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News Release

HHS AWARDS 14 GRANTS TOTALING $23 MILLION TO PROVIDE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 14 grants totaling $23 million over three years to provide substance abuse and mental health services to homeless individuals.

"These grants will provide hope and assistance to people with severe substance abuse or mental health problems who are at risk for a life of homelessness," Secretary Thompson said. "As a society we will be judged by our ability to help the weakest. We must continue to expand the opportunities for shelter and treatment to those who are in need."

The grants will support treatment programs and other services for people who are homeless, as well as people who are at imminent risk for becoming homeless because they are sharing another person's residence on a temporary basis.

The grant awards will total almost $7.8 million each year for three years, subject to continued availability of funds and progress achieved by the grantees. The average award ranges from $467,000 to $592,000 per year in total costs. HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will administer the grants.

"On any given night, upwards of 600,000 persons are homeless," SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie said. "These funds will help meet needs by promoting entry to housing and helping individuals remain housed, while they are receiving the treatment they need for substance abuse, mental illness or both."

This year's Treatment for the Homeless Projects grantees, and their award amounts are as follows:

• Bonita House, Inc., Oakland, Calif., $591,818 per year for three years, to work with the Corporation for Supportive Housing to provide integrated dual diagnosis services and expertise into a proven supportive housing model.
• New Directions, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., $467,353 per year for three years, to support a collaboration with the Veterans Administration to rehabilitate veterans in Los Angeles County who are homeless and suffering from co-occurring mental illness and chronic substance abuse disorders in order to facilitate their return to families and society.
• University of Colorado Health Science Center, Denver, Colo., $589,803 per year for three years, to support Project Star, which plans to provide day treatment and intensive outpatient treatment for homeless young adults.
• Brandywine Counselling Inc., Wilmington, Del., $493,985 per year for three years, to support Project Renewal, which will provide comprehensive services for homeless substance abusers in Sussex County.
• Agency for Community Treatment Services, Inc., Tampa, Fla., $591,706 per year for three years, to support Keystone Dual Recovery, a program to provide integrated services for homeless adults with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders in a residential treatment program.
• Chicago Health Outreach, Inc., Chicago, Ill., $592,200 per year for three years, to support the Helping Our People Engage Center to serve homeless adults with substance abuse and/or mental health disorders by providing evidence-based treatment and support services in a drop-in setting.
• Heritage Behavioral Health Center, Inc., Decatur, Ill., $483,812 per year for three years, to expand mental health and substance abuse treatment services to chronically homeless persons.
• Boston Medical Corporation, Boston, Mass., $589,304 per year for three years, to support the BMC ACCESS Project that will work with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to create an enhanced safe haven shelter for homeless persons providing mental health, substance abuse and primary care services.
• ServiceNet, Inc., Northampton, Mass., $534,846 per year for three years, to support the Integrated Sheltering and Treatment Program to address the complex needs of homeless adults struggling with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Goodwill Industries of Greater NY and NJ Inc., Astoria, N.Y., $591,745 per year for three years, to support Project Caring Community, a program of care for adult females and their children. This project focuses on homeless women recently released from prison who have substance abuse disorders, mental illness and/or HIV/AIDS.
• CASES, New York, N.Y., $513,757 per year for three years, to support The Nathaniel Project, a two-year alternative-to incarceration program serving homeless, mentally ill offenders. The program places clients in transitional and permanent housing, and provides mental health and substance abuse treatment.
• North Oklahoma County Mental Health Center, Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla., $536,215 per year for three years, to support services to homeless adults with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders.
• Aliviane, Inc., El Paso, Texas, $592,200 per year for three years, to support Las Puertas Abiertas, which will provide integrated administrative functions among community-based organizations and expand and enhance substance abuse treatment and mental health services for homeless adults.
• Prestera Center for Mental Health Services, Huntington, W.Va., $592,195 per year for three years, to support the ERA Project to improve coordination of outreach to the homeless.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: June 12, 2003