Multiple program models and approaches to reducing homelessness and increasing access to housing, especially for those with substance abuse and mental health issues, are explored in a training teleconference archived by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health (ADS Center).
The presentation begins with a discussion of the central role of social inclusion, social connectedness and social capital in reducing homelessness led by Livia Davis of the SAMHSA Services in Supportive Housing Technical Assistance Centre. Bonnie Milstein, an attorney who successfully advocated for the inclusion of people with mental disabilities in the drafting and passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), speaks about housing choices and civil rights, including discussion of court rulings regarding violations of the ADA. The third presenter, Michael Kelly, shares his experience moving from homelessness to being a homeowner. He shares insight as an outreach worker and peer support specialist with Housing for New Hope’s Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Program.
To access SAMHSA’s archived “Training Teleconference on Housing, Homelessness, and Social Inclusion: Essential Elements of Healthy Communities,” (February 23, 2011) visitwww.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov.