Following the canvass and site selection process, the study team worked with each of the selected sites to secure their agreement to participate in the study. The program staff members were instrumental in providing information about the operations of the Housing First programs, selecting and tracking the study sample, and working with the study team to ensure that data were accurate. The study team visited each site twice during the course of the study—once at baseline and the second time following the conclusion of data collection activities. The work conducted during the site visits is described in this section. Prior to the site visits, the study team worked with the sites to develop a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to guide the research process over the next 12 months.
Memorandum of Understanding
During the site recruitment process, the study team developed a MOU with each of the study sites. The MOUs covered the roles and responsibilities of site staff as well as of the study team, the terms for incentive payments, and expectations for data collection, including initial and final site visits, client recruitment for the study, and monthly status reporting. Each MOU:
• Identified the key staff contacts at the site and at WRMA and Abt Associates;94
• Described the sample selection and baseline data collection processes;
• Identified the data elements collected during monthly monitoring and how the information
would be reported to WRMA and Abt Associates;
• Specified the process to track participants who left the Housing First program;
• Determined when and under what conditions the site would receive the incentive payment for
participating in the study; and
• Described the process for recruiting focus group members and handling arrangements for the
focus groups that were conducted during the final site visit.
Baseline Site Visit
The baseline site visits enabled the study team to gain a better understanding of the Housing First program and setting, build a relationship with program staff and address any concerns about the study, determine acceptable procedures for selecting and engaging clients, and solidify site- specific data collection procedures. The site visits lasted 2 days and included a senior researcher
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from both Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. (WRMA) and Abt Associates. The primary objectives of the site visits were:
• To collect information on program design to expand upon the information collected during
the canvass of Housing First programs;
• To confirm the conditions stated in the draft MOU between the study site and the project
team;
• To train program staff to recruit participants for the study, administer the informed consent
process, and report monthly tracking data;
• To commence the process of selecting the sample of participants to be tracked during the
course of the study;
• To collect baseline data on any available prospective or retrospective study participants; and
• To tour examples of the permanent housing offered to participants.
During the initial site visit, the study team trained staff involved with client recruitment and tracking on how to obtain informed consent and complete the monthly tracking forms. To minimize the differences in sample selection procedures across sites, the training focused on the selection of a retrospective sample as well as new client enrollment. The study team also worked with the programs to be as consistent as possible with program policies for obtaining clients’ informed consent to agree to participate in the study, as well as assuring confidentiality of all information gathered for the study.
From the canvass calls and followup calls to selected sites, the study team already had some information about the selected programs. However, the study team used the site visits to obtain more information about how the programs operate and to analyze their outcomes. The site visit focused on the following topics:
• Client Population;
• Program Attributes;
• Housing Attributes;
• Supportive Services; and
• Data Collection.
Follow-up Site Visit
Prior to the follow-up site visits, the study team prepared preliminary analyses of the tracking data for each site to assess results regarding participant tenure, engagement in services, and reasons for departure and destinations for leavers. The site visit provided an opportunity to review the features of the program and discuss any changes with staff in greater depth, including why a change was made and what effect the changes have had on participants’ program
participants during the follow-up site visits—the methodology for the focus groups is described later in this appendix.
The issues addressed during the follow-up site visits included the following:
• Changes in key program features since initial visit (e.g., changes in housing options,
requirements for admission or continued occupancy, lease arrangements, location of services, and use of representative payees);
• Review of preliminary analyses of participant outcomes (participant tenure, engagement in
services, reasons for leaving and destinations for leavers, and resolution of any outstanding data collection issues); and
• Themes elicited from focus groups with participants.
Based on the information collected during the site visits, the study team wrote site descriptions for each Housing First programs. Staff at each of the programs reviewed the descriptions to check for accuracy and completeness.