Project H.O.M.E.

Risk Factors for Homelessness Among Community Mental Health Patients with Severe Mental Illness

“…In the 1980s, the homeless population, -shifted from a generally homogenous group of elderly, alcoholic males to a heterogeneous mix of individuals and families confronting poverty, substance use, and mental illness‖ (Coughey et al, 1999). Some authors use the words -new‖ and -old‖ homeless to describe these groups (Rossi, 1989).…”

Cross-Site Issues in the Collaborative Program to Prevent Homelessness

“…One program, Project H.O.M.E., serves clients with a mix of primary disorders (Coughey et al, 1999; Table 2). The majority of these clients have a mental disorder, others have substance abuse problems or are dually diagnosed.…”

“…A high proportion of racial and ethnic minorities are served by these programs with African-Americans being the majority in four projects (Sacks et al;Bebout;Coughey et al;Connery and Brekke, 1999), while a fifth project has a fairly even split between African-Americans (38%) and Caucasians (41%, Tsemberis and Asmussen, 1999). Caucasians compose the majority in the remaining three projects with about a fifth being African- Americans (Kirby et al;Clark, Teague and Henry;Conrad et al, 1999).…”

“…Caucasians compose the majority in the remaining three projects with about a fifth being African- Americans (Kirby et al;Clark, Teague and Henry;Conrad et al, 1999). Hispanics are present in six of the projects, although the proportion ranges widely from 1% to 20% (Kirby et al;Sacks et al;Tsemberis and Asmussen;Coughey et al;Connery and Brekke;Conrad et al, 1999). Two projects located in the largest urban areas also serve small proportions of Asians and native Americans (Tsemberis and Asmussen;Conrad et al, 1999).…”

“…The ''dose'' of each critical component varies depending on the configuration of the individual intervention, but some degree of each of these five categories is present in all of the homelessness prevention projects. For example, those interventions focused on housing loss, such as Project H.O.M.E., are linked to treatment rather than being integrated within the treatment system (Coughey et al, 1999). Interventions such as Barbour and Floyd's family support model do not include permanent or transitional housing because the clients are likely to live with family members (Connery and Brekke, 1999).…”