1) The Boyle McCauley Health Centre in Edmonton started with a small research position coordinating a longitudinal study and has expanded to conducting various research and evaluation projects to gather data for strategic planning, program implementation, and funding applications. 2) One project involved redesigning evaluation protocols for the Pathways to Housing Edmonton program, which included input from clients. 3) An analysis of electronic medical record data from the health centre identified the top 20 problems clients seek help with, such as finding employment, housing supports, and dealing with medication management.

1. EDMONTON:
THE BOYLE MCCAULEY
HEALTH CENTRE
SHIFTING OUR RESEARCH APPROACH
Tracy Mercier, Sept 16 – 18
CACHC Conference, Ottawa

2. WHERE TO BEGIN?... We started very, very small and it just
sort of grew.
• Started out as a part time position in a
single program helping to coordinate data
collection for a longitudinal research
project
• Began looking at program stats full time
• Grew to conducting funder-required fidelity
assessment
• Asked to gather data for strategic planning
for BMHC
• Moved on to redesigning evaluation
protocols for Pathways to Housing
(included client/patient input)
• Funding applications…

3. PATHWAYS TO HOUSING EDMONTON
• The Pathways to
Housing Edmonton
program was
implementing a
longitudinal research
project in anticipation
of being able to
compare results to the
At Home/Chez Soi
project that was in
progress.
2012 APP Conference Abstract:
http://www.buksa.com/Sites/APCC/docs/2012/2012-
FinalAbstractBooklet.pdf

4. 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Top 20 Problems in BMHC EMR

5. 1.47
1.64
2.00
2.09
2.25
2.45
2.50
2.56
2.61
2.65
2.71
2.75
2.80
2.84
2.96
3.00
3.00
3.05
3.06
3.08
3.13
3.14
3.17
3.22
3.40
3.41
3.47
3.50
3.59
3.64
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00
HELP WITH FINDING A JOB - 53%
PARENTING GROUP - 31%
HELP WITH RESUME AND COVER LETTER - 50%
HELP WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS - 61%
HELP GETTING INTO DETOX - 33%
AFTER HOURS ON-CALL - 56%
NEEDLE EXCHANGE, FREE CONDOMS, (HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES) - 33%
DEALING WITH WARRANTS - 50%
NEWSLETTER - 78%
SUPPORT IN FINDING ENOUGH GOOD FOOD TO EAT - 72%
THERAPY (LONLINESS OR SEEKING SAFETY WORKBOOKS, WRAP, ACTION OVER INERTIA) - 47%
HUB (MONEY MANAGEMENT) - 56%
HELP TO DEAL WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICES (AISH, AB WORKS, COURTS, LEGAL AIDE) - 69%
SUPPORT DURING A HOSPITALIZATION - 53%
SETTING GOALS WITH THE TEAM - 64%
DEALING WITH BEDBUGS AND PEST CONTROL - 64%
MOVING TO MORE SUPPORTIVE SETTING - 44%
HELP WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE/RELAPSE PREVENTION - 61%
WALK IN CLINICS (FAMILY DR., PSYCHIATRIST, PHARMACIST) - 86%
HOUSE CALLS FROM A DOCTOR, NURSE, PSYCHIATRIST, PHARMACIST - 69%
HELP WITH MEDICATION (UNDERSTANDING SIDE EFFECTS, TAKING IT ON TIME, ETC.) - 83%
HOME VISITS FROM TEAM - 100%
SUPPORT WITH INCOME TAX - 67%
SEASONAL PARTIES LIKE CHRISTMAS AND SUMMER BBQ - 75%
HAVING A CO-LEASE TO THE APARTMENT - 56%
TRANSPORTATION (VAN, DRIVER, BUS TICKETS, CABS) - 75%
HOUSING SUPPORTS - 89%
ACCESSING RENTAL SUBSIDY - 83%
FINDING AN APARTMENT - 89%
3RD PARTY FOR RENT, UTILITIES, PHONE/CABLE, INSURANCE) - 92%
Service Use and Recovery: Ranking Average Score for Each Service
36 Clients indicated which services they used
and then rated how the service helped their recovery using the following scale:
0 = Did not help my recovery at all 1 = Helped my recovery but not enough 2 = helped my recovery somewhat
3 = Helped my recovery quite a lot 4 = Helped my recovery tremendously
Service Description and % of Clients Reporting Use* Average Rating of Impact on Recovery
*Of 45 surveys returned to the office, 36 reported ratings on services used.
Mean rating across all items
is 2.84; Median is 2.98;
Mode is 3.0

6. On the outside, you are a team of
dedicated professionals, working
hard to provide direct services and
to advocate for their needs to other
services.
(Actual BMHC staff members in action)

7. …But on the inside, you are
often on the verge of an
epic win; feeling that sense
of urgent optimism, and
weaving the tight social
fabric that helps to make
that happen.
(NOT AN ACTUAL BMHC STAFF MEMBER!! Link)

8. CHALLENGES:
• Researchers, no matter how world
renowned, have a hard time
“getting you”. It’s a risk.
• It takes resources to keep up with a researcher, even after they
leave with your data – you need a way to track it & keep in
touch. Research projects have changing timelines, so keep
yourself in their loop as opposed to waiting to find out what
happened.
• Staff are more keen to enter data once
they know its being used to solve a
relevant problem or to tell an accurate
story of their work.
• Change in research partnership at the
same time as a change in program
leadership should be a time to slow
things down a little.
• Clients/patients have lot to teach us when we
ask them what kinds of questions we should ask.
It’s important to include them in developing
survey material.

9. INTERNAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE
• About 5 core members (all voluntary)
• Terms of reference
• New form for talking to researchers about
collaboration (thanks to Yogendra!)
• Trying to get better at linking internal research
to communications
• Trying to be less passive with external
researchers
Photocredit: Ikea link

10. EXCITING ‘INTERNAL RESEARCH’:
• Writing up/disseminate development new
Pathways Evaluation methodology
• Participation in Change in Mind initiative
• Continue working on ‘A Day in the Life’ content
analysis
Photo shamelessly downloaded from Pinterest: link

11. Thank You!