Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
St. John's Community Health's (SJCH) Project SUP will expand and implement an effective, evidence-based, culturally competent response to extremely prevalent substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorders (SUD/COD) among unsheltered people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in South Los Angeles. Most clients (73%) are aged 31-54, 23% aged 55+, 12% young people 18-30 and 2% children under 18; 45% are African American and 52% Latino; 30% are immigrants best-served in Spanish/indigenous language; 75% justice-involved; and all living at/below the federal poverty level. The project will be LGBTQ-affirming and gender-responsive assuring access to underserved PEH. South residents of color experience homelessness and SUD/COD at disproportionately high rates compared to the general population as a result of a complex web of social determinants of health factors, institutional racism, intergenerational poverty, divestment of resources from South LA, soaring housing prices, limited services to meet need, and heavy policing that too often places PEH with SUD/COD behind bars instead of in treatment and housing. Project SUP will provide opportunities to interrupt SUD/COD and support clients to improve their health. functioning and stability through team-based, peer-driven, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity based treatment, harm reduction, intensive case management, recovery support, and housing navigation services. A total of 600 unduplicated PEH will be served (100 in Year 1; 125 in Years 2-5). Objectives include: building SJCH's capacity and infrastructure to support comprehensive SUD/COD services for PEH using several strategies including convening stakeholder groups, providing cross-training, expanding partnerships, and creating policies and workflows; providing harm reduction/peer-based outreach to 3,000 PEH during the course of the grant; providing screening, assessment, treatment, care coordination, and case management services for 600 individuals; linking 338 of those into the housing services continuum with an 85% rate of retention for clients obtaining permanent supportive housing; ensuring adherence to clinical treatment and progress on case management goals; increasing monthly income for a minimum of 20% of clients; providing HIV, HCV and STI screening and PrEP and linking 90% of positive screens to treatment; and reducing rates of substance misuse and improving mental health of clients.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).