Effectiveness of a Functional Literacy Program for Formerly Homeless Adults

Columbia University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Literacy

Treatments: Behavioral: Functional Literacy Program; Behavioral: Usual Care Management Services

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03580915

AAAR8206

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to assess a functional literacy program for formerly homeless adults now residing in supported housing who have difficulty performing daily life skills requiring functional literacy (e.g., bill paying, medication management, community transportation) needed to maintain housing placements. The hypothesis is that intervention group participants will improve in functional literacy compared to the control group that does not receive the intervention.

Full description

Sixty-five percent of homeless adults are reported to be illiterate or marginally literate. The lack of literacy in a high technological society negatively impacts this population's ability to participate in daily life activities including finding and maintaining employment, renting and maintaining an apartment, seeking health care, using public transportation, and managing finances. Poor literacy marginalizes this population from societal participation and maintains this group in a state of lack and deficiency.

A literacy program will be delivered to participants who are formerly homeless and now residing in supported shelter. Participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention (n=20) or control (n=20) group. The intervention group will receive the functional literacy intervention over 8 weeks, twice weekly. Intervention sessions will allow participants to learn literacy skills within the context of real-life daily activities like grocery shopping, preparing a meal, and purchasing subway cards. Control group participants will not receive intervention.

Enrollment: 23 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Resident of a supported shelter environment (after homelessness)
• Self-reported difficulty with basic reading skills needed to participate in desired daily life activities
• English-speaking

Exclusion criteria

• Severe behavioral management disorder that would make cooperation and direction following problematic

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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23 participants in 2 patient groups

Functional Literacy Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention group will receive the functional literacy program in which, in small groups, participants learn literacy skills in the context of daily life activities such as shopping, meal preparation, and transportation use.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Functional Literacy Program

Behavioral: Usual Care Management Services

Functional Literacy Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

The control group will not receive intervention but the Usual Care Management Services.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Usual Care Management Services