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Addressing the Intersection between Severe Mental Illness and Homelessness
Services for the UnderServed (S:US) is one the largest community-based health and human services organizations in New York State that works intentionally daily to right societal imbalances by providing comprehensive and culturally responsive services. We provide services to people living with...
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WellLife Network’s Mental Health Residential Services: Creating Exceptional Living Experiences for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
In today's world, individuals experiencing severe mental illness (SMI) face numerous challenges. Safe and nurturing residential services are crucial components for successful well-being, along with essential support structures necessary for recovery. WellLife Network's highly acclaimed housing...
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Consumer Perspectives: Housing is Essential for Recovery
This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The authors are served by Services for the UnderServed (S:US), a New York City-based nonprofit that is committed to giving every New...
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Why Healthcare Systems Should Address Housing Insecurity
She had seen it in the movies a long time ago. She was sure it wouldn’t work, but at this point, she didn’t have much else to hang her hopes on. She was tired, cold, and hungry. She looked down. They weren’t ruby red and they certainly couldn’t pass as elegant heels, but despite all of...
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Stable Housing: A Determinant of Our Behavioral Health
This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The author is served by Services for the UnderServed (S:US), a New York City-based nonprofit that is committed to giving every New...
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Investing in Whole Person Care in Supported Housing: Improving Health, Enhancing Recovery
At ICL, we offer a range of housing opportunities for people with serious mental illness – people who have been homeless, living in a shelter or on the streets, with long histories of mental health and substance use issues; some with HIV/AIDS; many from prison, state hospitals and adult homes....
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Permanent Supportive Housing: A Foundation for Wellness and Recovery from Chronic Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions
Three years ago, Jeannette Lewis and her 16-year-old son spent Christmas in a homeless shelter in the Bronx. With a history of chronic substance use and a disability due to a traumatic brain injury, Ms. Lewis struggled to maintain stable housing and care for her family. Her two older sons no longer...
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Working with High Risk, High Need, High Utilizers in a Mixed Use Setting: One Agency’s Experience
In a post DSRIP era, where sources of value based funding are scarce and community based organizations are still struggling to find a foot in the door partnering with the managed care industry and hospital settings, I thought it would be worth highlighting a few successful initiatives Concern for...
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Using the Fair Housing Act to Obtain Housing for People with Disabilities
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed into law amendments to the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) that extended the provisions of that law to persons with disabilities. The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of disability. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the...
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Deinstitutionalization Did Not Cause Homelessness: Loss of Low-income Housing and Disability Benefits Did
I recently read yet another article that blames homelessness on deinstitutionalization. Yes, a disproportionate number of homeless people have long-term mental disorders, and yes some—perhaps a third—of these people would have been in state hospitals 65 or 70 years ago when that was pretty much...
