Housing for People with a Mental Illness

Last update: 27 May 2011,
by Maureen Bell

I've included material on housing options for the mentally ill, as well as material on homelessness. Lists of books and journal articles can be found on my bibliographies and reading lists page under housing, and homelessness

Links are divided into Australian and overseas lists.

Australian Links

All in the Mind - 29 August 2009 - Minds on the Margins
Transcript and audio from All in the Mind, a series on ABC Radio National. This programme looks at sleeping on the streets or life behind bars.

AHURI - Effective program linkages - an examination of current knowledge with a particular emphasis on people with mental illness
Reports and policy papers from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

Beyond the Revolving Door: A Model for Improving Support and Accommodation for Young People with Mental Health Issues
Youth Affairs Council of South Australia, 2001.

Disability, Homelessness and Social Relationships Among People Living with Psychosis in Australia
Low Prevalence Disorder Component of the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing Bulletin 5. By Carol Harvey, Helen Evert, Helen Herrman, Tony Pinzone, and Oye Gureje on behalf of the LPD study group. National Mental Health Strategy, October 2002.

Evaluation of the whole of mental health, Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI): Evaluation Plan
By Shannon McDermott, Jasmine Bruce, Karen R. Fisher and Kristy Muir. Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, August 2009
SPRC Report 17/09

Evaluation of the Mental Health Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI). Second Report
By Shannon McDermott, Jasmine Bruce, Ioana Oprea, Karen R. Fisher and Kristy Muir. Report for NSW Health and Housing. Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, March 2011.
SPRC Report 5/11

Finding a Home, Keeping a Home
Finding a Home - Keeping a Home: Supporting the Journey Towards a Secure Base. A Report on Supported Accommodation and Alternatives to Hospital Admission. Prepared by the Accommodation Reference Group for the Metropolitan Mental Health Service, January 2001. Office of Mental Health in Western Australia.

Framework for Housing and Accommodation Support for People with Mental Health Problems and Disorders
New South Wales Health Department, November 2002.

High Support Accommodation for People with Psychiatric Disabilities
Project manager and principal author, Adele Freeman. A survey of high support, very high support and residential rehabilitation services in NSW and assessment of the needs and satisfaction of consumers residing there. Aftercare, Sydney, 2003.

Home Truths: Mental Health, Housing and Homelessness in Australia
Mental Health Council of Australia, March 2009.

Homelessness Among Young People in Australia
Homelessness Among Young People in Australia: Early Intervention and Prevention: A Report to the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme, by Phil Crane, Jillian Brannock, Linda Ray, Jenny Campbell, Georgia Smeal and Bill Atweh with the special assistance of Megan Williams and Shane Warren, Nikki McLarty, Cherie Sloan, Mark Hoyle, Jenny Clough and Samorn Sanixay. Hobart: National Clearinghouse for Youth Studies, 1996.

Homelessness and Mental Illness: Mapping the Way Home.
Homelessness and Accommodation Models for People Living with Mental Health Problems. By Susan Parker, Lucy Limbers and Emma McKeon on behalf of the Mental Health Coordinating Council, April 2002. The Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) is the peak body for non-government organisations working for mental health throughout New South Wales. MHCC's membership includes NGOs, both specialist and mainstream, and other bodies interested in mental health.

Homelessness and Mental Health Linkages: Review of National and International Literature
Prepared by St. Vincent’s Mental Health Service (Melbourne) and Craze Lateral Solutions Bungendore NSW, for the Australian Department of health and Ageing, May 2005.

Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI). Reports
These reports were commissioned by the NSW Department of Housing and NSW Health from the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), as part of the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI).

Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative. Report I: Summary
By Alan Morris, Kristy Muir, Ann Dadich, David Abelló and Michael Bleasdale. Summary Report I, report prepared for the NSW Department of Health, August 2005. Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), June 2006.
Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative: Evaluation. Report II
By Kristy Muir, Ann Dadich, David Abelló, Michael Bleasdale, Alan Morris and Karen Fisher. Report prepared for the NSW Department of Health, December 2005. Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), June 2006.
Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative: Evaluation. Report III
By Kristy Muir, Ann Dadich, David Abello, Michael Bleasdale and Karen Fisher. Report prepared for the NSW Department of Health, June 2006. Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), January, 2007.
Housing and Accomodation Support Initiative (HASI) Evaluation Final Report
Alternative title: Stage 1 Evaluation Report Housing and Accomodation Support Initiative (HASI).
By Kristy Muir, Karen Fisher, Ann Dadich, David Abelló and Michael Bleasdale. Report prepared for the NSW Department of Housing and NSW Health, July 2007.

Housing and associated support for people with mental illness or psychiatric disability
By Robyn Edwards, Karen R. Fisher, Kathy Tannous and Sally Robinson. University of New South Wales Social Policy Research Centre, May 2009. SPRC Report 04/09

Housing for people with a psychiatric disability; community empowerment, partnerships and politics
By Samantha Jane Battams. Submitted in fulfilment of requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Department of Public Health, Flinders University of South Australi, 2008.

Housing Needs of People Affected by Mental Health Problems - Perth
Final Report. Prepared by Christina Kadmos and Paul Prendergast. Shelter WA, 2001. Other Shelter WA publications are listed here.

Joint Guarantee of Service for People with Mental Health Problems and Disorders Living in Aboriginal, Community and Public Housing
New South Wales Department of Health, 2003.

Memorandum of Understanding...
Memorandum of Understanding Between the Minister for Housing (on behalf of Housing SA and the Office for Community Housing), and the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse (on behalf of the South Australian Mental Health Services), for the coordinated delivery of mental health, support and housing services to enhance the wellbeing and improve housing outcomes for people with a mental illness. January 2007.

South Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Supported Accommodation, 2003
Eighteenth Report of the Social Development Committee. Tabled Third Session Fiftieth Parliament, November 2003.

Supported Accomodation Framework A Proposal
Strategic Planning Branch, Office of Mental Health (W.A.), September 2003.

Understanding Iterative Homelessness: The Case of People with Mental Disorders
By Catherine Robinson, for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, UNSW-UWS Research Centre, July 2003.

Victoria's Mental Health Service. Resources for Case Managers. Meeting Consumer Needs for Housing and Accommodation, A Guide for Case Managers (July 1996)
A publication produced by the Mental Health Branch of the Department of Human Services in Victoria.

Overseas Links

At Home - A study of mental health issues arising in social housing
National Institute for Mental Health in England, 2006. This study sought to explore what housing staff themselves thought actually works, or what would work, to improve communication and co-working between agencies, in order to help maintain vulnerable individuals in ordinary, mainstream or "general needs" housing.

Blueprint for Change: Ending Chronic Homelessness for People with Serious Mental Illness and/or Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders
Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003. DHHS Pub. No. SMA-04-3870

Double Exposure: Addressing the Needs of Homeless Women with Mental Illness
By Claire Croft-White and Georgie Parry-Crooke. Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, December 1996.

The Health of Single Homeless People
By Wendy Bines. Centre for Housing Policy, University of York, 1994. Discussion Paper 9.

Home from Home: A Guide to Good Practice in the Provision of Housing and Support for People with Mental Health Problems
By Lesley Warner,Shaun Bennett, Richard Ford, and Kelly Thompson. Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, December 1997.

Homelessness
Resources from the National Mental Health Association in the United States.

Homelessness guidance and good practice
From the Communities and Local Government site in the U.K. This section of their site provides guidance and good practice on a wide range of topics including reducing bed and breakfast use, shared outcomes in homelessness, health information sheets and guidance for housing authorities reporting against best value performance indicators.

Homelessness Resource Center
A resource from SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in the united States.

Homelessness strategies: a good practice handbook
This handbook was commissioned by DTLR from Research and Information Services and produced by Geoffrey Randall and Susan Brown. It is available from the Communities and Local Government site in the U.K

Housing for California's Mental Health Clients: Bridging the Gap
California Mental Health Planning Council, April 2003.

Housing for Londoners with Mental Health Needs:A review of recent developments
By Kathleen Boyle and Chris Jenkins. London, King's Fund, March 2003.

A Housing Toolkit
A Housing Toolkit: Information to help the public mental health community meet the housing needs of people with mental illnesses. This document was developed by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) as part of the Targeted Technical Assistance project of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and the Division of State and Community Systems Development (Mental Health Block Grant) of the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Housing Vulnerable Single Homeless People
Research Report, by Nicholas Pleace. Centre for Housing Policy, University of York, September 1995.

How can health care systems effectively deal with the major health care needs of homeless people?
Health Evidence Network (HEN), January 2005. HEN, initiated and coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, is an information service for public health and health care decision-makers in the WHO European Region.

In from the Cold - Safe Havens for Homeless People
This Tool Kit is based on information gathered at a meeting, "Developing and Operating Safe Haven Programs", held in Washington D.C. in April 1997. The meeting was sponsored by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs, Office of Community Planning and Development within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Is housing improvement a potential health improvement strategy?
Health Evidence Network (HEN), February 2005. HEN, initiated and coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, is an information service for public health and health care decision-makers in the WHO European Region.

Making the Link Between Mental Health and Youth Homelessness: A pan-London study
This research project was funded by The Bridge House Trust and was led by The Mental Health Foundation in partnership with Centrepoint. The Report was written by Christina Vasiliou with editorial support from research team members and the Steering Group. London, mental Health Foundation, July 2006.

Meeting the psychological and emotional needs of homeless people
Non-statutory guidance on dealing with complex psychological and emotional needs from the National Mental Health Development Unit and the Department for Communities and Local Government. London, Communities and Local Government, May 2010.

The Mental Health Needs of Homeless Young People. Bright Futures: Working with Vulnerable Young People
A report commissioned by The Mental Health Foundation and written by Jo Stephens. Barnardos, August 2002.

National Social Inclusion Programme :: Work Areas :: Housing
The National Social Inclusion Programme (NSIP), in the U.K., has brought together the work of government departments and other organisations in a concerted effort to challenge attitudes, to enable people to fulfil their aspirations and to significantly improve opportunities and outcomes for people with mental health problems.

Supporting People guide to accommodation and support options for people with mental health problems
From the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the U.K., March 2005.

Transforming Housing for People with Psychiatric Disabilities Report
Prepared by Michael Allen at the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Publication. No. 4173. Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2006.

Work as a Priority: A Resource for Employing People who have a Serious Mental Illness and who are Homeless
Shaheen, G., Williams, F., and Dennis D., eds. Work as a Priority: A Resource for Employing People who Have a Serious Mental Illness and who are Homeless. DHHS Pub. No. SMA 03-3834. Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003