Better Pathways to Housing for people with enduring mental illness

摘要

The Better Pathways To Housing Project tenet is that appropriate and stable housing is one of the prerequisites in helping individuals with enduring mental health problems achieve and sustain their recovery. This multi-agency partnership between Mental Health Services, Community Managed Organisations and multiple Government Organisations has established outstanding outcomes in the four key areas through a mapping and action methodology. 1- Rough Sleeping The initiation of street counts of people who are rough sleeping has enabled an improved understanding of the rough sleeping population and this has led to the development of a multi-agency outreach program. 2- Boarding Houses A mapping process has established that this area in NSW has over 6000 residents living in Boarding Houses. This has led to a multi- agency model of wrap around support for the most vulnerable residents. 3- Mental Health Supported Housing New high support models have been developed as an alternative to hospital admission including an innovative 10 bed step up step down model with 24 hours 7 day a week support by Mental Healthl Services and a Community Managed Organisation. 4- Public/ Social Housing The action stage has included the appointment of a Mental Health clinician working across Public Housing and Mental Health Services and the development of pathways from supported housing to Public Housing. The fact that 25% of the people discharged from mental health inpatient units go to unstable housing (Sydney Local Health District studies 2014 – 2016) is an example of the mapping process and demonstrates the need for better pathways to housing for people with enduring mental illness. This project will demonstrate that through a multiple agency approach with a clear vision that better pathways to housing for this vulnerable population can be achieved.