Strategic Collaborations among GBHI Grantees to Expand and Strengthen Treatment and Housing for Homeless Populations

The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI) is a competitive discretionary Targeted Capacity Expansion grant program initiated in 2001 that seeks to expand and strengthen treatment services for persons who are homeless and have substance use or co-occurring mental health problems. Grantees funded under this program may choose to implement services and models that best fit the needs and context of their local community. In some communities, GBHI funds provide an opportunity for Grantees to develop new formal/informal partnerships to fill treatment and service gaps for homeless populations. In other communities, GBHI funds allow Grantees to expand/enhance existing services, implement new service models, develop program innovations or leverage other resources. As part of the CSAT GBHI Cross-site evaluation, in-person key informant interviews were conducted with a range of stakeholders in each of the 25 FY2010 Grantees funded under this program. Using these qualitative and quantitative data, this presentation will synthesize and characterize the service strategies and collaborations across the 25 Grantees, including: the organization of projects with regard to partnerships and treatment services; how grantees' approach fits within the history and context of their local treatment and service system, including funding from other federal programs; and descriptions of challenges and facilitators to Grantee organizational approaches during the first year of implementation, including lessons learned. This information will be useful for other communities seeking to implement treatment services for homeless populations. This presentation is proposed as part of the CSAT GBHI panel.