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Participants in the Homeless Outreach Program are those individuals who are homeless or at elevated risk for homelessness. One of the agency’s objectives is to provide services to individuals who would otherwise not have access to mental health care. Many of the participants in the outreach program are facing acute psychiatric disorders and/or substance abuse issues in addition to their homelessness and poverty. Additionally, Positive Impact has recognized that a major barrier to enrolling in mental health care has been a lack of understanding of the nature of mental health care. Consequently, the outreach program constitutes two aspects: 1) access to psychiatric care and linkages to substance abuse facilities and 2) a psycho-educational aspect designed to increase the understanding of mental health services to the homeless or those at risk for homelessness.
Individuals interested in mental health care will participate in a comprehensive intake and mental health assessment designed to identify the mental health issues faced by the client and to assess client eligibility. Following assessment, those individuals appropriate for the level of mental health care available at Positive Impact will be linked with a mental health provider for ongoing therapeutic care. Individuals also may be assessed for their need of assessment by Positive Impact’s staff psychiatrist and linked with the psychiatrist when necessary. Individuals also will be assessed for other care needs, such as treatment education, primary medical care, and other social support services.
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