Building the Path to Home

Introduction

How the content is organized

This guide outlines a path you can follow to help a person find stable housing. Depending on your needs and the needs of the person you are working with, you may choose to start at the beginning of the path or somewhere else along the way.

First Steps

This section explains what we mean by dual diagnosis, provides an overview of the relationship between housing and support, and lists some contacts to get you started.

Included in this section:

• information about dual diagnosis
• information about developmental disability
• information about mental health problems
• an introduction to housing and support issues and how they are inter-related
• an orientation to short-term and long-term planning

Understanding the person

This section helps you start to figure out whether the person you are working with has a dual diagnosis.

Included in this section:

• questions to help you recognize a developmental disability
• questions to help you recognize a mental health problem
• information about substance use problems and their effects on housing

Understanding the situation

This section helps you evaluate whether the person's housing and support system is stable--and if it isn't stable, what needs to be done to improve the person's situation.

Included in this section:

• questions to help you explore the immediate and underlying reasons why may put a person's housing at risk
• questions to help you assess the person's support network

Risks, crises and emergencies

This section helps you evaluate the risks the person faces, including risks to his or her housing situation. It also explores how to deal with urgent and emergency situations.

Included in this section:

• tips for evaluating risk
• how to respond to an urgent situation
• how to respond to an emergency situation
• what to do if the person doesn't want treatment
• what to do if the person doesn't seem to be able to make decisions
• about his or her property or manage person care

Planning

This section takes you through the process of getting an assessment, finding appropriate programs and agencies in the mental health and developmental services sectors, and developing a support plan.

Included in this section:

Where to get

• a developmental disability assessment
• a mental health assessment
• a specialized dual diagnosis assessment
• information about case management
• contact information for case management services in the mental health and developmental sectors

Support services

This section gives you information about the services you will need to access to put the support plan into action.

Included in this section:

Descriptions of and contact information for

• crisis services
• clinical services
• medical services
• basic personal care services

Housing options

This section describes available housing including transitional housing (e.g., shelters), housing in the developmental and mental health sectors, social housing (i.e., rent-geared-to-income housing) and market housing.

Included in this section:

• a discussion of the elements of sustainable housing
• issues to consider when you are looking for housing
• descriptions of transitional housing, long-term housing and residential services
• checklists to help you determine what type of housing is most appropriate

Next page >>