LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...
LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...
LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...
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in the United States Congress. The Department of Housing and Urban Development administers the<br />
PSH housing program with a subsidy administrator.<br />
The state has continued to pursue housing resources through the HUD funding streams such as the<br />
Continuum of Care for the Homeless program and the Section 811 and Section 8 programs over the<br />
past ten years. In addition, OBH is developing partnerships with Rural Development housing<br />
programs and state Housing Authorities. The American Reinvestment and Recovery ACT of 2009<br />
is a welcome housing resource to stimulate and provide bridge subsidy funds for some of our most<br />
vulnerable homeless and/or disability populations. Specifically the Homeless Prevention and Rapid<br />
Re-Housing (HPRP) program has the potential provide widespread relief. Louisiana received over<br />
$26,000,000 in HPRP funding with DCFC Administering $13.5 million and the other funds going to<br />
direct allocation to existing community providers. Our goal is to collaborate across departmental<br />
agencies and to utilize all available housing funding resources to develop or partner with housing<br />
providers to develop a sufficient housing stock of affordable housing. While shifts in HUD policy<br />
have created barriers to persons with mental illness qualifying for housing resources through the<br />
Continuum of Care, and the Section 811 and Section 8 programs have been severely reduced, the<br />
HUD programs continue to be a focus of development activities. OMH Regional Housing<br />
Coordinators are active participants in the regional housing/homeless coalitions. In some cases these<br />
coordinators are in leadership positions in their local coalitions. Service providers have pursued<br />
Section 811 applications and sought to develop fruitful relationships with local housing authorities<br />
202 Elderly Housing programs and The Louisiana Housing Finance Agency to pursue disability<br />
required rental units set-asides. It is essential and critical that housing development continue with<br />
particular emphasize on strategies to coordinate tax credits, rental vouchers (Section 8 and Shelter +<br />
Care) and affordable financing. The Weatherization Programs and Rental Rehabilitation<br />
administered through our local <strong>Community</strong> Developments needs continual funding and efficient<br />
access to assistance. Federal applications for housing and support services submitted by mental<br />
health providers have increased over the years as agencies search for avenues to develop housing<br />
and support services for the mental health consumers they serve.<br />
The housing development efforts for the homeless carried out by the Region and LGE Housing<br />
Coordinators have been largely through their involvement with the local continuums of care for the<br />
homeless also known as Homeless Coalitions. These coalitions develop a variety of housing<br />
programs that can be both transitional and permanent in length of stay. The type of programs they<br />
develop is determined by the assessment of local needs; this assessment is performed locally<br />
through the coalitions. The programs developed can serve both individual adults as well as families,<br />
many of which will have children and youth with an emotional or behavioral disorder. Families<br />
experiencing homelessness often have a multiplicity of events impacting their lives. There are<br />
programs that are directed specifically toward homeless youth and transitional age individuals.<br />
Programs that target the prevention of family homelessness will obviously also benefit children and<br />
youth with an emotional or behavioral disorder.<br />
<strong>Mental</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Rehabilitation (MHR), ACT, FFT, and case management programs are very involved<br />
in assisting families with opportunities to secure and maintain adequate housing. OMH has a strong<br />
commitment to keeping families together and consequently has previously withstood pressure to<br />
fund large residential treatment centers. Instead, effort and dollars have been put into Family<br />
Support <strong>Services</strong> throughout the state. The state chapter of the Federation of Families has<br />
developed both respite and mentoring models which are used extensively by Louisiana families.<br />
The Consumer Care Resources provide highly individualized services that assist families in their<br />
PART C <strong>LOUISIANA</strong> FY 2011 PAGE 204<br />
SECTION III: CHILD/ YOUTH PLAN – CRITERION 1<br />
COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES -- SYSTEM OF CARE & AVAILABLE SERVICES
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