Indicator 2: Proportion of homeless adults who have serious mental illness (SMI).
National Target: 19 percent.
National Baseline: 25 percent of homeless adults aged 18 years and older had SMI in 1996.
Target setting method: 24 percent improvement.
Data source: Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Annual Application, SAMHSA, CMHS.
Persons with mental illness comprise 40-60 percent of the homeless population. It is estimated that there are approximately 3,600 persons who are homeless and have a mental disorder in Travis County (CAN, 1997). In order, to achieve the national objective, Travis County would need to assist an additional 2,400 persons who are homeless. Currently there are new strategies that have been utilized over the last decade to assist in lowering the number of persons that are homeless. These support strategies include: outreach, housing, medication monitoring, psychosocial rehabilitation, and case management. Traditional community responses have called on persons who are mentally ill and homeless to get jobs and find housing. These responses do not take into account the mental disorders that cause some to remain on the streets. In addition, without the appropriate support services it is unrealistic to expect most persons with mental illness who are not capable of functioning in mainstream society to maintain their housing and employment.
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