Services in Supportive Housing

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2009 Services in Supportive Housing grants. The purpose of this program is to help prevent or reduce chronic homelessness by funding services for individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness in coordination with existing permanent supportive housing programs and resources.Supportive housing provides consumers with long-term, community-based housing options. This housing approach combines housing assistance and intensive individualized support services to people with serious psychiatric conditions and those with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. Research indicates that this combination of long-term housing and wrap-around services leads to improved residential stability and reductions in psychiatric symptoms (Shern, et al., 1994). This program provides individuals and families who experience chronic homelessness the appropriate services and treatment needed to stay housed in a permanent setting.The Services in Supportive Housing Program is one of SAMHSA’s services grant programs. SAMHSA’s services grants are designed to address gaps in substance abuse and mental health services and/or to increase the ability of States, units of local government, American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes and tribal organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations to help specific populations or geographic areas with serious, emerging mental health and substance abuse problems. SAMHSA intends that its services grants result in the delivery of services as soon as possible after award. Service delivery should begin by the 4th month of the project at the latest. Services in Supportive Housing Program grants are authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus area(s) 18 (Mental Health and Mental Disorders) and 26 (Substance Abuse).