State Legislation

(CA) Homelessness and Mental Health (AB 2034)

Establishes demonstration programs in California to reduce homelessness among people with mental illness, identifying people released from prison and jail as one key component of the target population. Serving this population effectively required the integration of numerous services-including substance abuse, mental health, and housing-and extensive collaboration with corrections departments and county jail systems. Administrators of the relevant organizations began the joint venture by recognizing the significant overlap in the homeless population with mental illness and the population leaving prison and jail and creating new partnerships. They determined that corrections-based referrals and eligibility screening could enable them to identify a population matching their existing target population. Because they were able to identify the reentry population as a primary-rather than an adjunct-recipient of services, they designed outcome measurements specifically tailored to this population. In short, the establishment of the program, and the subsequent recognition of how the population related to the missions of each of the organizations, served as a catalyst for the integration of services, which have reduced homelessness and recidivism and improved client functioning.

Learn more at
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/99-00/bill/asm/ab_2001-2050/ab_2034_bill_20000919_chaptered.pdf