Efforts and interventions in the engagement of homeless populations and partners

This presentation covers the efforts of establishing a collaborative team and approach utilizing the best practices of several service providers in Mendocino County, California. Mendocino County is a huge geographical area in northern California encompassing 3510 square miles of rugged terrain and equally rugged individuals. MCAVHN’s perspective allowed our care coordinators the ability to work with persons at all stages on the continuum of acceptance—and to be instrumental in bringing together agencies working within a dozen different paradigms. This will be an overview of the development of a core group, whose mission it was/is to address the needs of those experiencing the co-occurring disorders of substance use and mental illness, and who historically over-utilize low-efficacy, higher-cost, crisis-oriented services. Most of these persons also experienced chronic homelessness at the onset of these services, but began to experience more comprehensive and focused services and better outcomes in multiple domains.