A discussion paper, The integration of homelessness, mental health and drug and alcohol services in Australia, has just been published by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
Authored by Paula Flatau and others, this study aims to increase our understanding of the ways in which homelessness, mental health and drug and alcohol services can be coordinated or integrated to provide services to homeless people, the extent to which system and service integration is occurring in Australia at present and the effectiveness of various integrated service delivery responses. The authors conclude that a more integrated response to service delivery is required. "Homeless people have disproportionately high levels of poor mental health leading to increased disability in many walks of life. Our human services delivery system is often too fragmented, failing to address particular needs and providing conflicting advice and treatment to clients with such needs. Clients may not always be referred to an appropriate service for support, resulting in gaps in service delivery."
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