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Policy and Practice: A Discouraging Disconnect
As soon as I learned the summer edition of Behavioral Health News would address our efforts to meet the needs of vulnerable populations, I experienced a rather sudden and dispiriting thought. In so many ways we have failed to satisfactorily address the needs of our most vulnerable citizens despite...
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Seeking Health Care Services While Undocumented
This article is the fourth in a series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The authors of this column facilitated two focus groups with their peers to inform this writing. The authors are served by Services for...
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WellLife Network – A New Name and Strategy Reflects New Priorities and Directions for Leading Health & Human Services Agency
It’s a time of change, challenge and an opportunity for accomplishment. For individuals and families coping with a wide range of mental health, intellectual disabilities and drug addiction issues, human service agencies continue to seek viable solutions while facing new scrutiny from government...
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Youth in Transition
This article is the third in a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The young authors of this column came together as a focus group of peers to discuss their experiences and collaborate on this...
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Housing for Older Adults with Psychiatric Disabilities: A Continuing Critical Need
For adults with psychiatric disabilities of all ages, stable housing is a critical need—perhaps, in fact, their most critical need. Sadly, appropriate housing is not adequately available at any age. For older adults with long-term psychiatric disabilities, finding decent, affordable, and stable...
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HUD’s Role in Supporting the Goals of Olmstead
In a landmark ruling on June 22, 1999, the United States Supreme Court held in Olmstead v. L.C. that the unjustified segregation of persons with disabilities violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires public entities to administer services, programs, and...
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Innovative Housing Initiatives Support Recovery-Based Care
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identified a safe and stable home environment as one of the key dimensions that support a life of recovery from a mental health or substance use condition.1 That’s why Optum strives to promote healthy living environments as...
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Integrating Vocational Rehabilitation with Housing Support
Entering a residential program for substance use can be very scary, a time filled with questions and learning to navigate the unknown. As service providers, we can make this time a little easier by answering questions, offering assistance, reassuring clients that all of their needs will be met. We...
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Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Health in Housing
The stigmatization of mental illness continues to be the primary and most significant problem facing participants who are in search of affordable housing options. Persons with mental illness have long experienced stigma from society impacting their pursuit of employment opportunities, housing,...
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Safe, Affordable & Supportive Housing: Will it Remain an Elusive Dream?
Residents of the greater New York metropolitan area and others who are familiar with the regional real estate market understand residential property costs have become prohibitively expensive for renters and owners alike in recent years. In March 2014, the Office of the State Comptroller released a...
