Reaching
Out, Engaging, Serving, and Treating
Chronically Homeless People
We will implement multi-disciplinary
approaches to moving people quickly from shelters and the streets
into permanent housing with on-site or linked services. Linkages
to coordinate with local faith communities to train volunteers
to mentor homeless persons who desire faith-based support in their
recovery plans will be developed. Initiation and relationship-building Street Outreach Teams will focus upon homeless people
living in the open (streets, parks, beaches, and in vehicles),
and foster youth without next-step housing arrangements. The Street
Outreach Teams will have an Outreach Worker who will assist in
access to income subsidies, benefits programs, and entitlements
and a Field Worker who will respond to medication, mental health,
and substance abuse issues.
Street Outreach Teams will be mobile,
going where chronically homeless people are, and have a client-centered
approach. They will operate out of Community Centers, similar
to the Transition Centers, which will provide basic housing assistance.
This will reduce the number of people who remain homeless for
lengthy periods of time. Through cross-training and multi-disciplinary
we will provide coordinated, holistic care to persons with co-occurring
disorders to ensure they do not fall through the cracks of our
traditional service systems.
The Outreach Teams will coordinate
with the Integrated Services Teams as chronically homeless
individuals are placed in permanent supportive housing. The Integrated
Services Teams will ensure that services and treatment are provided
as needed to chronically homeless individuals in permanent supportive
housing. The Integrated Services Teams will provide person centered
case management, relationship building, life skills counseling,
money management, access to benefits and employment, and peer
support. Treatment shall include mental health services, substance
use management counseling based on a harm reduction philosophy,
medication management, and assistance with getting physical health
and primary care needs met. It will also be important to identify
and make available incentives such that long-term homeless individuals
are motivated to move off the streets and share responsibility
for progress towards goals that they set for themselves. |
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