
In a recent report from Australia, researchers studied the assistance that is offered to people who are homeless and living with a mental illness. The report recommends changes to make the assistance more effective.
The researchers located five treatment approaches along a continuum, with exclusion at one end and being well supported at the other. The report pays particular attention to the crisis response, which is in the middle.
The crisis response consists of emergency shelter and mental health care in hospital. The researchers compare the crisis response with being well supported and identify elements that are absent in the crisis response. They argue that the crisis response has a limited chance of success and call for changes that will provide better supports for people with mental illness.
Social housing is one of the recommendations, because it offers stability and modest rent charges. For more from this study, see GOVERNMENT|NEWS: ‘Meds And Beds’ Approach To Housing Fails Most Vulnerable