Housing and Support Program (HASP): Final Evaluation Report

• Community integration
While eight of the 80 HASP clients followed up were
in paid employment, clients worked an average
of 18.06 hours per week. In addition to paid
employment, 13 clients (16.2%) indicated that they
participated in volunteer work. The mean number
of hours spent on volunteer work was 8.15 hours per
week (range = two to 24 hours per week). Finally,
eight clients (10%) indicated that they attended
TAFE or other training programs. Over 40% of clients
indicated that they would like paid employment as
their main activity in the future. This suggests that
there is some scope for clients and service providers
to focus on employment as a long-term goal for
those with a desire to work.
• Changes in the need for inpatient care
The average time in inpatient care decreased
signifi cantly (p=0.001) from an average of
227 days/per client in the 12 months prior to
HASP, to an average of 18.9 days/per client in the
12 months post-HASP. Moreover, the number of
admissions also decreased signifi cantly (p=0.002)
from an average of 1.22 admissions/per client in
the 12 months prior to HASP, to an average of 0.66
admissions/per client in the 12 months post-HASP.
• Changes in functioning
While improvements in functioning were not
statistically signifi cant, the clients, as a group,
did not deteriorate following entry into HASP.
Indeed, the fi ndings indicate that over half of
the clients (51%) demonstrated improvement
in general functioning, while 40% produced
improvement in clinical functioning in the
12 months since joining HASP.
• Changes in Mental Health Act status
Restrictions placed on clients through the Mental
Health Act had been signifi cantly relaxed since
entering HASP. The proportion of clients on
Involuntary Treatment Orders (ITOs) decreased
from 46% to 22%, while the proportion of clients
with voluntary status increased from 43% to 70%.
This relaxation of the legal restrictions placed
on clients suggests that client functioning and
compliance with treatment improved following
access to HASP. It also demonstrates that efforts
are being made by clinical services to reduce
restrictions on clients where possible.
• Cost – HASP versus alternative options
Overall, the recurrent cost of keeping the ‘average’
client in HASP for 12 months is approximately
$74,000 less expensive than keeping the same
client in a Community Care Unit (CCU) and $178,000
less expensive than keeping the same client in an
acute inpatient unit. The fi ndings suggest that one
could maintain two clients in HASP for the cost of
keeping one client in a CCU and almost four clients
in HASP for the cost of keeping one client in an acute
inpatient unit. However, programs such as HASP
should not be promoted as a substitute for the
services of a CCU or acute inpatient unit. All of these
treatment and housing options should be included
in a comprehensive mental health program. Finally,
it should be noted that the costs provided here are
based on recurrent costs only. Initial costs involved
in selecting clients for the program, securing housing
options and establishing infrastructure in the
community to support each individual have not
been considered in our estimates.
• Overall quality of life
An overall rating of quality of life was obtained
by asking clients to rate their quality of life
on a 10-point scale where ‘1’ was the worst quality
of life possible and ‘10’ was the best quality of life
possible. HASP clients provided a mean rating of
almost ‘7’ out of a possible total score of 10. This
high quality-of-life rating is in keeping with previous
evaluations of clients living in supported housing
in Queensland (Project 300) and New South Wales
(The Housing and Support Initiative).
Over 85% of clients were pleased about having
accomplished something in the past month.
These accomplishments included staying well,
being able to stay out of hospital, making a new
friend or getting a job or volunteer work. A further
80% were happy that ‘things had gone their way’
and were proud that someone had complimented
them on something they had done (77%).
Housing and Support Program (HASP)
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