Lessons learned from a quality improvement intervention with homeless veteran services

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Public Health
• Veterans Affairs

Background:

• Homeless veterans face significant health challenges and high mortality rates.
• Implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in these programs is difficult.
• The Getting-To-Outcomes (GTO) model enhances practitioner capacity for EBPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot the GTO model within Veterans Affairs (VA) homeless programs.
• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of GTO in a VA setting.
• To identify factors critical for successful implementation.

Main Methods:

• Engaged staff from three VA homeless programs in GTO projects.
• Collected data on time spent on GTO, project outcomes, focus groups, and interviews.
• Examined feasibility and acceptability through qualitative and quantitative measures.

Main Results:

• Staff dedicated an average of 33 minutes per week to GTO.
• All teams implemented significant programmatic changes.
• High levels of communication, staff commitment, and technical assistance were crucial for success.

Conclusions:

• The GTO model is feasible and acceptable within VA homeless programs.
• GTO can build practitioner capacity to implement EBPs for homeless veterans.
• Key factors for success include strong communication, staff commitment, and robust technical support.