Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the leading cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in North America. Without effective supports, adults with FASD to face exceptional challenges with independent living and housing stability. Despite the well-established fact that housing stability is a critical social determinant of health, very little is known about supported housing and associated health outcomes of adults with FASD, and no best practices for supporting this population have been determined. To answer these important questions, the proposed study will conduct video interviews with adult participants living with FASD who use supported housing. Participants will be recruited by the committed developmental and housing service partners who are collaborating on this project. Interviews will include quantitative questions from the RAND Health Survey and the World Health Organization's Quality of Life assessment to measure health and wellbeing, and qualitative questions to explore participant needs and experiences with supported housing. As supported housing varies greatly across locations, representatives from participants' housing providers will also complete questionnaires regarding characteristics of each supported housing location (e.g. conditions for tenancy, whether an FASD-informed approach is used, etc.). Results from this study will clarify critical unknowns concerning how characteristics of supported housing are associated with the health and wellbeing of adults living with FASD. Further, the nuanced and specific supported housing needs of this population will be revealed to guide future directions for this work. This study will establish the necessary foundation for creating best practices in supported housing for adults living with FASD.