...stepping off the streets into stable lives

	News to Note...
	The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has renewed its support for our Antelope Valley Homeless Assistance Program. Opened in 1995, HAP continues to be the valley’s only services specifically for homeless people with mental illness. Each year, it serves more than 450 individuals; in all, our three programs for homeless people helped more than 1,700 families and individuals last year.

Introduction

Serving the Antelope Valley and Long Beach parts of our county, MHA’s Homeless Assistance Programs are the only ones in their communities for homeless people with mental illness. We help individuals find housing, get mental health and health care, and solve their other problems so they can leave the streets permanently.

Homeless people with mental illness are “among the most vulnerable groups in our nation,” said a federal report. Because so many of these individuals have difficult service needs, they remain caught in cycles of homelessness, including for some a “revolving door” between streets and jail.

In our approach – called “outreach and engagement” – we offer easily accessible help to start individuals on a safe transition to stable living. We meet them on their “own turf” – right on the streets – to build trusting relationships and then offer services at supportive drop-in centers. We emphasize a quick connection to care to engage individuals and encourage them to continue with services.

The Homeless Assistance Programs combine their services with connections to the treatment and rehabilitation of MHA’s integrated service programs and housing options. Our comprehensive approach was praised as a “best practice” in the 2002 “California’s Programs to Address Homelessness.”

Services

		Outreach We contact individuals on streets, in jail and at shelters, and we respond to calls from government offices, businesses, service agencies, churches and the public. Offering lunches, blankets and help with emergency housing, we encourage individuals to come to our centers. We help those who do not have mental illness by linking them to other resources for homeless people. Our programs are part of their communities’ access centers, which are entryways to care for all homeless people. In Long Beach, HAP provides outreach for the Multi-Service Center, a collaboration of agencies that serve homeless people. In the Antelope Valley, we are the lead agency for the Homeless Solutions Access Center.
		Drop-In Center The centers are safe places for people who often need a great deal of reassurance to accept help. They are where our outreach workers bring homeless individuals and where individuals come in straight from the streets. We offer showers, laundry facilities, clean clothes and personal care items. Our staff, which includes people who were once homeless, builds a bond and encourages individuals to accept more intensive help.
		Psychiatric Treatment At our centers, individuals have quick access to one of their most crucial service needs – treatment and medication to control the symptoms of their mental illness.
		Service Planning Our staff helps individuals plans to meet their needs for housing, financial assistance, mental health treatment, life skills training, money management, substance abuse recovery and legal assistance.
		Housing We provide vouchers to local motels to give homeless people a safe place to stay while we help secure essential needs. Our programs provide services for “Shelter Plus Care” projects, which provide low-income rental certificates to homeless people with mental illness. We help them apply for certificates, find apartments, move in and learn the daily life skills they need to succeed in their new homes.
		Substance Abuse Recovery Services We help individuals find treatment programs, sober living homes and 12-step groups in the community. In Long Beach, MHA helped start Dual Diagnosis Anonymous (DDA) meetings, which are 12-step groups specifically for people with both mental illness and substance abuse problems.
		Money Management Along with helping individuals receive benefits for disabled people, we coach them in how to take care of their finances so they can manage on their own. We help them set up budgets, open checking accounts and pay their bills on time.

Funding

The motel voucher project was started with community contributions and has received support from the Boeing Company and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program.

Contact Us

Our Long Beach Homeless Assistance Program is located at 456 Elm Avenue, Long Beach, California 90802. Its phone number is 562-437-6717.

In the Antelope Valley, our Homeless Assistance Program is located at 43423 Division Street, Suite 107, Lancaster, CA 93535. Its phone number is 661-726-2850. The Homeless Solutions Access Center is located at 45134 Sierra Highway, Lancaster, CA 93534. Its number is 661-942-2758.