Of more than 580 000 individuals in the US who experience homelessness on a single night, estimates suggest that more than half have a mental illness or substance use disorder and at least 1 in 5 have severe mental illness. 

Limited mental health care for this population forces individuals into emergency departments, where they are frequently boarded or discharged to the street, generating high spending and dismal outcomes. Pandemic-induced closures of social services and psychiatric beds have exacerbated harm. People experiencing homelessness with mental illness face alarming rates of incarceration, discrimination, chronic disease, suicide, and premature death. This is intolerable—and preventable. [JAMA Network]

...provides an urgent opportunity to implement community-based care options, reimagine institutionalization, and finally build a functional continuum of care for those experiencing homelessness and mental illness.

Download PDF of full article here> 

Full article here> 

Attend IOMC's program on Integrating and Building Lives- From Homelessness to Self-Sufficiency on April 20th - 8-10:00 AM CT. More details and to register here> 

###