Supportive Housing for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness: How Does It Work?-Lecture Presentation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Amy Cohen, Program Director for SMI Advisor, introduces Dr. Robert Rosenheck, the faculty for the webinar on Supported Housing for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness. Dr. Rosenheck explains the complexity of supported housing and its importance in addressing the housing crisis for homeless individuals, including those with serious mental illness. He emphasizes that housing is a crucial social determinant of mental health and discusses the historical context of housing in relation to mental health services.<br /><br />Dr. Rosenheck explains that supported housing involves more than just providing a house and a caseworker, highlighting the need for income, low rents, rent subsidies, and case management to successfully help individuals with serious mental illness find and maintain stable housing. He discusses the challenges of limited supply and declining support in these areas.<br /><br />Dr. Rosenheck shares findings from studies on supported housing programs, including their impact on housing outcomes, substance abuse, psychiatric symptoms, and costs. He also discusses the importance of employment services in addressing housing needs and the need to provide ongoing assistance to individuals with substance abuse issues.<br /><br />Dr. Rosenheck addresses the debate on whether providing supported housing can improve health outcomes and save lives. He explains that while supported housing can move individuals out of homelessness, there is little evidence of substantial improvement in physical health and mortality. He discusses the need to understand supported housing within the larger system of politics, policy, and case management.<br /><br />Dr. Rosenheck concludes by raising important questions about the value of supported housing, the moral choices involved, and the need to address the broader issue of housing as a right. He also briefly discusses the impact of COVID-19 on supported housing programs and the challenges of using telehealth for case management.<br /><br />Overall, the webinar highlights the importance of supported housing for homeless adults with serious mental illness and the complexities and challenges involved in providing this type of housing.

Keywords

Dr. Amy Cohen

Program Director

SMI Advisor

Dr. Robert Rosenheck

Supported Housing

Homeless Adults

Serious Mental Illness

Housing Crisis

Social Determinant of Mental Health