Coast Mental Health has partnered with the Mental Health Commission of Canada with the At Home/Chez Soi project, an exciting new research initiative on mental health and homelessness. This research project is nationwide with participation from five cities: Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton. Each city has a unique focus and will apply three different approaches to housing homeless individuals, all operating from a Housing First model. Coast is responsible for the Intensive Case Management approach and has been providing Intensive Case Management services to a group of individuals as of October 2009 and will continue to support these individuals until the research project’s end in 2013.

Within this model is the “Housing First” philosophy which operates under the belief that homeless people (living with mental illness) should be offered immediate access to rent supplements in order to secure permanent independent apartments. These rent supplements are provided without mandated participation in psychiatric or substance use treatment. Self-determination, choice and harm reduction are at the centre of all considerations with respect to the provision of housing and support services.

The intensive case management team is available 12 hours a day/7 days a week to support individuals with direct experience of mental illness and homelessness in brokering services within the existing service delivery system. The Case managers develop housing plans to ensure people maintain their housing. Housing plans will consist of intensive follow up support, life skill development, financial stability, social/recreation development, vocational counseling, community integration and any other goals identified by the individual participants.

Please click here for a PDF copy of our pamphet. 

For more information on this exciting project visit the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s website or you can contact:

General Info Line

(604) 675-2385