It is estimated that over 25% of homeless people live with a severe and untreated mental illness and/or chemical dependency that has caused or contributed to their becoming or remaining homeless. The majority of DESC’s clients are mentally ill, and at least 40% have addictive illnesses — and for many, these conditions are intertwined.
 
DESC provides state-licensed mental health and chemical dependency treatment services to address the needs of this group. We provide a continuum of care that includes street outreach and engagement, case management, and short- and long-term care. DESC's clinical services are delivered through the following four components:

HOST (Homeless Outreach Stabilization and Transition)

HOST case managers conduct outreach and provide intensive case management on the streets, in shelters, hospitals, jails, libraries and other facilities, seeking out people who are mentally ill and homeless. HOST outreach staff develop trusting relationships with people and encourage them to begin seeking assistance. DESC's drop-in center allows people to proceed at their own pace and become familiar with the environment. When they are ready, case managers will help identify their underlying issues and service needs, facilitate access to these services (whether at DESC or with other service providers), help achieve clinical and social stabilization, secure housing, and transition into long-term case management.

SAGE (Support, Advocacy, Growth and Employment)

SAGE is the ongoing comprehensive case management component of DESC's mental health program. SAGE case managers work with clients to help them obtain and maintain housing, improve clinical and social stability, and enrich and enhance their level of independence and self-sufficiency. This program has grown rapidly, with over 600 clients currently enrolled. Click here to learn about the services provided and eligibility, and how to enroll.

Chemical Dependency Treatment

Chemical dependency clients usually have a sustained and/or complicated substance abuse history, while many also suffer from a co-occurring mental disorder.  The ability to provide highly integrated services to people with concurrent mental health and chemical dependency concerns is rare among homeless service providers.  Yet, the breadth of the organization allows counselors to work in coordination with mental health case managers, in the emergency shelter and in supportive housing projects so that services meet clients at their current level and offer support for change. DESC is a Title XIX and King County Drug Court provider.

Crisis Respite Program

The Crisis Respite Program (CRP), provides shelter and case management for severely mentally ill homeless adults. Working in partnership with Harborview Medical Center and King County Mental Health Court, the CRP is a vital buffer between psychiatric emergency care and life back on the streets. It provides severely mentally ill homeless adults, still emerging from a recent crisis or jail, with a chance to stabilize in safe, secure and supportive surroundings and connect with services and housing. Without this program,  individuals would be left with little choice but to return to the streets, increasing their chances of  repeatedly cycling through costly public services such as emergency rooms, jails and courts, and remaining homeless. In addition to these programs, DESC operates a thrift store to provide vocational opportunities for clients, and is in the process of developing a more comprehensive vocational program.

PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment)

DESC is honored to be one of the few agencies in Washington to deliver a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT).  PACT is a nationally recognized practice that works with people with serious and persistent mental illness, assisting them in their journey towards recovery.  The PACT model is distinguished by its intensive outreach and team-oriented, trans-disciplinary approach.