Homelessness

As many as 700,000 Americans are homeless on any given night. An estimated 20 to 25 percent of these people have a serious mental illness, and one-half of this subgroup also have an alcohol and/or drug problem. Minorities, especially African Americans, are over-represented among homeless persons with mental illness.

The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) supports programs to assist people with mental illnesses who are homeless in obtaining treatment and other services such as primary health care, substance abuse treatment, legal assistance, entitlements, and other supports, while making the transition from homelessness. CMHS develops models for programs to deliver mental health services to people who are homeless with severe mental illnesses and provides funding to States to deliver support services.

Ending Chronic Homelessness: Strategies for Action -- This document is a report from the March 2003 work group of the Secretary of Health and Human Services on ending chronic homelessness. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) -- Created under the McKinney Act, The PATH Program, is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories to support service delivery to individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness -- Develops papers, workshops, and training programs on service delivery to homeless persons with serious mental illnesses. Maintains a database of over 4,000 articles.