Integrating Permanent Supportive Housing and Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment for Individuals Who Are Homeless

Area of Science:

• Social Science
• Public Health
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Chronic homelessness is a complex issue often linked to co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
• Existing interventions often address housing, addiction, or mental health in isolation, limiting comprehensive care.
• Systematic integration of services is crucial for housing stability and community reintegration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of integrating permanent supportive housing with the Maintaining Independence and Sobriety Through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking (MISSION) program.
• To evaluate the impact of this integrated approach on housing stability and mental health among individuals with co-occurring disorders experiencing chronic homelessness.

Main Methods:

• A single-group, open pilot study involving 107 participants with co-occurring disorders and chronic homelessness.
• Participants received permanent supportive housing and one year of MISSION services.
• Data collected via baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up assessments.

Main Results:

• High housing placement rate (95.3%) with 80% retention at 12 months.
• Significant improvements in mental health symptoms from baseline to program completion.
• No significant changes in rehospitalization, service utilization, or substance use were observed.

Conclusions:

• Integrating co-occurring disorder interventions like MISSION with permanent supportive housing is feasible.
• The integrated model shows promise for improving housing stability and mental health outcomes in this population.
• Findings support the effectiveness of MISSION, even without permanent supportive housing, suggesting its value in homeless service provision.