The Acquisition and Usage of the SODAS Problem-Solving Method Among Adults at Risk for Homelessness
Research on Social Work Practice
Published online on August 18, 2016
Abstract
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.
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.
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.
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.