National Housing Crisis Impacts Individuals with Mental Illness
The housing support specialists on the ACT team are invaluable to a client’s success. They help patients with serious mental illness obtain and maintain permanent independent housing in the least restrictive setting possible. Housing specialists are dedicated to ensuring individuals are given living options at all levels of recovery.
It’s hard to focus on mental health and substance abuse recovery if you don’t know where you are going to sleep or if you will ever have a safe roof over your head. That’s where the Valleywise Health Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team comes into play.
Many of the clients in the Valleywise Health ACT program have a history of frequent psychiatric hospitalization, substance abuse, victimization and trauma, arrests and incarceration, homelessness, and other significant challenges. For someone who has been diagnosed with a serious and persistent form of mental illness, like schizophrenia spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder, knowing where to turn for support is essential for survival.
The housing support specialists on the ACT team are invaluable to a client’s success. They help patients with serious mental illness obtain and maintain permanent independent housing in the least restrictive setting possible. Housing specialists are dedicated to ensuring individuals are given living options at all levels of recovery.
Heather Walker, Valleywise Health housing support specialist in Mesa, was inspired to pursue a career in behavioral health to help a vulnerable population that is often pushed aside, dismissed or labeled a lost cause.
“When working with our members, I always remind myself that they are somebody’s loved one and, if they were my loved one, I would want them to be taken care of in a respectful, loving and kind manner,” said Walker. “They are still someone’s mom, daughter, father or friend and that means something to us at Valleywise Health.”
The Valleywise Health ACT team is a 24/7 crisis team whose members know the clients personally. The team is comprised of highly skilled case managers, housing specialists, employment specialists, rehab specialists, independent living specialists, plus a nursing staff and psychiatrist.
The team works together with one common purpose – to uncover the best outcomes for patients based on each individual’s needs. The ACT team is driven to provide person-centered care.
Walker’s goals are to help clients find safe, stable and affordable housing where they can live independently while continuing to focus on their mental health journey. Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly more difficult because of the current affordable housing crisis in Metro Phoenix.
“Right now, there are just not enough housing options in Arizona,” she said. “There are a lot of waiting lists for housing, some as long as 2-7 years. Because of the cost of rent and food, most Social Security checks don’t cover basic living needs, which is why we need more resources and more support than ever before.”
“Whether it is Section 8 housing, group homes, supportive housing with staff or a typical apartment, our goal is to find clients a safe place to live, even if that means living with other people,” she added.
The Valleywise Health ACT team is dedicated to a small group of acute patients that will never exceed 100 active members. Most of the individuals receiving care have been through different clinics and behavioral health systems in their lives and may struggle to find stability and consistency when taking their medications.
“Mental illness doesn’t discriminate,” Walker added. “Our clients come from diverse backgrounds, all different orientations and varied life experiences. From doctors and lawyers to teachers and garbage men, it doesn’t matter your social status, or how much money you make, people forget anyone could end up in a vulnerable situation at any time, and that is why we are here.”
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