Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD)
Social Impact Bond Team

Housing and Olmstead
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Val's Take

• It is well established that Olmstead covers housing and supportive housing for people with disabilities
• More specifically Olmstead covers housing for people with disabilities who are:
  • ​Institutionalized, or
  • At Great Risk of Institutionalization as is inherent in Homelessness

The REAL HURDLE regarding Housing People with Disabilities is a PRACITICAL HURDLE regarding FINANCING.

We think of Disability Housing Needs as:

• SHORT TERM HARM REDUCTION -- do more with what we've got with a Reasonable Time Frame to move people to more appropriate settings within 6 months to 1 year:
  • ​Hotel Vouchers
    • ​It could really make sense to increase those hotel vouchers as part of COVID economic recovery
    • Pair with Assertive Community Treatment
  • Assisted Living
    • ​Maybe with an add-on option of Assertive Community Treatment
  • Nursing Homes
    • ​Nursing homes are generally considered an institution for Olmstead purposes

 

• MIDDLE TERM GOALS -- SCATTERED SITE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING to SCALE

 

• LONG TERM GOALS -- Reduce the Number of Coloradans with Disabilities that Need Housing & Intensive Services through BETTER TREATMENT
  • ​I think this is NOT about THEORETICAL RESEARCH as important as that is.
  • This is really about TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH & MEDICINE that can empirically show that need for HOUSING or INTENSIVE SERVICES is reduced.
  • Especially in Cognitive Disability, we do see TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH & MEDICINE as an Olmstead Issue and we don't know how STATES are ever going to get on top of their LEGAL OBLIGATIONS without a better system than what we've got.
  • #12 DOJ Guidance on Olmstead:
    • ​"To be effective, the plan must have demonstrated success in actually moving individuals to integrated settings in accordance with the plan."
  • To me the justification for a Long Term Priority on Translational Research and Medicine can ONLY be maintained if it ACTUALLY has success in moving people into more integrated settings.

Statement of the Department of Justice on Enforcement of the Integration Mandate of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Olmstead v. L.C.

CMS 2015 Guidance on Housing Related Activities

Housing --- A Conundrum for the States, A Nightmare for People with Mental Illness

Denver Data Shows Housing Chronically Homeless People Saves Money and Lives

Housing & Homelessness Index

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SHORT-TERM HARM REDUCTION & why do we say it?

• The PERFECT can often be the ENEMY of the GOOD and that is certainly true for people with cognitive disabilities who are being released from incarceration or who are homeless.
• We're not talking about forcing anything BUT there are a fair number of people with cognitive disabilities who would and do want some place out of the jail or shelter even if it's not quite SCATTERED SITE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.