Implementing integrated healthcare at a Housing First program

Housing is a necessary but not sufficient intervention for individuals who experience homelessness and serious mental illnesses. While ‘Housing First' programs have been shown to effectively end chronic homelessness, research has not yet addressed how the model can target the many co-occurring medical conditions that contribute to a 2 decade early mortality rate among this population. This presentation reports on an innovative effort to develop an integrated health care model within a ‘Housing First' program through embedding a primary care physician within community mental health treatments teams, which was made possible through a community academic partnership. The presentation will: • Describe the development of the integrated medical- behavioral health care program • Characterize medical conditions of the 100+ consumers enrolled since the program's inception. • Describe a pilot mechanism for ongoing consumer participation in health care program development. • Report on both successful and unsuccessful consumer and organizational outcomes.