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The Los Angele County Department of Mental Health’s Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement (HOME) program is focused on getting people the help they need by meeting them where they are. Rather than waiting for referrals, street psychologists and HOME outreach team members hit the streets to build trust and bring care to people experiencing homelessness.
This national CBS News story highlights Dr. Shayan Rab and the HOME team. Their work is changing the lives of people like Mike, a quiet man who says he hasn’t had a bed in more than 15 years. When Dr. Rab met Mike on the street, Mike agreed to accept interim housing with services where they can help him work toward health and stability.
Traditional mental health treatments for people experiencing homelessness don’t always work. Dr. Rab points out that it’s difficult to get unsheltered people to visit mental health clinics or to take their medications. “If you’re working with severe mental illness and you’re working with chronic homelessness, treatment and housing need to be done simultaneously,” he said. The HOME program is a holistic approach, diagnosing and treating mental illness while also connecting people to interim and permanent housing.