Benjamin Henwood

About

Benjamin Henwood, PhD, LCSW, is the Frances L. and Albert G. Feldman Professor of Social Policy and Health at the University of Southern California (USC). He directs the Center for Homelessness, Housing and Health Equity Research at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and holds a secondary appointment as a professor in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Professor Henwood is an expert in health and housing services research, with a focus on connecting clinical interventions with social policy to address homelessness and housing stability. He is a co-author of the book “Housing First” and led the launch of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare's Grand Challenge to End Homelessness. His research has been supported by prominent institutions such as the NIH, NSF, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, among others. He has 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's academic background includes an MSW and PhD from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work, and his work emphasizes the integration of clinical and social policy approaches to improve outcomes for homeless populations.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Demography
• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Environmental health
• Internal medicine
• Immunology
• Psychiatry
• Psychology

Selected publications

• COVID-19 vaccine access and attitudes among people experiencing homelessness from pilot mobile phone survey in Los Angeles, CA

  PLoS ONE · 2021 · 73 citations

  People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at high risk for COVID-19 complications and fatality, and have been prioritized for vaccination in many areas. Yet little is known about vaccine acceptance in this population. The objective of this study was to determine the level of vaccine hesitancy among PEH in Los Angeles, CA and to understand the covariates of hesitancy in relation to COVID-19 risk, threat perception, self-protection and information sources. A novel mobile survey platform was deplo…

  DOI

• Health risk associated with residential relocation among people who inject drugs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA: a cross sectional study

  BMC Public Health · 2022 · 35 citations

  BACKGROUND: Given the housing instability and frequent residential relocation (both volitional and hegemonic) of people who inject drugs, we sought to determine whether residential relocation (defined as sleeping in a different place in the past 30 days) is associated with health outcomes in a sample of people who inject drugs (PWID). METHODS: We recruited 601 PWID using targeted sampling and interviewed them between 2016 and 2018 in San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA about housing, drug use prac…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Does the Timing of Incarceration Impact the Timing and Duration of Homelessness? Evidence from “The Transitions to Housing” Study

  Justice Quarterly · 2020 · 28 citations

  Compared to their non-homeless peers, chronically homeless adults are much more likely to have a history of incarceration. In turn, homelessness is associated with increased morbidity, lack of access to adequate healthcare services, and decreased life expectancy. This study investigates whether age at first incarceration is associated with age at first homeless experience and with lifetime duration of literal homelessness. Study participants are homeless adults entering permanent supportive hous…

  DOI

• Falls as a mental health risk among Korean-American residents in subsidized senior housing: mediating effect of fall-related self-efficacy

  Aging & Mental Health · 2024-09-25 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVES: The study examined the mediating role of fall-related self-efficacy in the association between falls and mental health among older Korean Americans living in subsidized senior housing in the greater Los Angeles area. We focused on serious fall incidents (i.e. multiple falls or any fall with a fracture) and used symptoms of depression and anxiety as indicators of mental health. METHOD: age = 79.4 years) were used to examine the direct effects of serious fall incidents on mental health…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Programmatic and Organizational Barriers and Facilitators to Addressing High-Risk Issues in Supportive Housing and Housing First Programs

  Community Mental Health Journal · 2024-10-18 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Addressing Geriatric Syndromes within Permanent Supportive Housing

  NIH · $463k · 2016–2019

• Understanding HIV Risk Environment for Youth in Supportive Housing

  NIH · $1.8M · 2016–2020

• NIH Grant F31MH083372

  NIH · $59k · 2010

Frequent coauthors

• Deborah K. Padgett

  New York University

  58 shared

• Harmony Rhoades

  Washington University in St. Louis

  48 shared

• Suzanne L. Wenzel

  University of Southern California

  41 shared

• Sara Semborski

  University of Southern California

  31 shared

• Todd Gilmer

  University of California, San Diego

  30 shared

• Sam Tsemberis

  Pathways to Housing

  27 shared

• Brian Redline

  Oregon Health & Science University

  26 shared

• Elizabeth Siantz

  University of Utah

  24 shared

Labs

• Center for Homelessness, Housing and Health Equity ResearchPI

Education

• PhD, Social Work

  New York University

  2011

• MSW, Social Work

  New York University

  2004

• MA, Philosophy

  University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

  1999

• BA, Philosophy

  Swarthmore College

  1997

Awards & honors

• Slavin-Patti Award, 2020
• Editor’s Choice Award for Noteworthy Publication, 2019
• Best Publication, 2nd Place Los Angeles County Department of…
• Sterling K. Franklin Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2011
• New Investigator Award, National Institute of Mental Health,…

Similar researchers at University of Southern California

• Carl A. Castroh-55
• John Blosnichh-50
• John D. Clapph-40