2.7: Addressing the Substance Abuse Challenges of Homeless Families

Institute for Health and Recovery

Susan Dargon-Hart, LICSWInstitute for Health and Recovery

[email protected]

Helping Homeless Families Find Their Strength and

Build Stability One Step at a Time


Philosophy of Care

Hope Rising

IHR Video

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• Homeless families struggling with SUD/COD– Children of clients

– Partners not living in the shelter

• Temporarily housed in state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)-funded motels, shelters, and temporary housing

• DHCD/Housing Authority/Housing First Programs

Who are our clients?


Engagement

• Reluctant to meet with yet another provider

• Assessment – whole person, family-based, resiliency approach

• Children– Present during assessment

– Focusing on children’s needs


Goal is to Reduce Harm:

Creating a safer environment for ALL family members no matter where they

are living

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Client-Driven Process

• Family-based, “home visiting” interventions

–Going to where the family is located

–Driving family to appointments

• Tools integrated from:

–MI, Stages of Change, CBT, Care Coordination, SUD/COD psycho-education, SUD/COD treatment, Trauma-Informed Care - Seeking Safety & Nurturing Program

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Philosophy of Care

RISE is:• Family focused

• Evidence-based

• Consumer directed

• Trauma informed

• Culturally relevant

• Strength-based

• Relationship valuing


Motivational Interviewing

• Provide evidence-based practices based on MI

• Focuses on strengths and competencies of each person so she/he can become a leader in her/his own service plan and personal progress

• Provide MI training to shelter/DHCD staff


Seeking Safety

• Cognitive-behavioral integrated, trauma-substance use recovery curriculum, specific strategies and tools to promote physical and emotional safety

• Provides tools to avoid/prevent relapse from substance use, mental health issues and trauma

• A non-judgmental approach towards active use

• RISE conducts Seeking Safety individually

• Provides Trauma-Informed Services training to DHCD and shelter staff


The Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery

• Nurturing Program (NP) Parenting group is a well established, evidence-based parenting intervention, on NREPP

• Cognitive-behavioral model; encourages women to explore similarities between ways they were parented and ways they are currently parenting

• NP curriculum also integrated within individual sessions


“Those who work well, play well, love well, and expect well.”

(Werner and Smith, 1982)

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• Sharing, teaching and modeling life management skills

– Better reactions, better results

– Motivate to take action around job and/or education

– Housing and tenancy skills

• Relapse Responsive

• Risk Reduction

• Treatment retention issues

Stabilization Skills


Graduation

• Determine a good time to end services– “They end us”– Mutually agreed

closure

• Satisfaction Survey

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IHR Homeless ServicesSystems Integration

Agency Level• Regional cross trainings

– SUD, COD, trauma-informed services– Motivational Interviewing– Impact on family & housing stability

• TA, support & consultation on families impacted by SUD/CODs, treatment & recovery– Emergency family shelter staff, Transitional Housing, Housing

First– Other agencies providing services to homeless families – Domestic Violence organizations

– Local child welfare offices


How does this model fit into Healthcare Reform?

• Shift model to fit into a traditional 3rd party payer design without losing non-judgmental approach

• Using paperwork as engagement tools

• Outpatient home-based services

• Doing a diagnostic evaluation in a risk reduction framework

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How do you engage homeless families?

2.7: Addressing the Substance Abuse Challenges of Homeless Families

Education

Transcript of 2.7: Addressing the Substance Abuse Challenges of Homeless Families