Service Engagement Among People Experiencing Homelessness and Mental Disorders: A Call for Person-centred Innovations

In recent years, there has been increased support for the use of coercive policies to address the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness among people with mental disorders in North America. Although these policy approaches respond to a critical issue, rising rates of unsheltered homelessness, low service engagement and concerns about disruptive behaviors in public settings, they are unlikely on their own to be successful. To avoid coercive practices, there is an urgent need to consider alternative, person-centred approaches to promote service engagement among people experiencing homelessness and mental disorders, with input from those with lived experience and frontline homeless service providers. Three person-centred approaches are proposed for consideration: (1) cross-sectoral service delivery models, (2) peer-led services, and (3) financial incentives. These approaches merit further study to support voluntary treatment engagement and exits from homelessness among people with mental and substance use disorders and safeguard the human rights of this population.