St. Louis Special Population Needs Assessment for
Homeless Persons and Veterans

Principal Investigator: David Pollio, PhD
Funder: City of St. Louis
Timeframe: Funded 2/01-10/02
Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)

Project Staff:  Carol North, MD, Washington University Department of Psychiatry, Co-PI
                      Donna Reid, MSW, Project Supervisor
                      Brian McKean,  Project Coordinator

Participating Organizations: City of Saint Louis, Missouri
Project Contact:  Brian McKean (Project Coordinator)
                           bmckean@wustl.edu

Project Update as of 12/17/2007:
Stage: Project completed

Description:
    The St. Louis Special Population Needs Assessment was a one-year program funded by the City to understand the service use patterns and perceived needs of homeless persons and veterans in the City, preliminary to formulating policy. The project captured a rich variety of data in completing the assessment.  Information available included:  (a) a schematic of entry points and referrals within the services system; (b) an overall picture of current system users; (c) a series of focus groups with specific populations of service users; (d) a survey of local providers of services to these populations; and (e) information about key demographic characteristics, presenting problems and homeless/veterans history.
    The project incorporated several unique features, allowing an extensive evaluation for a limited investment.  A city-wide Management Information System (MIS) allowed analysis of service use data from all shelter providers.  In addition, the research team had existing, formal data sharing agreements with all major providers to these populations in the geographic area—including for service usage, organizational, and financial data.  The teams’ extensive attention to building collaborative relationships allowed positive access to agency personnel and program participants. The information obtained from the assessment allowed recommendations to the City about implementing effective entry protocols, avoiding redundant service use by individuals, distributing funding effectively, identifying current service needs, and anticipating future ones.

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