Building the Path to Home

Thinking about a plan

Your short-term goals are:

• to engage others in finding a solution
• to share tasks
• if necessary, to find someone who knows the system and can help find appropriate solutions.

There is always a place to start

A person with a dual diagnosis will need someone to get the process started: that's you. You need to talk with the person about what he or she wants. Does the person want to start the process—which could be a long one—of finding a more stable place to live? If the answer is yes, then you can move ahead. If the answer is no, it is still worth taking some time to talk with the person about the problems.

If you can't start the process yourself (maybe you work nights at a shelter, or are a doctor and don't have the flexibility in your workday), ask the person if he or she knows someone else who could get the process started. Often the person will tell you about someone who has helped before. It may have been a case manager, social worker, family member or someone from a drop-in program. Help the person re-establish that connection.

If there's no one that you know of, call the Griffin Community Support Network (GCSN). GCSN staff can connect you with GCSN programs, with an outreach worker or with someone who can help the person start to develop a more stable support network. They will also know which shelters are best equipped to support someone with a dual diagnosis.

Connecting the person with a worker or with a drop-in, a developmental sector day program, a mental health program, or a vocational program should help him or her make gains while waiting for a more comprehensive plan. Again, the GCSN can help make these short-term connections. If you are concerned that the person is at risk, you can find immediate help at the Griffin Centre and other crisis service.

Finding a champion

It often takes a champion to help people with a dual diagnosis find the housing and support they need. The closest thing to a champion in the formal service system is a case manager.

There are a lot of other possible champions (e.g., a physician, family member, housing worker), but we know that accessing services (whether it's mental health supports, housing or a day program) takes a lot of work and requires a lot of information about the person. Not just anybody can get access to that information.

Families say that "it takes a case manager to get a case manager." Be prepared to wait to get a case manager from a mental health agency, developmental services agency or specialized services agency. You'll learn about more direct routes to finding outreach or short-term support in the Planning section.

Next page >>

Back to top