Research

D.C. Integrated Services Project

In the D.C. Integrated Services Project (ISP; 2002-2006) funded by SAMHSA, Community Connections drew on its previous research and evaluation studies to implement a coordinated set of services for individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders who are living in time-limited housing in the District of Columbia. In most areas and in D.C., services for homeless individuals are arrayed along a continuum from emergency and brief shelters to medium-term transitional housing. In recent years, local resources have shifted to support for transitional residences as an often necessary step toward housing stability. However, the final step on this continuum--from time-limited to stable, permanent housing--is often extremely difficult, especially for people with mental and/or substance use disorders. The goal of the D.C. Integrated Services Project was straightforward: to deliver, for as long as necessary, an effective and integrated package of services to individuals in transitional programs so that they may find and keep permanent housing arrangements.

The Integrated Services Project enabled us, for the first time, to offer a full complement of services to homeless consumers, tailoring the service choices to fit individualized recovery plans. Rather than focusing on a single service or a limited combination as the center of this program, we applied the knowledge developed from our previous projects in providing consumers choices that are responsive to their needs and priorities.

The ISP offered specific services we and others have found to be effective in working with the target population.

• Access to housing continuum administered by CC.
• Integrated substance abuse and mental health ("co-occurring disorders") services.
• Supported employment services.
• Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model (TREM) groups.
• Daily living skill and symptom management services.
• Medication support.
• Linkage to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and to detoxification services.
• Linkage to primary health care.
• On-site laboratory work.
• Entitlement and benefit programs.
• Individualized supportive counseling.

Outcomes in the following domains were tracked as part of this program evaluation:

• Housing
• Mental Health Symptoms
• Substance Use
• Employment
• Physical Health Status
• Risky Behavior
• Recovery Skills