Housing and Support Program (HASP): Final Evaluation Report

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Section 1 Introduction
1.1 The Housing and Support Program (HASP)
The Housing and Support Program (HASP) is an initiative under the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG)
National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006–2011. HASP is a cross-departmental initiative involving Queensland
Health and the Department of Communities which includes both Housing and Homelessness Services and
Disability and Community Care Services (see Fig. 1.1).
Fig. 1.1 HASP Service Provision Framework
Housing and
Homelessness Services
(HHS)
Housing Services
Stable accommodation
The Queensland Government Department of
Communities is responsible for a wide range of human
services that support people with a disability. The
services provided include disability and community
care services, housing and homelessness services,
translating and interpreting services, sport and
recreation services, and community and individual
support services. The overall aim of providing
a number of services through one department is to
enable easier access to government services and
information. Two key services within the Department
of Communities are involved in supporting HASP clients.
These are briefl y described below.
i) Department of Communities —
Housing and Homelessness Services (HHS)
The services provided through the former Queensland
Department of Housing are now provided under the
Department of Communities through the division of
Housing and Homelessness Services. Housing and
Homelessness Services provides accommodation
for those clients accepted into HASP. Clients referred
to HASP must be eligible for social housing. HASP
clients comprise an Interagency Priority Group,
meaning they are the subject of inter-departmental
or inter-governmental agreements, or are designated
by the Queensland Government for priority housing
assistance.
Final Evaluation Report
HASP Clients
Queensland
Health
(QH)
Mental Health
Services
Clinical Support
Disability and Community
Care Services
(DCCS)
Program funding and
support services
Non-clinical support
Like other Queensland Government-funded housing
and support programs, capital funding for social
housing under HASP enabled HASP clients to be
designated for priority housing assistance. Once
allocated to Government or community-managed
long-term social housing, HASP clients become
social housing tenants with the same rights and
responsibilities as other social housing tenants,
for example by paying 25% of the household’s
assessable income in rent.
ii) The Department of Communities —
Disability and Community Care Services (DCCS)
DCCS has responsibility for funding, developing and
implementing, and monitoring all existing and new
mental health programs delivered through nongovernment
service providers.
In addition to the service providers described,
Queensland Health provides a range of clinical support
services to HASP clients. The primary role of Case
Managers within HASP is to provide clinical support
to the clients enrolled in HASP. Case Managers are
also responsible for providing support and education
to families, carers and disability support workers.
In addition, they are responsible for consultation
and liaison with primary health care providers with
a focus on assessment and a collaborative approach
to individual management.