SCC-PG: Improving Service Delivery for the Homeless with Analytics and Process Modeling - Community Engagement and Capacity Building

该项目为开发预测模型和改善为服务不足人群服务的社会机构的工作流程奠定了基础。这项工作的具体目标是长期无家可归者和累犯（复发倾向），主要重点是与社区伙伴（松树街旅馆）合作，在马萨诸塞州波士顿市开展工作。计划中的综合研究包括：预测建模，以评估无家可归的客人的需求，以改善对正确的服务匹配，和过程建模，以改善分流工作在无家可归者收容所。该项目将确定建模工作所需的数据，并解决数据相关的问题，如数据质量和完整性;并评估当前的分类实践，以开发和试验无家可归者收容所的新版本工作流程。该项目将推进当前有关无家可归者收容所工作实践和服务匹配的知识，并提高对数据可用性和质量的理解，以支持这些成果。这项工作将制定更好地为无家可归者提供服务的方法，并为将模型和结果推广到马萨诸塞州的其他社区以及其他州和其他服务不足的人群奠定基础，例如风险家庭，残疾人口以及那些经历药物滥用或成瘾的人。通过改善对无家可归者的支助，无论是直接通过服务，还是间接通过更好地利用联邦和地方税收，都可以产生重大的社会效益。提供符合无家可归者需求的服务，并改善收容所的工作实践，可以减少停留时间和累犯，为社会的整体生活质量做出贡献。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project lays the groundwork for developing predictive models and improving work processes in social agencies that serve underserved populations. The specific targets of the work are long term homelessness and recidivism (tendency to relapse), with a primary focus on the city of Boston, Massachusetts in collaboration with a community partner (Pine Street Inn). The planned integrative research includes: predictive modeling to assess needs of the homeless guests to improve the match against the right services, and process modeling to improve triage work at the homeless shelter. The project will identify data necessary for the modeling efforts and resolve data-related problems such as data quality and completeness; and assess current triage practice to develop and experiment with new versions of work processes at a homeless shelter. This project will advance current knowledge about work practices and service matching at homeless shelters, and improve understanding of data availability and quality to support these outcomes. The work will develop ways to better serve the homeless population as well as lay the foundations to roll out the models and results to other communities in Massachusetts as well as other states and other underserved populations, such as at-risk families, populations suffering from disabilities, and those experiencing substance abuse or addiction. Significant societal benefits can accrue through improved and efficient support for the homeless, either directly through services or indirectly through better use of federal and local taxes. Providing services that match the needs of the homeless, and improving the work practices at the shelter can reduce both the length of stay and recidivism, contributing to the overall quality of life within society.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.