“Stable housing is a critical component of recovery. SAMHSA’s homelessness programs and resources work to end homelessness by improving access to treatment and services that support health and wellness. It is well documented that untreated behavioral health conditions can contribute to issues such as unemployment that make it difficult to find and keep stable and affordable housing. As reported by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, approximately 30% of people experiencing chronic homelessness have a serious mental illness, and around two-thirds have a primary substance use disorder or other chronic health condition.” (SAMHSA, 2018)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) funds services for people with serious mental illness (SMI), as well as co-occurring substance use disorders, experiencing homelessness, or who are at imminent risk of homelessness. PATH activities primarily include street outreach and case management in an effort to engage homeless individuals,  link them to mental health services and other community resources, and end their homelessness. PATH Teams collaborate with local community providers such as HUD Continuums of Care, local law enforcement, affordable housing partners, and public healthcare entities.

PATH Teams are located in the 5 most populated metropolitan areas of our state with the highest counts of homeless individuals. Participating PATH providers include the following:

To learn more about this federally funded program, visit SAMHSA at
https://www.samhsa.gov/homelessness-programs-resources/grant-programs-services/path

To learn more about other services and resources for homeless individuals in Alabama, visit
http://www.211connectsalabama.org and https://www.hud.gov/states/alabama/homeless/serviceorgs

Jessica Hales, Coordinator Adult Mental Illness Services
334-242-3229

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PATH Grant