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Pitfalls in Evaluating the Effectiveness of Case Management Programs for Homeless Persons

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Listed:
  • Robert G. Orwin

    (R.O.W. Sciences, Inc.)

  • L. Joseph Sonnefeld

    (R.O.W. Sciences, Inc.)

  • Roberta Garrison-Mogren

    (R.O.W. Sciences, Inc.)

  • Nancy Gray Smith

    (R.O.W. Sciences, Inc.)

Abstract

It is generally believed that homeless individuals—particularly those with substance abuse problems or mental illness—are unable to access the full range of available benefits and com munity services on their own. In recent years, community service providers have increasingly looked toward case management as the intervention of choice for solving this problem. Yet the evaluation findings of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Community Demonstration Program, which included three case management projects, showed few clear indications of case management effectiveness. The results of these studies—which focused on homeless clients with alcohol and other drug problems—are consistent with studies of case management services for the homeless mentally ill. This article identifies several phenom ena that potentially explain the apparent lack of positive effects and suggests that the reasons for negative findings may lie as much with the evaluations as with the interventions. These phenomena include bias due to differential attrition from measurement, lack of intervention intensity, lack of distinction between groups, contextual factors, and additional design and measurement issues. Suggestions for improving future evaluations of case management effec tiveness are offered.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert G. Orwin & L. Joseph Sonnefeld & Roberta Garrison-Mogren & Nancy Gray Smith, 1994. "Pitfalls in Evaluating the Effectiveness of Case Management Programs for Homeless Persons," Evaluation Review, , vol. 18(2), pages 153-207, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:evarev:v:18:y:1994:i:2:p:153-207
    DOI: 10.1177/0193841X9401800203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mercier, Celine & Fournier, Louise & Peladeau, Normand, 1992. "Program evaluation of services for the homeless : Challenges and strategies," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 417-426.
    2. Graham, Kathryn & Birchmore-Timney, Carol, 1989. "The problem of replicability in program evaluation : The component solution using the example of case management," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 179-187, January.
    3. Modrcin, Matthew & Rapp, Charles A. & Poertner, John, 1988. "The evaluation of case management services with the chronically mentally ill," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 307-314, January.
    4. Finney, John W. & Moos, Rudolf H., 1989. "Theory and method in treatment evaluation," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 307-316, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Crook, Wendy P. & Mullis, Ronald L. & Cornille, Thomas A. & Mullis, Ann K., 2005. "Outcome measurement in homeless systems of care," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 379-390, November.

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