The recommendations listed below speak to the need to pay special attention to the multitude of barriers faced by individuals who are homeless with a mental illness or co-occurring substance use disorder and mental illness. Once achieved, the committee believes that the entire Chicago area will be better positioned to make significant strides toward helping individuals gain access to needed services across the city.

1. Increase access to care for individuals who are homeless in a fee-for-service environment.
2. Increase Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Community Support Team (CST) services for the homeless.
3. Establish presumptive eligibility for mental health consumers.
4. Improve outreach and engagement efforts.
5. Build capacity to enhance services for individuals with mental illness exiting Illinois prisons and jails.
6. Increase housing options.
7. Support existing and open new drop-in centers.
8. Expand dual diagnosis services.
9. Adopt a recovery-oriented paradigm.
10. Increase cultural and linguistic competency.
11. Expand systems integration.

Download the complete Homeless Action Committee Position Paper here. (PDF)
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