Dates of operation: January 2015 – December 2017
The HOME team engaged homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals with substance use or co-occurring substance use disorders and mental illness into services and supportive housing. The target population was individuals experiencing chronic homelessness who have long term histories in the emergency shelters in Seattle and King County, and include those who are more likely older adults, veterans, and those disabled by behavioral health disorders.
The purpose and goal of this program were to engage, stably house, and make needed services and treatment available to chronically homeless individuals identified as Long Term Shelter Stayers (LTSS) in Seattle and King County. The program used an integrated and trauma-informed approach to connect veterans and non-veterans to care, increase social inclusion, and reduce health disparities. Individuals benefiting from this project met the definition of chronic homelessness and have substance use or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.
In addition to engaging very high needs consumers into treatment, housing and mainstream benefit programs, other program goals and objectives included:
- Support consumers’ recovery and housing stability throughout grant services
- Assist consumers to successfully connect with ongoing mainstream medical and behavioral health services to promote their long-term health and well-being
- Strengthen the ability of housing and service providers—and systems—to identify, prioritize and successfully assist this population
- Create more capacity in shelter system by providing housing to shelter users that consume the majority of the shelter bed nights.
HOME was funded by a federal grant from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2014 Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals-Services in Supportive Housing for a period of three years beginning October 1, 2014.