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Changes in Sources and Perceived Quality of Social Supports Among Formerly Homeless Persons Receiving Assertive Community Treatment Services

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Abstract

We recruited a sample of individuals who were formerly homeless that received assertive community treatment (ACT) services to assess differences in their sources and perceived quality of social support related to changes in their residence status. Standardized questionnaires were administered to 22 participants via face-to-face interviews, including various measures of social support and relationship quality. Results indicated that participants mentioned ACT staff members significantly more often than any other relationship category (e.g., friends or family) as sources of social support. Participants also indicated that the quality of their relationships with ACT staff members was significantly better than relationships maintained before and during their homelessness. These findings indicate that ACT staff can serve as social supports for clients on their caseloads, and they further suggest that clients perceive these worker-consumer relationships to be of high quality. Implications related to community integration are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the assistance of the Florida Mental Health Institute and Mental Health Care, Inc./HACT staff, and all participants in conducting this study. We are also grateful for the contributions of two anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5010, 30302, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Adam D. Carton

  2. Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    M. Scott Young

  3. Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, USA

    Kristine M. Kelly

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  1. Adam D. Carton
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  2. M. Scott Young
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  3. Kristine M. Kelly
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Correspondence to Adam D. Carton.

Additional information

This paper is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0552428. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Carton, A.D., Young, M.S. & Kelly, K.M. Changes in Sources and Perceived Quality of Social Supports Among Formerly Homeless Persons Receiving Assertive Community Treatment Services. Community Ment Health J 46, 156–163 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-009-9185-8

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