Mental Health and Substance Use Program

Description 

The Mental Health and Substance Use Program (MHSU) is guided by treating mental health and substance use issues based on the needs and goals of the individual. A high percentage of clients who are housed on our campus can have multiple mental health conditions. They are often treated for underlying issues such as trauma, PTSD, bulimia, trichotillomania, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, polysubstance abuse, domestic violence, and other diagnoses. 
 

The purpose of MHSU is to address the underlying causes of homelessness, such as addiction, mental illness, and trauma history. We address these issues in a safe, supportive environment. We want to ultimately support our clients with wraparound services, not just house them or feed them. This includes helping them get to the root of their problems so that they begin to think, feel, and act differently. It’s crucial that we hear their stories and journey with them to a better future, because often, they grew up in traumatic environment. This program’s goal is to help clients live life to the fullest rather than allowing their mental health and/or substance use conditions to interfere with their daily living.  
 

We believe substance use problems and/or mental health problems can interfere with an individual’s ability to obtain and maintain their goals. Our goal is to help individuals develop coping skills to stabilize their mental health issues and reduce harm from substance use or maintain abstinence from substance use. Every client who is in one of our on-campus or off-campus housing programs, other than the Waypoint single room occupancy units, is eligible for counseling. 

Process 

Each person has access to individual and group counseling with licensed mental health professionals who are trained in trauma informed care. The most important aspect of clinical counseling services is for the therapist to develop a therapeutic relationship with the client through empathy and respecting the client regardless of their lifestyle choices, personal goals, and values. The therapist is trained in trauma informed care and recognizes that the majority of the clients referred to MHSU have experienced some type of trauma. Another important aspect of MHSU is its crisis intervention and de-escalation suicide prevention for our clients.   
 

When addressing mental health and/or substance use problems, painful memories may surface and may make the mental health symptoms worse or increase the desire to use alcohol or drugs. The therapeutic services offered depend on the individual’s assessed needs and goals.  
 

Clients with substance use disorders are encouraged to use harm reduction techniques and/or participate in 12 Step meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Celebrate Recovery meetings as a means of ensuring long-term recovery. They are also encouraged to obtain a home group and a sponsor to help guide them in their recovery and strengthen their support system. For example, a client who has an eating disorder and a substance use disorder is referred to Overeaters Anonymous or Food Addicts Anonymous. A client who identifies gambling as a major issue, which would lead them back to using drugs or alcohol, is referred to Gamblers Anonymous in addition to AA or NA. Family members (if involved in therapy with the client’s consent) are referred to Al-Anon to gain a better understanding of how to live with an alcoholic. If a client needs a supportive service that is not offered on campus, the therapist refers him or her to other supportive services. We have professional relationships with local providers, such as UofL Health – Peace Hospital, Wellspring Crisis Stabilization Program and Assertive Community Treatment Team, Phoenix Health Care, or the Addiction Recovery Care.  

Substance use has become a bigger problem nationwide over the last few decades, including in the homeless community. While not every homeless individual has substance use issues, it is true that there are higher rates of substance use with homeless individuals. By addressing their recovery, it can help them stay housed. This program also takes a “Housing First” approach, which acknowledges that people are more likely to have positive health outcomes and reach greater stability if they are housed. 
 

Also, mental health awareness has improved nationwide over the last few decades, and it has become a central focus in our mission. Although we’ve always had someone providing counseling on staff, we wanted to expand this program to provide services to everyone on campus. In 2005, we hired a Coordinator of Clinical Services for St. Jude Women’s Recovery Center to address this on-campus need. When we transitioned the program at St. Jude in 2020, we believed it was still important to provide help with mental health and substance use for our campus programs. Thus, the position expanded to include services for all of our housing clients and we began our partnership with local universities to host practicum students. We currently have four positions dedicated to clinical services and approximately five University practicum students in any given school year.