Abstract
Much research documents the correlation between homelessness and mental illness. Often, existing research focuses on deficits that live at the intersection of these phenomena. The present study utilizes a sense of community (SOC) framework to interrogate the ways in which formerly homeless individuals with serious mental illness perceive and experience community in supportive housing. Through focus groups with 18 consumers, this study contextualizes dimensions of SOC (membership, emotional connection, needs fulfillment, and influence) for the aforementioned population. Analysis of focus group data produced 16 themes and subthemes that support and extend our understanding of SOC for a population often conceptualized as isolated and alone. Implications for policy and practice emphasize: (1) the importance of supportive housing communities and the call for policymakers to increase funding for such programing; and, (2) that practitioners facilitate housing members’ voices to effectuate change in supportive housing and increase SOC.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 33-41 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 24 Feb 2017 |
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Keywords
- Homelessness
- Housing first
- Sense of community
- Serious mental illness
- Supportive housing
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Sense of community through supportive housing among formerly homeless individuals with serious mental illness. / Forenza, Bradley; Lardier, David T.
In: Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, Vol. 26, No. 1, 24.02.2017, p. 33-41.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sense of community through supportive housing among formerly homeless individuals with serious mental illness
AU - Forenza, Bradley
AU - Lardier, David T.
PY - 2017/2/24
Y1 - 2017/2/24
N2 - Much research documents the correlation between homelessness and mental illness. Often, existing research focuses on deficits that live at the intersection of these phenomena. The present study utilizes a sense of community (SOC) framework to interrogate the ways in which formerly homeless individuals with serious mental illness perceive and experience community in supportive housing. Through focus groups with 18 consumers, this study contextualizes dimensions of SOC (membership, emotional connection, needs fulfillment, and influence) for the aforementioned population. Analysis of focus group data produced 16 themes and subthemes that support and extend our understanding of SOC for a population often conceptualized as isolated and alone. Implications for policy and practice emphasize: (1) the importance of supportive housing communities and the call for policymakers to increase funding for such programing; and, (2) that practitioners facilitate housing members’ voices to effectuate change in supportive housing and increase SOC.
AB - Much research documents the correlation between homelessness and mental illness. Often, existing research focuses on deficits that live at the intersection of these phenomena. The present study utilizes a sense of community (SOC) framework to interrogate the ways in which formerly homeless individuals with serious mental illness perceive and experience community in supportive housing. Through focus groups with 18 consumers, this study contextualizes dimensions of SOC (membership, emotional connection, needs fulfillment, and influence) for the aforementioned population. Analysis of focus group data produced 16 themes and subthemes that support and extend our understanding of SOC for a population often conceptualized as isolated and alone. Implications for policy and practice emphasize: (1) the importance of supportive housing communities and the call for policymakers to increase funding for such programing; and, (2) that practitioners facilitate housing members’ voices to effectuate change in supportive housing and increase SOC.
KW - Homelessness
KW - Housing first
KW - Sense of community
KW - Serious mental illness
KW - Supportive housing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85013628544&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10530789.2017.1294973
DO - 10.1080/10530789.2017.1294973
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85013628544
VL - 26
SP - 33
EP - 41
JO - Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless
JF - Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless
SN - 1053-0789
IS - 1
ER -