Benjamin Henwood PhD, MSW
Frances L. and Albert G. Feldman Professor of Social Policy and Health at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, joint appointment with the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
(213) 821-0496
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Web: dworakpeck.usc.edu/academics/faculty-directory/benjamin-henwood
Benjamin Henwood PhD, MSW is the Albert G. and Frances Lomas Feldman Professor of Social Policy and Health at the University of Southern California. He directs the Center for Homelessness, Housing and Health Equity Research at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, and also holds a secondary appointment in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy.
Trained as a clinical social worker and researcher, Professor Henwood is an expert in health and housing services research whose work connects clinical interventions with social policy. He is a co-author of the book “Housing First,” published by Oxford University Press, and led the launch of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare’s Grand Challenge to End Homelessness.
Professor Henwood’s research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (i.e., NIMH, NIDA, NIA), the National Science Foundation, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Patient Centered Research Outcomes Institute and Google.org. He has also served as the methodological lead for the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count since 2017, which is the largest unsheltered count in the United States. Professor Henwood received his MSW in 2004 and PhD in 2011 from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work.
Selected Publications
Henwood, B. F., Semborski, S., Pitts, D. B., Schepens Niemiec, S., Yay, O., Paone, D. L., & Szanton, S. L. (2023). A pilot randomized controlled trial of CAPABLE in permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 71(5), 1587-1594. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.18235 Show abstract
Background. CAPABLE is a time-limited, evidence-based intervention that helps older adults live independently. It has not been previously tested for use among formerly homeless adults in permanent supportive housing (PSH) who experience accelerated aging that can jeopardize their ability to live independently and age in place.
Methods. A pilot randomized controlled trial with PSH tenants with an average age of 63 years old was conducted to examine the impact of CAPABLE on basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) (and other function-related parameters). Twenty-seven PSH tenants received the intervention and 30 PSH tenants were assigned to a waitlist control group.
Results. Those who received the intervention showed improvements in five of seven health outcomes with small to medium effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.20–0.47). When compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in two health outcomes—namely, reduction in limitations in instrumental ADL (p = 0.03) and depression (p = 0.01)—and greater effect sizes (d = 0.17–0.61).
Conclusions. CAPABLE is an evidence-based practice that can be successfully implemented in PSH to improve outcomes in a population that experiences significant health disparities and premature decline. Further investigation with a larger sample is warranted.
Henwood, B. F., Rhoades, H., Lahey, J., Pynoos, J., Pitts, D. B., & Brown, R. T. (2020). Examining fall risk among formerly homeless older adults living in permanent supportive housing. Health and Social Care in the Community, 28(3), 842-849. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12915 Show abstract
Although permanent supportive housing (PSH) has been credited with a decline in the number of chronically homeless adults in the United States since 2007, the extent to which PSH can accommodate the needs of a prematurely aging population, including reducing the likelihood of falls, is unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence and correlates of falls with a sample of 237 tenants (45‐ to 80‐year olds) from two PSH programmes in Los Angeles from 1 January 2017 to 10 August 2017. We also explore the location and severity of fall‐related injury using a subsample of 66 tenants. Standard surveys queried demographics, health status, history of homelessness and falls. Multivariable logistic regression assessed the correlates of falling in the past year. More than half of the sample had fallen and more than 40% had multiple falls in the past year. Functional impairment, frailty and persistent pain were all associated with increased fall risk. For the 66 tenants who provided more detailed fall information, more than 40% fell at home and of those nearly half fell in their bathroom. Fall‐related injuries were common, with more than one‐third of the subsample experiencing serious injury. These findings suggest that fall prevention is needed in PSH but that more research is needed to understand the degree to which individual and environmental risk factors are contributing to falls.
Henwood, B. F., Lahey, J., Rhoades, H., Pitts, D. B., Pynoos, J., & Brown, R. T. (2019). Geriatric conditions among formerly homeless older adults living in permanent supportive housing. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(6), 802–803. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-018-4793-z Show abstract
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