Resources: Housing and Homelessness

Provides training and technical assistance to jurisdictions to develop, implement, and expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support individuals impacted by the use and misuse of opioids, stimulants, and other substances. Promotes access to treatment and recovery services in the criminal justice system, data collection and sharing, leveraging resources and funding, and efforts to prevent substance misuse.

Offers technical assistance to state and local agencies and organizations to strengthen justice systems, reduce recidivism, and improve policy and practice to increase equity and access to services for behavioral health, housing, education/employment, victim support, and more.

Shares strategies, considerations, and information for behavioral health and other healthcare practitioners working to expand access to mental health and/or substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for people experiencing homelessness. Highlights 4 case studies of organizations working to address mental health and SUD among populations experiencing homelessness, including a rural specific example located in Colorado.

Offers an opportunity for first responder organizations operating deflection initiatives for people with substance use disorders (SUDs) to apply to become a mentor site to provide peer-to-peer mentoring to other first responder organizations interested in establishing or enhancing a deflection program. Promotes deflection as an innovative model to support individuals in the community with opioid, stimulant, and other SUDs, mental health and/or co-occurring disorders while avoiding involvement with the justice system.

Provides technical assistance to help establish and expand recovery housing services and evidence-based treatment and prevention programs in over 100 counties highly impacted by substance use disorder (SUD) in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.

Offers training and resources to OVC Human Trafficking grantees on trauma-informed, survivor-centered housing practices for survivors of human trafficking. Aims to build the capacity, skills, and knowledge base of providers on accessing emergency, transitional, or long-term housing options for survivors of human trafficking.

Helps veterans achieve success and avoid homelessness following release from incarceration in state or federal prison. Provides outreach and assessment services; referral services to connect veterans to clinical, mental health, and social services, such as job assistance; and short-term case management support.

Serves as an information clearinghouse on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, services, resources, tools, and training to support housing and economic development in rural and underserved areas, including tribal populations and veterans. Offers individual technical assistance and peer learning opportunities. Includes detailed case studies of successful programs and information on rural programs HUD previously funded.

Interview with Callan Howton, Director of the National Peer-Run Training and Technical Assistance Center for Addiction Recovery Peer Support. Highlights how this model of providing recovery housing can be used to advance recovery communities and help individuals maintain recovery from substance use during periods of change and disruption.

Offers a variety of resources and information to jurisdictions seeking to reduce criminal justice involvement and improve outcomes for individuals with mental health and/or co-occurring substance use disorders. Supports the implementation of best practices, policies, and strategies at every point in the criminal justice system, from pre-arrest through reentry. Provides targeted resources to BJA's Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health program grantees and supports other communities in their efforts to enhance crisis responses, connect individuals to treatment and services, and improve public safety.

Offers information on the principles of the assertive community treatment (ACT) model, which provides time-unlimited, community-based services for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) who experience or are at risk for concurrent substance use, frequent hospitalization, homelessness, involvement with the criminal legal system, and psychiatric crises. Discusses current issues and challenges as well as strategies for successfully implementing ACT in communities. Describes examples of ACT implementation for specific underserved populations, including individuals with criminal justice involvement, people in rural areas, youth, older adults, and immigrants.

Provides a directory of national, state, and local programs and services to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration for military service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers. Helps connect individuals to a range of services and resources, including substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support.

Provides guidance to policymakers, communities, and key stakeholders to develop and implement system- and practice-level changes to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Presents results from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative's HEALing Communities Study. Outlines priority populations and 19 evidence-based interventions to prevent and reduce opioid related overdose deaths. Offers resources on various topics related opioid overdose and highlights model programs, including those serving rural areas.

Offers a range of essential behavioral health and housing services and supports through approximately 450 local PATH provider organizations working to reduce or eliminate homelessness for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or co-occurring substance use disorders (COD) who are currently experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. Focuses on providing services that are not well supported by mainstream mental health programs and aims to serve areas with the greatest need, including underserved populations and communities.

Provides a clearinghouse of information, best practices, tools, events, and research to support comprehensive approaches to prevention, treatment, recovery, and policy to address substance use disorder (SUD) in rural communities nationwide.

Shares national guidelines for behavioral health crisis care best practice toolkit from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and a 2020 technical assistance paper series focused on crisis services. Offers information to support mental health authorities, agency administrators, service providers, and other state and local leaders in the design, development, implementation, and quality improvement of behavioral health crisis systems. Details components of crisis services and best practices, along with tools for implementing and evaluating care that aligns with national guidelines. Addresses key issues related to crisis services, including homelessness, technology advances, substance use, legal issues, financing crisis care, diverse populations, children and adolescents, rural and frontier areas, and the role of law enforcement.

Offers a collection of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) programs and resources designed to prevent and end homelessness among men, women, youth, and families with mental illness or substance use disorder (SUD). Includes grant programs, services, and related resources on behavioral health treatment, employment assistance, housing/shelter programs, case management, trauma, as well as links to help individuals find immediate help and treatment.

Provides training and technical assistance to help states and communities establish local programs to support Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI) outreach, access, and recovery efforts, also known as SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model implementation. Seeks to increase access to SSI/SSDI benefits for eligible children and adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder. Offers resources and training to enhance the ability of case managers to provide comprehensive SSI/SSDI application assistance to help individuals obtain their SSI/SSDI benefits, which can serve as an important resource to sustain individuals in treatment and recovery and secure permanent housing.

Seeks to identify justice-involved veterans and contact them through outreach in order to facilitate access to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services through Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) specialists at the earliest possible point. Builds and maintains partnerships between the VA and key elements of the criminal justice system, with the goal of preventing homelessness among veterans upon release from incarceration.