Housing for People with a Mental Illness

Last update: 6 December 2012,
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.

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

Evaluation of the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI): Final Report
By Jasmine Bruce, Shannon McDermott, Ioana Ramia, Jane Bullen and Karen R. Fisher. Report for NSW Health and Housing. Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, September 2012.
SPRC Report 10/12

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

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

Homelessness Among Young People in Australia: Early Intervention and Prevention
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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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, mental health & wellbeing guide | Homeless Link
Homeless Link is a registered U.K. charity.

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

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.

Mental Health and Homelessness: Planning and delivering mental health services for homeless people
Mental Health Network, NHS Confederation.
Briefing April 2012 Issue 235

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.

RJA publications
RJA is a British specialist research and development practice covering all the issues that arise at the interface of mental health and housing services.

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