Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
This study sought to understand the specific characteristics and operations of harm reduction housing (HRH) in Boston to generate a comprehensive inventory tool for evaluating implementation of harm reduction strategies at transitional housing locations.
Findings/Key points
HRH staff identified best practices, resources, and policies in HRH sites that were further contextualized with ethnographic field notes. Common to all were overdose prevention protocols, behavioral policies, security measures, and distribution of harm reduction supplies. The initial 44-item inventory of services, policies and site best practices was further refined with expert and participant feedback and application, then finalized to generate a 32-item inventory.
Design/methods
Data was collected between June and September 2023 and included semi-structured qualitative interviews with HRH staff (n = 19), ethnographic observations and photos at six HRH sites. Candidate inventory components were derived through triangulation of the data. Two expert medical staff unaffiliated with data collection reviewed a draft inventory measuring awareness and utility of HRH inventory components. We then pilot tested the inventory with three HRH residents across two sites for readability and reliability. Awareness, frequency of use, and perceived helpfulness of key inventory items were further tested in a survey to 106 residents.
