Advisor
Halide Porras
Course
Practice-Informed Research in Health Systems
Document Type
Capstone
Publication Date
Fall 12-1-2024
Purpose
The city of Sacramento, California, is currently facing a competitive housing market and a rapidly growing homeless population. The high volume of individuals experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County suggests that a significant portion of the population of Sacramento is not receiving the resources they need. There is a large body of research that explores service barriers for unhoused populations nationally, but there is a gap in existing research regarding the specific challenges experienced by unhoused adults in Sacramento. Broader research indicates that discrimination and stigma, awareness of resources, administrative burden, access to care, medical-related barriers, and mental health-related barriers are the common structural and personal barriers that prevent unhoused people from receiving the care and services that they need. The purpose of this research was to investigate the specific barriers faced by homeless individuals in Sacramento in accessing essential resources. Using this information, the researchers hope to support future structural and policy change advocacy efforts.
Methods
For this study, researchers employed a qualitative research design using an online survey distributed electronically to individuals who provide services to unhoused adults in Sacramento County. Researchers used snowball sampling and contacted colleagues, university departments, hospitals, clinics, and shelters to recruit participants for the survey. The 13 eligible participants who completed the survey were asked demographic information, followed by 18 open-ended questions regarding provider background, identification of service barriers, barriers to accessing services, and barrier impacts on service providers. Responses were manually reviewed, coded, and analyzed.
Findings & Conclusions
Participants identified numerous barriers, including systemic barriers, individual barriers, and provider barriers. Systemic barriers, such as administrative burden and accessibility barriers, stood out to providers as the most significant barriers for unhoused adults in Sacramento. Individual barriers, such as stigma and medical needs, and provider barriers, such as staff shortages, insufficient training, and burnout, were all highlighted as having a significant impact on this population and their ability to access essential services. The identified impacts of these barriers included adverse health outcomes for homeless individuals and reliance on emergency services. Additionally, respondents emphasized the need for more effective collaboration between agencies and wrap-around services. Some limitations of this study include the small number of respondents who participated and the pool of respondents not including the perspective of those with lived experience of homelessness.
Recommendations
Based on these findings, researchers recommend improving collaboration between agencies and developing more streamlined delivery systems. It is also recommended that administrative burdens be reduced and access to services improved through providing transportation and increasing mobile service delivery. Finally, the authors of this study recommend addressing stigma by promoting initiatives to reduce stigma while increasing public awareness of available resources. It would be beneficial for future research on this population to include the perspectives and suggestions of both service providers and those previously or currently experiencing homelessness in Sacramento.
Recommended Citation
Agzikyouchoukian, Kristine; Rose, Katherine; and Greenwood, Mylasia, "Barriers to Service Delivery for Unhoused Adults in Sacramento County" (2024). MSW Capstone Conference. 21.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/msw-conference/21
