National Health Foundation Arleta Recuperative Care Program

Health Care Access

San Fernando Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

In our experience working with older adults, one of the major barriers in providing quality care and getting adults to a place of independence and dignity is the challenge with mental health illness and substance use disorder. If the individual is experiencing behavioral health and/mental health concerns, it often limits their ability to fully comprehend the necessities required for sustaining basic needs, stability, increase independence and dignity in life. As a result, we need experts in behavioral health/mental health to support older adults in modulating these behavioral or mental health concerns for progressive strides in their care plan. Due to the lack of immediacy to these experts, professionals are led to connecting with and dependency on Systemwide Mental Health Assessment Response Treatment, Psychiatric Emergency Teams and Psychiatric Mobile Response Team, who are readily unavailable. The program's focus is to reduce and eliminate the vicious cycle of homelessness.

At National Health Foundation, it is our mission to provide top-tier services and support from highly skilled and caring staff and to provide radical hospitality and a healing environment in which everyone at NHF can thrive. NHF seeks to include a Behavior Intervention Specialist (BIS) as part of their Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) to help address mental health/ illnesses, substance use disorder and other co-occurring behavioral health concerns for adults experiencing homelessness. The IDT includes the Director of the Recuperative Interim program, Operations Manager, Social Services Coordinators &Manager, Medical Coordinators &Manager, guest and Intake personnel. NHF will acquire a licensed clinician who is able to provide both chronic mental health and diminished or altered physical behavioral health concerns services. The person in that role will serve as a liaison between the guest, psychiatrist, and all other behavioral support groups and partners. Therefore, the proposed plan called for a BIS who can also support mental health coaching for guest and staff. The overarching goal of the BIS is to provide immediate and continued interventions support to the guests before, during and after the onset of a crisis episode. The BIS focus will be to help unhoused individuals learn to cope with stressful situations, overcome addictions, and managing their chronic mental health/ illnesses. In addition to therapeutic sessions, data tracking and connectivity multidisciplinary teams.

The success of the program will demonstrate the following differences: Reduction in the vicious cycle of homelessness. Individuals supported will have immediate access to crisis behavioral interventions on-site to minimize and/eliminate mental health, substance use disorder which present barriers to housing, supplemental benefits, dignity and independence. The program provides a post-transition follow-up to ensure continuity of services and care, increasing sustainability to behavioral resources, housing and follow through by the individuals. Thus, leading to overall community initiatives to eliminate homelessness and increase stabilization, workforce development and ultimately human morale. Lastly, NHF will lead LA County in modeling a system that works and conduct cross-training for other homeless services providers that seeks this type of integrated services. LA county will be able to build stronger supportive networks within the underserved communities towards ending homelessness.

We know our program is successful when our guest has achieved permanent or supportive housing and is able to sustain it through follow-up. Another measure of success is guest improvement in their physical and/ or mental health while in our care and lastly, getting a job. In addition, NHF has a CRM database currently used to collect data for medical and housing needs in tandem with Homeless Management Information System via LAHSA. This grant will help NHF improve fidelity checks with the use of additional digital support. The collaboration with Behavior Agent software which is a SaaS platform will help to track treatment of behavioral concerns by collecting, analyzing, and reports behavior in real-time. It can capture data through a myriad of methods and measurements to include frequency, intervals, duration, task analysis, antecedents, consequence's location, session notes, e-signature, date, time and more. Professionals can access it from laptop, desktop, tablets, or smartphone.