SAMSHSA Abstract
The purpose of the Enhanced Community Support program is to offer enhanced services to 48 minority African-American and Hispanic individuals per year (240 over five years) diagnosed with either a mental health and/or substance abuse disorder in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and parts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties of New York, who reside in 103 permanent supportive housing (not transitional housing) units. All of the individuals in these apartments have had long histories of homelessness; and without supportive services are at risk of re-experiencing homelessness. The goals of the program are: identify, screen, and assess clients in supportive housing for co-occurring disorders and refer them to the appropriate type and intensity of treatment. Provide comprehensive case management (CCM) to connect individuals with treatment, and needed supportive services to promote and sustain recovery and stability. Identify health issues, promote health literacy and facilitate treatment access for individuals with co-morbid health needs. Enhance treatment services for those with co-occurring disorders, including PTSD. In addition to CCM, the program's evidence¬ based interventions include: Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment, Motivational Interviewing Enhancement Individual Therapy, Seeking Safety Group Therapy, Wellness Self-Management, Health Literacy, a HIV/STD prevention RESPECT intervention, and vocational/employment counseling. The outcomes of the program include: referrals of clients to appropriate levels of care, successful engagement in the program, retention in supportive housing, abstinence or significant reduction of illegal drug and alcohol misuse, improved mental health symptoms, decrease in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, timely access to medical care, adherence to medical treatment and medication management, improved relationships with family members and peers, gainful employment or appropriate entitlements, reduced sexual risk behaviors.