Study Details | Pathways to Work

2910.02-Los Angeles' Homeles

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because it is a quasi-experimental design that does not adjust estimated impacts for potentially important differences between the intervention and comparison groups.

Intervention: Los Angeles' Homeless Opportunity Providing Employment (HOPE)

Population and employment barriers: Homelessness, Mental illness

Services provided: Case management, Health services, Substance use disorder treatment and mental health services, Supportive services, Training, Job search assistance

Setting: Urban only

Study Design

Design:

Quasi-experimental design

Study group formation:

The study used a data system that was shared by 19 Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness programs. The authors used a quasi-experimental design to compare participants in LA’s HOPE with two separate groups of individuals that were not given access to LA’s HOPE services. The study compared LA’s HOPE to two other groups. The first comparison group consisted of individuals enrolled in programming in the same sites as the LA’s HOPE participants but who were not enrolled in LA’s HOPE. The authors reported that there was spillover between this group and the LA’s HOPE group. The other comparison group consisted of individuals enrolled in programming in different sites than the LA’s HOPE participants. This review focuses on comparing the LA’s HOPE group and the group of individuals enrolled in programming in different sites than the LA’s HOPE participants.

Time period of study:

Individuals were enrolled from late winter 2003 until May 2007. Data was collected on participants through June 2007.

Pathways only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample Characteristics

Specific employment barriers

Had a mental illness	100%
Were homeless	100%

Intervention Implementation

Implementing organization:

Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, and Los Angeles Community Development Department

Intervention services:

LA’s HOPE clients participate in an Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness program. Participants also receive case management, housing, and employment support (such as job search assistance, trainings, resume development, and job coaching).

Mandatory services:

None.

Comparison services:

Clients in the comparison condition enrolled in an Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness program that did not serve LA’s Hope clients. These participants did not receive housing, case management, or employment support from LA’s HOPE.

Study Publications

Burt, Martha (2007). Evaluation of LA’s HOPE: Ending chronic homelessness through employment and housing—Final report, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Labor. Available at https://www.urban.org/research/publication/evaluation-las-hope/view/full_report.

Burt, Martha (2012). Impact of housing and work supports on outcomes for chronically homeless adults with mental illness: LA's HOPE. Psychiatry Online, 63(3), 209-215. Available at https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/appi.ps.201100100.

View the glossary for more information about these and other terms used on this page.

Study of Los Angeles' Homeless Opportunity Providing Employment (HOPE) versus Services at Other Sites