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The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act
of 1990 authorized a Federal grant program to deal with the
needs of people who are homeless and have serious mental illnesses.
The program -- known as Projects for Assistance in Transition
from Homelessness (PATH) -- funds community-based outreach,
mental health, substance abuse, case management and other
support services, as well as a limited set of housing services.
In FY 2002, the PATH program distributed over $36 million
through formula grants to each State, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Territories to provide services
to people with serious mental illnesses -- including those
with co-occurring substance use disorders -- who are homeless
or at risk of becoming homeless. The formula is based on
the
urban population in the jurisdiction compared to the total
U.S. urban population, with minimum grants of $300,000 per
year to each State. Latest available data indicate that in
Fiscal Year 2002, States engaged 419 local organizations
in
the provision of services. These organizations reported more
than 54,000 enrollments for PATH- supported services.
The PATH program is administered by the Center for Mental
Health Services, a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, one of eight Public Health
Service agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
PATH providers serve people with mental illnesses who are
homeless:
Local PATH-supported agencies reported they delivered services
to more than 54,000 people in fiscal year 2002. Who were
their
clients? Demographic data reveal the following for the clients
for whom information was obtained.
More than half the clients served (61 percent) were male.
More than half the clients (54 percent) were Caucasian. Nearly
a third (33 percent) were African American; 9 percent were
of Hispanic origin; the rest represented Asian, Native American
and other racial groups.
Nearly 99 percent of the people served were between the ages
of 18 and 64.
PATH clients have some of the most disabling mental disorders.
Among clients for whom a diagnosis was reported, nearly
41
percent had schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and
41 percent had affective disorders such as depression.
Over 56 percent of the clients had a substance use disorder
in addition to a serious mental illness.
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For more information about the
PATH program, please contact:
Michael Hutner, Ph.D.,
Director, and Dorrine Gross, Co-Director-PATH Program
Homeless Programs Branch
Division of Service Systems Improvement
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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PATH projects involve a broad range of service providers:
The PATH program involves a wide network of State and local
agencies that contribute comprehensive community-based services
for people who are homeless and have serious mental illnesses.
PATH providers have succeeded in putting experience and expertise
to work to meet the needs of homeless people who have mental
illnesses by engaging the services of community mental health
centers and other mental health providers, community-based
social service agencies, health care providers, and substance
abuse service providers.
PATH providers offer a spectrum of critical services:
Local PATH-supported organizations provide a wide range
of services to people who are homeless. Among the services
eligible for funding under PATH are:
- outreach services,
- screening and diagnostic services,
- habilitation and rehabilitation services,
- community mental health services,
- alcohol or drug treatment services (for people with mental
illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders),
- case management services,
- supervisory services in residential settings and
- a limited set of housing services and services to help
clients access housing resources.
In addition, virtually all States use PATH funds to provide
outreach services to contact and engage people who have
not
sought services. FY 2002 data reveal the following:
Over 87 percent of all providers offer outreach to persons
who are homeless.
Seventy-nine percent of providers offer case management services.
More than 77 percent of providers use PATH funds to assist
clients in accessing primary health care services, job training,
education services, and housing.
States also use PATH funds to train local provider staff
on effective strategies to assist persons who are homeless
and have mental illnesses.
In many States, PATH funds are the only dollars available
for outreach services within the mental health system.
PATH program funds stimulate state and local contributions:
PATH funds represent over 33 percent of the total dollar
amount earmarked by provider agencies for serving homeless
people with mental illnesses. These funds are worth more
than their face value because they must be matched by State
and
local resources. For every $3 in Federal funds, State or
local agencies must put forward $1 in cash or in-kind services.
At a minimum, a $26 million Federal allocation would result
in a $8.6 million match. However, in FY 2002, States matched
over $25 million in State and local funds against the $36
million Federal allocation. In some States, PATH funds and
the State and local match are the only commitment of resources
targeted to homeless people with serious mental illnesses.
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