Effective program linkages - an examination of current knowledge with a particular emphasis on people with mental illness
Summary
With appropriate housing and support people with significant psychiatric disabilities can maintain stable housing. Critical success factors include: provision of housing that is suitable for the management of their disabilities or manifestations arising from their mental illness; support, medication and/or treatment provided by trusted people; and a clear identification of issues that may place their housing at risk.
Project Number: 50018
Research Theme: Care and Support Services
Project Leader: Reynolds, Astrid
Funding Year: 2000
Research Centre: Swinburne-Monash
Research & Policy Bulletin
Issue 007: Improving housing and support service co-ordination for people living with mental illness
For people living with mental illness, having stable accommodation and being able to sustain their tenancies (including through episodes of acute illness) is a major challenge. Some of these people have considerable difficulty accessing or maintaining stable housing without effective coordination between housing and other support services; for others the ability to live independently depends on being able to get affordable, secure and appropriate housing.
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62 KB PDF Document
Research & Policy Bulletin
Issue 016: Stable housing for people living with a mental illness
This bulletin reports on an AHURI study which examined the links between stable housing and support for people living with a mental illness - from the perspective of those living with the illness. This unique perspective complements the work of earlier AHURI studies on housing and support services for this group of people.
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62 KB PDF Document
Description
The importance of effective linkages between housing assistance and other forms of assistance and support has been recognised as central for achieving positive outcomes for particular groups. This project is about advancing the understanding of different ways in which effective program linkages with housing can be developed, using people with mental illness as a case study group. While the importance of better co-ordinated approaches are recognised, numerous reports and policy documents attest to the fact that progress in successful implementation may still be limited and difficult with considerable consequences for vulnerable individuals. Importantly it is significant that a good proportion of Australian and overseas reports and studies, discussing linkages in relation to mental illness rarely mention housing, hence the importance of identifying and learning from those that do.
The primary aim of this project was to advance the understanding of different ways in which effective program linkages with housing can be developed, using people with mental illness as a case study group. The choice of one specific group was deliberate. Attempting to understand linkages for the full range of housing needs groups would have been too methodologically difficult and would not have adequately comprehended the range of linkages and problems that pertain to each specific group. The outcomes of the study are: an overview of what the international and Australian literature identified as possible models/approaches to linking housing assistance with other programs and what is known about their effectiveness. a brief review of Australian literature on the program linkage issues for people with mental illness, particularly as it relates to linkages with housing assistance. an outline of existing approaches in Victoria for people with mental illness which link housing assistance with other needed support and assistance and broad assessment of their effectiveness in improving the well being of people with mental illness. a general framework developed by drawing on all of the above information sources which outlines the possible range of approaches to program linkages that are potentially relevant to achieving improved outcomes for people requiring housing assistance.
More Information
Research and Policy Bulletin: Issue 007: Improving housing and support service co-ordination for people living with mental illness
62 KB PDF Document
Research and Policy Bulletin: Issue 016: Stable housing for people living with a mental illness
62 KB PDF Document
Final Report: No. 008: Effective programme linkages: an examination of current knowledge with a particular emphasis on people with mental illness
255 KB PDF Document
Positioning Paper: No. 010: Effective programme linkages: an examination of current knowledge with a particular emphasis on people with mental illness
330 KB PDF Document
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