Principles of Care for Dually Diagnosed Homeless Persons: Findings From a Demonstration Project

Abstract

The literature on treating dually diagnosed homeless individuals is scant. Few programs are described in detail, and none appears to have been evaluated as to effectiveness. This article describes the development of an urban demonstration program for dually diagnosed homeless persons and describes the characteristics of the homeless client. Monthly monitoring indicated that the original low-demand residential services alone were not productive toward rehabilita tion. Consequently, key modifications were added to the program that resulted in seven princi ples of care. Findings from the data analysis indicate that the revised program design effectively decreased negative client behaviors and increased active participation in rehabilitation activities.