Project helping the homeless overcome mental exclusion (HOME2) - special health resources for texas, INC. (SHR), a federally qualified health center in the heart of east texas, is seeking funding to…

Project helping the homeless overcome mental exclusion (HOME2) - special health resources for texas, INC. (SHR), a federally qualified health center in the heart of east texas, is seeking funding to implement project HOME2, with a population of focus on adults, youth, and families with substance use disorders (SUDS) or CO-occurring mental health conditions and SUDS (CODS) who are experiencing homelessness. The proposed geographic catchment area encompasses the primarily rural and semi-rural health delivery service areas (HSDA) of longview city, gregg county, and tyler city, smith county. The purpose of the project is to support the expansion of local implementation of a community infrastructure that integrates behavioral health treatment, peer support, recovery support services, and linkages to sustainable permanent housing. The implementation of project HOME2 will be a continuation of the existing partnership between community stakeholders with SHR serving as the lead agency for this project providing intensive outpatient treatment, coordination of care, psychiatric services, mental health services, CO-occurring disorders treatment, and linkage to insurance and other benefit programs; community healthcore, the local mental health and intellectual disability governing authority for the target area, providing CO-occurring disorder treatment services; and hiway 80 rescue mission, a housing support agency providing emergency shelter, housing assistance, disability and insurance benefits, employment training and assistance, financial management, and transportation. Project HOME2 will focus on 1) behavioral health outreach, treatment, and recovery-oriented services; 2) coordination of housing and services to support the implementation and/or enhance the long-term sustainability of integrated community systems that provide permanent housing and supportive services; and 3) efforts to engage and connect individuals with SUD/COD, who are experiencing homelessness to resources for health insurance, medicaid, and mainstream benefits programs. The proposed unduplicated numbers to be served are 50 individuals per year, for a total of 250. The main goals of the project are to strengthen the partnership's capacity and infrastructure to ensure effective planning and service delivery to the target population; to increase access to, or placement in, sustainable permanent housing, treatment and recovery support services, and medicaid and other benefit programs; and to evaluate and measure project accountability and impact. The expected outcomes include a decrease in recent use of alcohol and other drugs among clients, enhance physical and mental health, increased self-sufficiency and social connectedness improved overall quality of, and satisfaction with, life among participants, and increased access to supportive and permanent housing among participants.