HomeMy WebLinkAboutContract 39637Memorandum of Agreement
Independent Evaluation of Directions Home
Introduction
CON RACTENOO
Passed in the Summer of 2008, the City of Fort Worth's Directions Home plan has established a variety
of strategies to make homelessness rare, short term and non -recurring in the next 10 years. Programs
funded by this plan include supportive housing (housing and supportive services), shelter case
management, substance abuse and mental health care, and increased access to storage. Also funded
under Directions Home, The University of Texas at Arlington Community Services Center in the School of
Social Work has been selected to serve as independent evaluator for these efforts.
As a component of this evaluation, a cost-effectiveness study of supportive housing is being conducted
by the UTA research team. In essence, this study will evaluate the use of critical services by people who
are homeless to determine if the use of these services differs after individuals are placed in Directions
Home -funded housing. It will also seek to determine the cost of service use before housing, compare it
to service use after housing, and assess if a fiscal difference exists. Critical services evaluated by this
study will include law enforcement, emergency medical services, medical care, mental health and
substance abuse treatment, and criminal justice entities.
Proposed Involvement of the Fort Worth Police Department in Current Study
It has been established that people who are homeless interact frequently with law enforcement entities.
As this study seeks to evaluate the use of critical services by people placed in Directions Home
supportive housing, the participation of the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) in this research is
considered crucial. Using data provided by the FWPD, it will be possible to evaluate whether placement
in supportive housing impacts interactions with law enforcement agencies. By combining this with
similar assessments of medical, emergency medical, mental health, substance abuse, emergency
medical, and criminal justice service system, a comprehensive assessment of whether/how supportive
housing impacts the use of critical services. Specific data elements to be requested from the FWPD
include:
• Total number of times individuals interacted with the FWPD during the specified study
intervals
• Number of citations issued
• Number of arrests
• Number of warrants issued
• Number of time incarcerated
• Days of incarceration
• Cost estimates of FWPD services (hourly patrol officer costs, incarceration costs, etc.)
Procedures
In practice, UTA researchers will provide a list of individuals housed under the Directions Home plan to
the FWPD. It is anticipated this could include up to 240 individuals over the course of the 12-month
study. This list will identify individuals placed in housing and provide the personal identifying
information (name, birth date, and social security number) required to identify / access participant's
records. Upon receiving these records, UTA research staff will link participants FWPD 'rQFfcc ..,Ah 915;;ORD
obtained from other critical service providers. Once these records are linked, an eIect(oWVdbt6Hfs96AARY
I FT. WORTH, TX
be created to allow for the statistical analysis of the data. It is important to note that the electronic
data base will contain no personal identifying information and no findings will identify a research
participant by name. Study findings will utilize the statistical method to maintain the confidentiality of
individuals participating in the research. Examples of these findings include:
• Total number of FWPD contacts by study participants
• Total number of citations issued
• Total number of arrests
• Total number of warrants issued
• Average number of contacts with FWPD
• Range of FWPD contacts by study participants (low to high)
• Average cost of FWPD services used by study participants
• Range of costs of services used by study participants
Additional analyses will evaluate subgroups on the variables identified above. Based on factors including
age, race, time homeless, diagnoses obtained from medical care providers, mental health diagnoses
obtained from mental health service providers, and more, subgroup comparisons will be made to
conduct a more refined analysis of emergency medical service use by people who are homeless.
Statement from the Evaluation Team
This study protocol will be submitted to the UTA Institutional Review Board for approval.
Documentation of UTA IRB approval will be provided to the FWPD prior to the collection of any study
data. As noted above, no personal identifying information will be maintained in the electronic data base
created by the research team. Any paper documents containing identifying information will be kept in a
locked file cabinet within a locked office at the UTA Community Services Center. Only research staff will
have access to this office. Also discussed previously, research findings will utilize the statistical method
to protect the confidentiality of study participants.
Statement of Agreement from the Fort Worth Police Department
As an authorized official of the City of Fort Worth, I hereby agree to grant the evaluation team access to
the above stated sources of data for the Directions Home Evaluation. I understand that these data will
be aggregated and all client -level identifying information will be removed prior to data analysis and
dissemination. I also understand that I may revoke this Memorandum of Agreement at any time by
contacting the Principal Investigator identified above.
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OFFICIAL RECORD
CITY SECRETARY
FT. WORTH, TX
CITY OF FORT WORTH
UTA
Jeffrey W. Halstead
Chief of Police
Signature: V12
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Date: 12 Ya'09
Tom Higgins
Assistant City Manager
Signature:
Date: /Z/ZZ/09
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
Monica Wofford Wood
Assistant City Attorney
Signature•
*
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Date: ���T01
�ATT�EST:
City Secretary
Date: (�12
Authority
M&C: Not Reauired
Contract Number:
James Petrovich, Ph.D
Principal Investigator
Signature
Date:
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OFFICIAL RECORD
CITY SECRETARY
FT, WORTH, TX