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Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2011
LGBTQI2-S Youth are overrepresented among youth experiencing homelessness. Once on the street, they are at high risk for abuse, substance use, and mental health issues. To learn more about best practices for minimizing these risks and serving these vulnerable youth, HRC embarked on a Listening Tour of organizations. The findings of this Listening Tour are summarized in this article.
“It hurts to have to move away from where you live because they...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2011
Housing Options Made Easy provides supportive housing to both rural and urban communities in Western New York. Created by a group of consumers, Housing Options Made Easy is one of the largest peer-run agencies in the United States. It is one of the few that offers supportive housing for families. This article profiles the vision, values, and practices of Housing Options Made Easy.
People who are discharged from psychiatric facilities are often u...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2011
There are very high rates of trauma among people experiencing homelessness. Ensuring that agencies provide trauma-informed homeless services is crucial to supporting recovery from trauma and homelessness. SAMHSA’s HRC offers a large number of resources to help agencies become trauma-informed. This article offers eight tips to help move your agency toward being trauma-informed.
This article is adapted from “Shelter from the Storm: Trauma-Informed...
Organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Publication Date: 2011
Every year, an estimated 575,000 to 1.6 million unaccompanied youth between ages 12 to 17 experience homelessness in the United States.4 It is estimated that between 20% and 40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, or two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S).5 Gender and sexual minority youth experience multiple risk factors contributing to homelessness, including family conflict, abuse, mental...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2011
Trauma-informed care is recognized as an important approach to serve trauma survivors who are experiencing homelessness. But what does the research say about the effectiveness of trauma-informed care? This article offers a summary of research findings related to trauma-informed care.
Research shows that people who are homeless have experienced high rates of trauma. Many who enter the homeless services system have experienced violence, loss, and d...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2010
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a debt-free business model enables the Mental Health Association to develop new units of supportive housing. The agency offers a range of housing options to meet the needs of clients. The debt-free model offers stable, sustainable housing and a revenue stream to support supportive services for clients.
Greg Shinn began his career as a psychiatric social worker and community liaison working in New York City homeless shelters. O...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2010
Culturally competent care for youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) and homeless is critical. Yet, in many communities, it is difficult to find. This is the perspective of one provider working with LGBTQI2-S youth who arrive at Chicago’s The Night Ministry. Candace Nordahl helps youth to feel accepted, often for the first time.
As an undergraduate student of social work, Candace Norda...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2010
Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are interventions proven to help improve the lives of people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, or substance use issues. This includes individuals who are experiencing both mental health and substance use issues, known as co-occurring disorders. However, there has been little time for the development of EBPs specifically designed for clients with co-occurring disorders. By using what works in mental health...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2010
The treatment of co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders is a relatively new and increasingly successful strategy for care. However, the substance use and mental health treatment disciplines do not always speak a common language. Establishing a common language between the two fields is an important step toward improving care for people experiencing co-occurring disorders.
The treatment of co-occurring disorders is a relatively new...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2010
Sue Vicory has created a documentary called “Homelessness and the Power of One.” It’s about power of a single individual to improve the life of another. Through community collaborations, the short ten-minute film has evolved into a powerful fundraising tool, an inspirational outreach tool, and a high school community service program.
When her youngest daughter left for college in 2000, Kansas City native Sue Vicory found herself searching for the...
Organization: SAMHSA
Publication Date: 2010
A new report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors reveals that while more chronically homeless individuals are finding permanent housing, family homelessness is on the rise. This article examines these and other findings of the 2009 “Hunger and Homelessness Survey: A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities.” HRC’s Laura Winn shares an overview of the report.
According to a new report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the land...