Abstract: Gender Disparities in Response to Drug Treatment Among Homeless Adults (Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference - Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth)

Schedule:

Sunday, January 15, 2017: 8:40 AM

Preservation Hall Studio 3 (New Orleans Marriott)

* noted as presenting author

Erick Guerrero, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Ahyoung Song, PhD, Assistant Professor, Gachon University, Los Angeles, CA

Yinfei Kong, PhD, Research Associate, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Tenie Khachikian, MSW, Research Associate, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Benjamin Henwood, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Background: Limited research has examined gender group differences in substance use after treatment discharge among people experiencing different types of homelessness (i.e., living outdoor, indoor unstable and relative or friends).

Methods: We analyzed client and program data collected in 2010–2011 from publicly funded treatment programs in Los Angeles County, California. An analytical sample of 2,245 individuals reporting homelessness at intake nested within 106 treatment programs located in minority communities was analyzed. We relied on multilevel negative binomial regressions to analyze as primary outcome the number of days clients' use their primary drug in the last 30 days prior to discharge.

Results: At discharge, we find that the most extreme homeless type (living outdoors vs. with relatives or friends) used more days. There were no differences in gender, but when we stratified the sample by gender, the main results were driven by males (70% of population). Culturally competent practices, such as having knowledge of minority communities and resources and linkages were associated with lower days of drug use for the full homeless population. But homeless women benefited the most from three different culturally competent practices (knowledge, staffing and policies and procedures that are culturally responsive).

Conclusions and implications: Findings point to the need to consider homeless type and gender in the development of culturally responsive and comprehensive substance abuse treatment. Implications related to health care reform legislation, which seeks to reduce disparities in standards of care and outcomes are discussed.