Project Strong - ABSTRACT
The Aliviane Project Strong will provide comprehensive and integrated evidenced-based outreach, engagement, treatment, case management, housing, and peer recovery support services for individuals, youth, and families with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED), or Co-Occurring mental health and substance use disorder (COD) experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness in El Paso County. The 2020 U.S. Census population estimate for El Paso County was 865,657, with 82.9% identified as Hispanics, 11.4% White, 4.2% African Americans. The same reports establishes that 20.1% of people in the county are living below the poverty level, which is higher than the percentage in the state of Texas (14.2%) and the U.S. (11.6%). HUD’s 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) count of homeless individuals in El Paso County estimated that “on any giving day in our community” there are 839 homeless individuals, from which 180 are living on the streets, 537 in emergency shelters, and 119 in transition housing. The 2022 PIT also identified that of the total homeless population 295 persons are in families and 68 families were homeless, 56.9% of children and families were reported as first time homeless, and 10% were Veterans. During 2022, 28.5% of the total homeless population in El Paso reported having a mental health condition sometime in their lifetime, and 16.3% reported a problem with drugs/alcohol. Project Strong will conduct outreach and harm reduction strategies with homeless individuals, youth and families and engage program participants in behavioral health treatment for mental health, substance use, and/or co-occurring disorders and recovery-oriented services including peer supported recovery services, comprehensive case management, and coordination of recovery, supportive, and permanent housing. In addition, Aliviane works closely with the local homeless coalition working to develop a community infrastructure that integrates behavioral health treatment, peer support, recovery support services, and linkages to sustainable permanent housing. Project Strong will utilize support from the EPHC to identify and support program implementation, identify best practices for building an integrated community infrastructure, and support sustainability of comprehensive services. Project Strong will work with the El Paso Homeless Coalition to create an outreach protocol that includes coordinating with crisis and 988 systems to connect people in crisis experiencing homelessness or at risk of imminent homelessness. Additionally, the Project Strong will work to increase knowledge and practice of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards across multiple agencies serving the target population to enhance the service system. The program goals include: Goal 1: Increase access to integrated, recovery-oriented, and evidence-based, trauma informed, culturally competent and client centered outreach, engagement, harm reduction, and screening for homeless individuals, youth, and/or families residing in El Paso, Texas. Goal 2: Increase access to integrated, recovery-oriented evidence based, trauma informed, culturally competent, and client centered mental health, substance use, and/or co-occurring treatment services via in person or telehealth to 380 individuals over the course of the project. Goal 3: Increase access to integrated, trauma informed, culturally competent and client centered recovery-oriented peer recovery support services and comprehensive case management for 380 homeless individuals, youth, and/or families residing in El Paso, Texas over the project period. Goal 4. Identify and coordinate supportive, and/or permanent housing for enrolled individuals and their families. The project wills serve 150 individuals annually for a total of 700 individuals over 5 years with outreach, screening, and mental health and substance use harm reduction. The project will enroll 80 individuals per year.
