The mentally ill homeless: A grounded theory approach to understanding the dynamics of client outcomes in a therapeutic residential program.
Item
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Title
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The mentally ill homeless: A grounded theory approach to understanding the dynamics of client outcomes in a therapeutic residential program.
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Identifier
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AAI9959164
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identifier
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9959164
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Creator
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Beitchman, Peter D.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Michael Fabricant
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work | Psychology, Clinical | Health Sciences, Mental Health | Sociology, Public and Social Welfare
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Abstract
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Large-scale homelessness seemed to burst upon the American urban landscape in full force in the early 1980s. This dissertation tracks the broad arch of response to the homeless in general and the mentally ill homeless specifically.;First, it presents a critical review of the literature developed to understand the causes of homelessness and characteristics of the homeless. This review contrasts the findings of the quantitative and qualitative research conducted in the 1980s and their differing policy implications.;Next, the dissertation focuses more directly on the efforts to address the needs of the mentally ill homeless. Using a reputational method, a study was designed to identify and describe "excellent" programs. The three selected programs are analyzed using a framework developed by the author that seeks to identify the major structural elements of social programs. The comparative analysis of the programs highlights salient differences in programs for the mentally ill homeless.;The dissertation then offers an in-depth study of a selected program for the mentally ill homeless. The study focused on understanding client outcomes in a residential treatment program. Outcomes included "negative" discharge, "positive" discharge or "continued stay." The study used a combination of inductive, qualitative methods with the application of a deductive concept, "social worth," from the social work literature. All client outcomes that occurred over a six-year period were subject of the study.;The study yielded grounded theory that confirmed the existence of a "social worth" hierarchy as assigned by staff to clients in the program. It illuminated the "negative" and "positive" discharge processes, both in terms of the traits of clients discharged in these two categories and the norms of staff and client participation in these processes. It also identified a number of client roles valued by staff that conferred "continued stay" status on some clients. An essential finding was that the process through which staff "sorted" clients into the three outcome categories was largely unconscious and at times was at odds with the primary goal of the program: preparing clients for less supervised living.;The policy, programmatic and research implications of the findings are discussed extensively.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
