The Acquisition and Usage of the SODAS Problem-Solving Method Among Adults at Risk for Homelessness

Abstract

Purpose:

Individuals experiencing extended homelessness face multifaceted risks related to health, substance use, and continuing unemployment and may benefit from learning a problem-solving and decision-making method to assist them in dealing with everyday situations.

Methods:

This study used a multiple-baseline design to teach three men with extensive histories of homelessness the situation, options, disadvantages, advantages, and solution (SODAS) problem-solving and decision-making method and assessed their ability to learn it and guide another adult in the use of the method in simulated role-play problem situations.

Results:

All three participants demonstrated substantial increases (from approximately 10% of steps correct in baseline to 100% steps correct after intervention) in their ability to successfully guide another adult through the SODAS process when role-playing problem situations.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that the SODAS problem-solving and decision-making method could be efficiently taught to adults who have histories of homelessness, and the participants found the process helpful for problems they encountered.

Keywords

homelessness social problem-solving problem-solving decision-making transition to independence process (TIP) model transition to adulthood.

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