Social Work faculty members Kelly Patterson and Thomas Nochajski are the recipients of the Collaboration Award from the Homeless Alliance of Western New York for their research on the needs of chronically homeless women.

The goal of their project, titled “Study of Hope,” was to capture the social, medical and hospitalization histories of unaccompanied, chronically homeless women; record the occurrence and frequency of assaults — both sexual and physical — and explore whether individuals ever received medical treatment or trauma counseling for these assaults; identify systemic barriers to basic social services and barriers to obtaining permanent housing; assess successful engagement techniques and how they may differ from engagement techniques used with men; and determine optimum housing environments that assist in their recovery from homelessness.

Patterson, assistant professor, and Nochajski, research professor, were honored at the Homeless Alliance of Western New York’s 10th anniversary luncheon in December.