Healthworks ACT - Healthworks ACT will provide integrated mental health, substance use, and medical care, case management, and peer support services to people with mental health and substance use conditions who are experiencing homelessness in southern Vermont.
In its first year, Healthworks ACT will:
- Serve 75 people in Windham County who are accessing services for homelessness and have a diagnosed mental health or substance use conditions.
- Use the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model for a patient-centered, trauma-responsive, integrated mental health and medical treatment approach.
- Bring together peer support advocates, medical providers, mental health clinicians, and housing case managers in a cross-agency, multi-disciplinary collaboration that draws on the expertise of project partners Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (fiscal agent), Brattleboro Retreat, Groundworks Collaborative, and Health Care & Rehabilitation Services.
- Provide onsite care to participants in facilities operated by Groundworks, Windham County’s lead non-profit organization with the mission to address housing and food insecurity.
The target population for this project is Windham County adults residing in the service area with mental health and substance use conditions, including co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, who are also experiencing homelessness.
The goal of Healthworks ACT is to improve access to integrated health care and supportive services for people with mental health and substance use conditions who are experiencing homelessness. Related objectives are to:
A. Establish an interdisciplinary Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team with onsite, integrated mental health, substance use, medical, peer support, and case management services at the emergency shelter facilities with the target of serving 75 adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability in year one.
B. Provide accessible, trauma-informed, onsite mental health and substance use care to 75 people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in year one.
C. Provide accessible, trauma-informed, onsite medical care, including primary care and medication assisted treatment, with a target of serving 75 people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in year one.
D. Provide accessible, trauma-informed peer support services with a target of serving 75 people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in year one.
E. Provide outreach case management with a target of serving 75 people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in year one.