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Some homeless individuals have problems which seem intractable - debilitating physical, mental and addiction issues that keep them in a cycle of chronic homelessness. Traditional health and recovery programs, organized around separate delivery systems, fail to address the complexity of concerns confronting such people, leaving them facing a bleak landscape of limited choices, fractured care and few options.
The Community Engagement Program (CEP) is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary recovery model designed to meet the needs of chronically homeless individuals with co-occurring mental health, addictive disorders and/or physical healthcare concerns.
The first goal for a participant entering the program is to help them obtain safe housing. Once they have a safe place to live, participants experiencing addictions, mental health and/or medical problems are often willing to take steps toward recovery. Staff partner with physicians, mental health practitioners, social workers, case managers and vocational counselors to create a plan for each participant. CEP continues to stay active with housing needs, connecting participants to housing that is treatment-oriented as well as securing permanent housing.
Staff-participant ratio is 1-15; a far cry from the 100 clients most agency case managers experience. The team checks in regularly with each client with full responsibility for all treatment, so responses are concerted, timely and provide a continuity of care which is best for the participant.
The CEP model is proven to increase the effectiveness of recovery efforts, allowing people to move into permanent housing and to pursue full, productive lives.
In the spirit of consumer-focused services, CEP established a storefront community center in the heart of the Burnside neighborhood. It is a gathering place to read, listen to music, eat, talk – a place for chronically homeless individuals to begin learning life skills, develop friendships and camaraderie, and form a community. The CEP Center receives support from local businesses and other community resources to provide beverages, food and other basic necessities.
- Each client’s involvement in CEP saves the community approximately $16,000 in avoided incarceration, emergency and uncompensated health care costs.
- Approximately 300 clients are served annually; clients have an average of 8.6 years homelessness.
- 80% of CEP clients continue to be housed one year after enrollment in the program.
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