Project Grant H79SM088604

HOUSING FIRST: INCREASING ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE FOR UNHOUSED POPULATIONS - LAST YEAR, 7,832 PEOPLE IN CONNECTICUT EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS. FAIRFIELD COUNTY RESIDENTS-THE CATCHMENT AREA FOR THIS PROJECT-REPRESENTED MORE THAN 20% OF THE STATE'S TOTAL HOMELESS POPULATION. THE EFFECT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC REMAINS ACUTE ACROSS THE STATE, WITH A 39% INCREASE IN PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FROM 2021 TO 2022. USING THE EVIDENCE-BASED HOUSING FIRST MODEL, DANBURY HOSPITAL PROPOSES TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT, 'HOUSING FIRST: INCREASING ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE FOR UNHOUSED POPULATIONS,' AIMED AT INCREASING ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE, COORDINATED, CULTURALLY COMPETENT AND EVIDENCE-BASED SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WITH A SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS (SMI), SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED), OR CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS (COD) TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUALS' ABILITY TO QUALIFY FOR AND SUSTAIN SAFE, PERMANENT HOUSING. DANBURY HOSPITAL WILL SERVE AS THE LEAD APPLICANT AND ORIGINATING SITE FOR THE PROJECT. ESTABLISHED IN 1885, DANBURY HOSPITAL IN DANBURY, CT IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT, 456-BED COMMUNITY TEACHING HOSPITAL PROVIDING CARE TO OVER 350,000 RESIDENTS OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT AND NEIGHBORING NEW YORK STATE. DANBURY HOSPITAL IS PART OF NUVANCE HEALTH, A NON-PROFIT HEALTH SYSTEM SERVING MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS WESTERN CONNECTICUT AND NEW YORK'S MID-HUDSON VALLEY THROUGH SEVEN HOSPITALS AND A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MEDICAL PRACTICES, OUTPATIENT CENTERS, AND AFFILIATED HEALTH ENTITIES. THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA TARGETED BY THIS PROPOSAL INCLUDES THE GREATER DANBURY AREA OF CONNECTICUT. LOCATED IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY, DANBURY COVERS 44.3 SQUARE MILES AND IS HOME TO 85,759 RESIDENTS. IT IS THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY IN CONNECTICUT AND THE 10TH MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PREVALENCE OF HOMELESSNESS VARIES BY RACE, WITH MINORITIES (39% OF DANBURY'S POPULATION) DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS (10% OF DANBURY'S POPULATION) EXPERIENCING THE HIGHEST RATES OF SHELTERED HOMELESSNESS. AS A RESULT, THE PRIORITY POPULATION FOR THIS PROJECT WILL BE MINORITY AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. PROJECT SERVICES WILL FOCUS ON HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WITH SMI, SED, AND/OR COD SUCH AS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUD) WHO ARE 18 YEARS AND OVER AND WHO RESIDE IN AND/OR SEEK HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IN THE GREATER DANBURY AREA. ACTIVITIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THIS PROJECT INCLUDE INTEGRATION OF THE HOUSING FIRST MODEL INTO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE PRIORITY POPULATION; INCORPORATION OF SCREENING TOOLS TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD BENEFIT IN PROJECT ENROLLMENT; PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO ENROLL ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS IN HEALTH INSURANCE, MEDICAID, AND OTHER MAINSTREAM BENEFITS; AND ENHANCING ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FORMAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN PROVIDING SERVICES TO MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO WORK TO PROVIDE LINKAGE TO AND SUPPORT ENGAGEMENT WITH RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO AND RETENTION IN SERVICES AND TO CONTINUE TREATMENT GAINS; ASSIST WITH IDENTIFYING SUSTAINABLE PERMANENT HOUSING; AND CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO SERVICES AND HOUSING. PROJECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE RESOLUTION OR SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIAGNOSES; SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY AND SOBRIETY; IMPROVED EMPLOYABILITY; HOUSING STABILITY; AND RESULTING IMPROVEMENTS TO QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PROJECT PARTICIPANTS.