'Housing First' can reduce alcohol problems for homeless people with mental illness

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/smh-fc071515.php

Public Release: 15-Jul-2015
St. Michael's Hospital

A "Housing First" approach, where homeless people with mental illness are provided with a place to live without preconditions such as sobriety or seeing a psychiatrist, coupled with intensive case management, helps to reduce alcohol-related problems, a new study has found.

These interventions also improve housing stability and community functioning for this population, said lead author Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, psychiatrist-in-chief at St. Michael's Hospital and a scientist in its Centre for Research on Inner City Health.

•••••