Preventing Discharge to No Fixed Address – Version 2: Evaluation of a Best Practice Program to Prevent Discharge from Hospital into Homelessness

Author/s

Cheryl Forchuk, Sarah Benbow, Jeffrey Reiss, Sherri Lawson, Sandra Northcott, Rebecca Vann, Dan Catunto, Melissa Jeffrey, Richard Booth, Anne Peters

Abstract

The “No Fixed Address” version 2 (NFAv.2) project tested the efficacy of a potential best practice program that aimed to prevent discharge from hospital into homelessness. Forchuk and colleagues developed a system that streamlined housing and social supports using on-site access to help inpatients in a psychiatric unit who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness find safe, affordable housing.

Since homelessness has a detrimental effect on recovery, client safety, and healthcare expenditures, locating safe housing has had a positive impact on treatment, rehabilitation, and the healthcare system as a whole. The findings of this project offer policy alternatives for the prevention of homelessness for at-risk individuals.

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