-0.33) after adjusting for age and sex. In the subgroup of patients with phone access (n = 124), homelessness was significantly associated with decreased successful contact (OR 0.26, 95 % CI: 0.10-0.70) after adjusting for age and sex. CONCLUSION: PEH are less likely to have phone access and be successfully contacted regarding TPAD, resulting in untreated or improperly treated infectious disease. Thus, EDs and hospital systems should explore innovative communication solutions, such as shared responsibility models and partnerships with shelters and healthcare for the homeless clinics to improve successful contact with PEH regarding TPAD.

Health status and self-perception of health among homeless people in Spain: a mixed-methods study.

Introduction: Homelessness is a phenomenon of social exclusion and poverty that has increased alarmingly during recent years. Homeless people (HP) experience violations of several basic human rights or needs that impact their well-being. Therefore, the aim of this research was to assess the health status and self-perceived health of HP and examining the impact of homelessness on their health. Methods: We used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach that integrated a quantitative cross-sectional study within critical social and ethno-sociological qualitative frameworks. Data were collected in Palma, Spain, from December 1, 2020, to January 1, 2023. A total of 198 HP were recruited from the streets and public areas. Basic human needs (Virginia Henderson model), medical diagnoses, substance abuse (DAST-10), diet quality (IASE), depression (PHQ-9), and social support (SSQ-6) were assessed. Then, 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted and were analyzed using thematic content and discourse analysis. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated and jointly analyzed. Results: The 79.3% of the participants were men, mean age of 47.8 ± 12.2 years. The 76.4% were Spanish. The participants reported severe difficulties in accessing the labor market, and that this greatly affected their self-esteem and mental health. The 48.9% of the participants suffered from one or more chronic diseases, and 50.3% were diagnosed with a mental health disorder. The participants generally did not consider health problems as a central concern. The health needs that most affected the participants were related to food, safety, and social support. HP frequently felt unsafe, fearfully, and anxious. Conclusion: Homelessness, unemployment, and social exclusion have significant negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of HP. Precarious work conditions and deficiencies in the welfare system contribute significantly to homelessness. These results highlight the need for systemic solutions that extend beyond short-term housing initiatives.

Child Mental Health, Homelessness, and the Shelter System: Evidence from Medicaid in New York City.

We identified children who resided in the New York City shelter system during 2015-2020 by matching address histories in Medicaid insurance claims to publicly available homeless shelter addresses, permitting examination of health care use before, during, and after shelter stays. We found that 4.5% of NYC children aged 4-17 with consistent Medicaid coverage entered shelter over a three-to-five-year period. After shelter entry, children had increased probabilities of receiving mental health services, including therapy and diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders, but little change in physical health service use. Children placed in shelters co-located with mental health services were similar to children entering other shelters prior to entry but had particularly large and sustained increases in use of mental health services afterwards. Children without prior mental health claims placed in shelters co-located with mental health services were 38-48% more likely to receive mental health therapy and 14-16% more likely to receive neurodevelopmental diagnoses than similar children placed elsewhere. These children were also more likely to receive Supplemental Security Income and stayed in shelter longer. This example illustrates the potential of linking administrative data sets in order to study vulnerable populations.

Resiliency in Persons Experiencing Homelessness: A Concept Analysis Using the Evolutionary Framework.

INTRODUCTION: Homelessness is a critical societal issue, with those affected facing disproportionate chronic and acute health conditions. At the core of understanding their experiences is the concept of resiliency. Understanding resiliency in homelessness is crucial because it highlights the dynamic interplay between inherent qualities and external challenges, underscoring the need to reassess societal value judgements and inform nursing practices in research, education and advocacy. AIM: This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive concept analysis to propose a revised definition of resiliency in the context of homelessness. METHODS: Rogers's evolutionary method was the analytical tool of choice, perfect for examining the fluid and evolving nature of resiliency within the context of homelessness. The method entails analysing the concept's transformation over time and across disciplines, accepting variability in definitions based on the chronological and contextual constructs. DISCUSSION: The findings revealed that resiliency in homelessness is an inherent quality and a developed response shaped by the interplay of innate capacities and environmental challenges. It uncovered a need to reassess societal value judgements. Resiliency among people without housing suggests strengths that go unrecognised by conventional measures. CONCLUSION: The analysis concludes that resiliency is not a static trait but a dynamic process encompassing individual, social and environmental dimensions. In each case, nursing is poised to make a significant difference in nursing research, practice, education and advocacy, potentially inspiring new approaches and interventions. No public or private was used in the development of this article.

A stakeholder co-design approach to designing a dental service for adults experiencing homelessness.

Introduction: The homeless population faces a "cliff edge of inequality" when trying to access essential dental services. There are several additional barriers to accessing dental care in comparison to the general population and the heterogeneous nature of patients presents a significant challenge when designing dental services to meet their needs. Following the Smile4Life report in 2009, there is limited up-to-date and population-specific evidence available for the optimal model of service delivery. Aim: This study aimed to co-design principles for a prospective dental service for adults experiencing homelessness. Methods: A qualitative methodology was used to incorporate experts-by-experience into elements of co-designing a dental service for adults experiencing homelessness. The study combined elements of an experienced-based co-design framework for healthcare innovation with community-based participatory research. Focus groups with people experiencing homelessness and healthcare practitioners were conducted to identify principles for any prospective dental service, as well as several barriers and enablers to establishing a homeless dental service. The findings were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis on Nvivo software. Results: From the qualitative analysis five key themes emerged: (1) Impact and expectations of oral health while experiencing homelessness, (2) Barriers to accessing dental care; (3) Practitioner's views about homelessness and access to care; (4) Barriers to designing a homeless service and (5) Enablers for co-designing a new model of dental care delivery for the homeless population.Five key principles for a new model of homeless dental service were identified: (i) Services designed to address the needs of patients; (ii) Services delivered in a safe and welcoming environment (iii) Training and consistency of staff; (iv) Focus on dental education (v) Developing peer mentoring and peer support. Conclusion: While the barriers to accessing dental care while homeless are well established and understood by healthcare practitioners, more work is required to gain consensus on the most effective way to deliver an innovative a sustainable dental service for patients experiencing homelessness. Previous negative experiences, lack of readily available information on services and barriers to access in the current system could be addressed by developing peer mentors within the homeless community, empowering individuals to share their knowledge and skills to support others in improving their oral health.

Health-related issues of people experiencing homelessness in Thailand: a scoping review.

Introduction: Homelessness is a significant global challenge affecting people worldwide. In Thailand, the health-related issues of people experiencing homelessness have not been a major research focus. This scoping review aims to explore the scope of research on health-related issues among people experiencing homelessness in Thailand. Methods: Eight databases (ACI, AMED, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, TCI, and Web of Science) were searched from inception of each database to August 2022. The search terms consisted of terms related to people experiencing homelessness in Thailand. Research articles published in Thai or English were included. Results: Of 186 articles, 167 were excluded during duplicate removal (n = 45), title and abstract screening (n = 106), seeking for full-text articles (n = 2), and full-text screening (n = 14). Nineteen articles were included for extraction and synthesis. Three topics (health status, causes of homelessness and effects of homelessness on health, healthcare and social services) were summarised. The included studies described mental health (e.g., depression, suicide, alcohol and drug dependence), physical health (e.g., poor self-hygiene, injuries, accidents), and health behaviours (e.g., alcohol drinking, substance use, unsafe sex). Social behaviours and health problems linked to homelessness, and several factors related to health and living conditions (e.g., stigma, discrimination) were reported. People experiencing homelessness had some barriers to access to healthcare and social services (e.g., health insurance, social welfare, financial difficulties). Conclusions: The majority of studies on health-related issues in people experiencing homelessness in Thailand are descriptive studies. Future studies should focus on the interactions and mechanisms between homelessness and health.

Cruel optimism, affective governmentality and frontline poverty governance: 'You can promise the world'.

Cruel Optimism' (Berlant, 2011) sustains neoliberalism by promising freedom and autonomy through adherence to and performance of competitive behaviours. As Brown (2003) observes, neoliberalism is a discourse which operates, not through repression or restriction, but through promising self-fulfilment and happiness. The role of emotion-management in poverty governance has been widely acknowledged. However, this has focused on cultivation of population-level punitive, negative emotions (such as shame, stigma, or resentment). It is widely acknowledged that welfare provision has been specifically targeted by neoliberal discourse, justifying intensifying interventions aimed at reshaping the subjectivities and aspirations of poor and marginalised individuals and households to serve the needs of deregulated markets. However, little attention has been paid to the importance of positive, hopeful emotion management in legitimising and effecting co-operation. Drawing on interviews with 54 workers in the Welsh homelessness system, I argue that workers systematically create and sustain optimism in their clients as a mechanism to enable them to survive within an increasingly hostile housing system, as part of a deliberate, if reluctant, strategy to cultivate empowered, 'ethical' welfare selfhood against a backdrop of citizen abandonment. A three-stage approach deployed by workers includes (1) destabilisation of expectations of state help (2) re-orientation, through cultivation of belief in neoliberal promise (3) development of maintenance strategies. Improving applicant capacity to perform neoliberal welfare citizenship was perceived as an urgent, moral and pragmatic necessity, and justified by care logics. I demonstrate how this extends not only our understanding of welfare implementation, but also shows how positive emotion-management generally, and Berlant's Cruel Optimism specifically, can be used to understand the practicalities of welfare governance.

Exploring the Perspectives of Unhoused Adults and Providers Across the HCV Care Continuum.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), the most common blood-borne infection, disproportionately affects people experiencing homelessness (PEH); however, HCV interventions tailored for PEH are scarce. This study utilized a community-based participatory approach to assess perceptions of HCV treatment experiences among HCV-positive PEH, and homeless service providers (HSP) to develop and tailor the "I am HCV Free" intervention which integrates primary, secondary, and tertiary care to attain and maintain HCV cure. Four focus groups were conducted with PEH (N = 30, Mage = 51.76, standard deviation 11.49, range 22-69) and HSPs (n = 10) in Central City East (Skid Row) in Los Angeles, California. An iterative, thematic approach was used to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. Barriers and facilitators emerged from the data which have the potential to impact initiating HCV treatment and completion across the HCV care continuum. Understanding and addressing barriers and strengthening facilitators to HCV treatment will aid in HCV treatment completion and cure for PEH.

Increased proportions of invasive pneumococcal disease cases amongs adults experiencing homelessness sets stage for new serotype 4 capsular-switch recombinant.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs) identified increased serotype 4 invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), particularly among adults experiencing homelessness (AEH). METHODS: We quantified IPD cases during 2016-2022. Employing genomic-based characterization of IPD isolates, we identified serotype-switch variants. Recombinational analyses were used to identify the genetic donor and recipient strains that generated a serotype 4 progeny strain. We performed phylogenetic analyses of the serotype 4 progeny and serotype 12F genetic recipient to determine genetic distances. RESULTS: We identified 30 inter-related (0-21 nucleotide differences) IPD isolates recovered during 2022-2023, corresponding to a serotype 4 capsular-switch variant. This strain arose through a multi-fragment recombination event between serotype 4/ST10172 and serotype 12F/ST220 parental strains. Twenty-five of the 30 cases occurred within Oregon. Of 29 cases with known residence status, 16 occurred in AEH. Variant emergence coincided with a 2.6-fold increase (57 to 148) of cases caused by the serotype 4/ST10172 donor lineage in 2022 compared to 2019 and its first appearance in Oregon. Most serotypes showed sequential increases of AEH IPD/all IPD ratios during 2016-2022 (for all serotypes combined, 247/2198, 11.2% during 2022 compared to 405/5317, 7.6% for 2018-2019, p<0.001). Serotypes 4 and 12F each caused more IPD than any other serotypes in AEH during 2020-2022 (207 combined reported cases primarily in 4 western states accounting for 38% of IPD in AEH). CONCLUSION: Expansion and increased transmission of serotypes 4 and 12F among adults potentially led to recent genesis of an impactful hybrid "serotype-switch" variant.

Innovating a Community-driven Enumeration and Needs Assessment of People Experiencing Homelessness: A Network Sampling Approach for the HUD-Mandated Point-in-Time Count.

To enumerate people experiencing homelessness in the U.S., the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates its designated local jurisdictions regularly conduct a crude census of this population. This Point-in-Time (PIT) body count, typically conducted on a January night by volunteers with flashlights and clipboards, is often followed by interviews with a separate convenience sample. Here, we propose employing a network-based (peer-referral) respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method to generate a representative sample of unsheltered people, accompanied by a novel method to generate a statistical estimate of the number of unsheltered people in the jurisdiction. First, we develop a power analysis for the sample size of our RDS survey to count unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. Then, we conducted three large-scale population-representative samples in King County, WA (Seattle metro) in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We describe the data collection and the application of our new method, comparing the 2020 PIT count (the last visual PIT count performed in King County) to the new method 2022 and 2024 PIT counts. We conclude with a discussion and future directions.

An incomplete picture: A scoping review of how scholars account for race and ethnicity in family homelessness research.

Families of color in the United States experience homelessness at a disproportionately higher rate than White families; however, little is known about how scholars account for race and ethnicity in family homelessness research. This scoping review analyzes how researchers examine race and ethnicity in conceptual frameworks, methods, and analysis. Following PRISMA-ScR reporting standards, I searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and ERIC for quantitative studies including a housing outcome for homeless service-involved families. I used Covidence to screen for inclusion and extract data, and QuADS to evaluate study quality. Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria. Researchers' articles lacked theory and the context of racism, lacked detail on how race and ethnicity were conceptualized and operationalized, and most (71%) did not disaggregate results. Without putting data within the context of systemic racism and disaggregating outcomes, research will produce incomplete knowledge on family homelessness, leading to ineffective interventions for families of color.

Stressful Life Events Among Women Suffering Homelessness and Prostitution in Spain.

The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in suffering stressful life events (SLE) among women experiencing homelessness who had or had not been in prostitution. Data were collected from a sample of 135 women experiencing homelessness in Madrid. A total of 81% of the women interviewed had never been in prostitution, while 19% had been in prostitution at some point in their lives. Participants were recruited from shelters, drop-in centers, and public spaces. The information was collected using a structured interview. The results showed that women experiencing homelessness who had been in prostitution suffered a greater number of SLE, both in childhood and adolescence and throughout life. The interviewed who had been in prostitution were between two and nine times more likely to have experienced during their childhood and adolescence violence in their family, as well as to have run away from home, experienced abuse, attempted suicide, and used drugs excessively. Furthermore, during their lifetime, the interviewed who had been in prostitution were between two and four times more likely to suffer from serious physical and mental health issues, excessive alcohol consumption, intimate partner violence, physical violence from others, suicide attempts, police reporting, and unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, they were four to six times more likely to have been sexually assaulted or convicted/imprisoned for a crime, seven times more likely to have been arrested, and a striking 32 times more likely to have used drugs excessively.

Why some homeless individuals are unsheltered: A narrative review of self-reported reasons.

The rising rate of unsheltered homelessness is a troubling and important public health issue. This narrative review sought to answer the question: What are the reasons that homeless individuals report for being unsheltered? To identify studies, systematic search methods were applied to PubMed, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO databases using the following eligibility criteria: English-written, peer-reviewed studies published from 2000 to 2023 that reported qualitative or quantitative data related to reasons why homeless individuals in a Western country were unsheltered. After duplicates were removed, 14,690 studies were screened and filtered to 10 final studies that fit all eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Eight of the 10 studies reported qualitative data from interviews and focus groups; the two quantitative studies reported data from interviewer-administered surveys. Across studies, eight thematic categories were identified as barriers to staying in shelters or other sheltered locations: lack of safety, triggers for substance use, strict shelter rules, triggers for substance use, perceived inadequate care, unsanitary conditions, required treatment to participate in housing program, no pet or family accommodations, and lack of accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Together, these findings indicate the delicate balance needed in homeless shelters to have both an inclusive/permissive and structured/safe environment for homeless individuals. Attention to the design and operation of homeless shelters, as well as staff training and accommodation for clients with special needs may improve some of these issues.

Socioeconomic Correlates of Suicidal Ideation in Military Veterans: Examining the Interaction Between Homelessness and Financial Debt.

Studies in veterans have yet to examine interconnections between homelessness, financial debt, and suicidal ideation. We analyzed data from a nationally-representative study conducted in 2021 of low-income U.S. veterans (N = 1,004). Analyses revealed veterans who were younger, male, had a history of criminal arrests, met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reported greater loneliness, or had both a history of homelessness and higher debt were more likely to endorse suicidal ideation. We found an interaction between a history of homelessness and current debt: 40% of veterans with both past homelessness and higher debt reported suicidal ideation, whereas only 10% of veterans with either past homelessness or higher debt reported suicidal ideation. As past homelessness and current debt interacted to increase the odds of suicidal ideation in a national sample of veterans, these results inform policy and clinical decision-making for suicide prevention and in programs serving veterans experiencing homelessness.

Mixed methods on adverse childhood experiences predicting transitional and recurrent homelessness.

AIMS: Research has associated lack of parental care, physical abuse, and parental substance abuse to homelessness, with the presence of two or more such factors dramatically increasing one's chances of becoming homeless as an adult. Less clear is which (cumulation of) factors may mediate the difference between transitional and recurrent homelessness. METHODS: Quantitative analysis of four risk factors-addiction, weak social network, criminal activity, psychopathology-among 69 transitionally and recurrently homeless (RH) adults, followed by in-depth qualitative analysis of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among 30 selected participants. RESULTS: RH participants had higher cumulative risk and a higher prevalence and broader range of ACEs than transitionally homeless participants, with the prevalence of childhood physical abuse marking the greatest difference between the two groups. Recurrent homelessness was also correlated with addiction to hard drugs, criminal activity, and weak social networks. CONCLUSION: Longitudinal and intervention studies in larger groups are needed to assess causality.

Addressing dermatologic concerns and teledermatology in undomiciled and sheltered populations.

Homelessness in the United States is a significant public health issue, with dermatologic disease being the most prevalent health concern among the undomiciled and sheltered populations. Despite a growing need for dermatologic care, the supply of dermatologists remains insufficient, contributing to disparities in healthcare access for this vulnerable group. This review aims to detail the spectrum of dermatologic conditions experienced by homeless individuals, identify barriers to adequate care, and explore teledermatology as a potential solution to bridge these gaps. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, analyzing studies and reports on dermatologic issues prevalent among the homeless population and the efficacy of teledermatology in addressing these concerns. Homeless individuals face a wide range of dermatologic problems, from common conditions like acne and eczema to severe issues such as cellulitis, leg ulcers, and skin cancer. Drug abuse, domestic and sexual abuse, and parasitic infestations further complicate the dermatologic health of this population. Teledermatology has emerged as a promising tool to enhance access to dermatologic care, showing significant improvements in clinical outcomes and accessibility, especially in underserved urban settings. However, challenges remain, such as the digital divide affecting the elderly and low-income populations, which could potentially exacerbate disparities. Addressing the dermatologic needs of the homeless population requires a multifaceted approach. Teledermatology offers a viable solution to improve care access and efficiency, but additional efforts are necessary to ensure inclusivity and avoid further marginalization. Volunteer-driven multidisciplinary clinics also play a crucial role in providing care, though they face challenges in continuity and resource availability. Future strategies should focus on integrating teledermatology with other supportive services to create a comprehensive care model for this underserved population.

A non-randomised controlled trial of a community-based accommodation and psychosocial support programme for adults experiencing mental illness and homelessness.

BACKGROUND: The transition out of inpatient mental health is a crucial time for adults experiencing concurrent mental illness and homelessness, yet evidence regarding effective support options is mixed. Choices is an intensive 3-month psychosocial outreach and crisis accommodation support programme for adults experiencing mental illness and homelessness, delivered by Baptcare in Tasmania, Australia. This study examined the effect of Choices on adults' psychosocial functioning, clinical symptomology and psychiatric readmissions in comparison to standard care only. METHOD: Participants were adults aged 18-64 years experiencing mental illness and homelessness, recruited upon discharge from a psychiatric admission. Intervention participants (n = 124) received the Choices programme. Control participants (n = 122) received standard care, clinical assessment and treatment from hospital-based Mental Health Services. Outcomes were psychosocial functioning (primary), clinical symptomology, hospital readmission rate and readmission length of stay. Outcomes were assessed at programme commencement and closure (3 months) and 3 months post-closure (intervention group only). Analysis of covariance was used to analyse differences between groups at closure, while controlling for baseline differences. RESULTS: Intervention participants had significantly improved social functioning (encompassing living conditions, social relationships, self-esteem/confidence), overall psychosocial functioning, symptoms of depression and anxiety and shorter hospital readmission length of stay in comparison to the control group. Intervention participants experienced further improvements in social and overall psychosocial functioning 3 months post-closure. CONCLUSION: The Choices programme is effective in enhancing the psychosocial functioning of adults experiencing concurrent mental illness and homelessness. These findings support the ongoing delivery of this combined accommodation and wrap-around psychosocial model of intensive support.