In August 2021, the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Homeless and Housing Resource Center (HHRC) completed its first year as a new national technical assistance and training center. HHRC is the central hub of easily accessible, no-cost training for health and housing professionals in evidence-based practices that contributes to housing stability, recovery, and an end to homelessness.

We’re excited to share the center’s accomplishments in its first year:

Webinars

  • HHRC facilitated five webinars with topics on eviction prevention, supporting mental health and substance use treatment during COVID-19, street medicine, trauma-informed care, and opioid use disorder. The webinars had a total of 25,885 registrants and 12,362 attendees.
  • We had participants from all 50 states; Washington, DC; Guam; Puerto Rico; the U.S. Virgin Islands; France; Germany; Indonesia; Italy; Mexico; Palau; and Sweden.

Completed Products

  • HHRC launched its first online training course, Introduction to Housing Models, Housing Navigation, and Engagement. The 4-hour, self-paced online training course is targeted towards direct service providers and covers foundational-level information about housing models, engagement, and navigation strategies that support individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness who have serious mental illness (SMI), serious emotional disturbance (SED), substance use disorders (SUDs), and/or co-occurring disorders (CODs).
  • HHRC released its first publication, Whole-Person Care for People Experiencing Homelessness and Opioid Use Disorder Toolkit, Part I. This toolkit is targeted towards direct service providers and the general public. It introduces homelessness, opioid use disorder, and evidence-based recovery practices such as trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing, eliminating stigma, and harm reduction. The toolkit is available in both English and Spanish.

All resources are publicly available, free of charge on the SAMHSA Homeless and Housing Resource Center website.

What’s Next in Year 2

Exciting resources and events are on the horizon for HHRC in Year 2, including:

  • Three new online training courses.
  • Two learning communities and 10 webinars related to best practices in serving individuals experiencing homelessness who have serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and/or co-occurring disorders.
  • Two toolkits on assisting individuals who are experiencing homelessness in obtaining identification documents and best practices in opioid use disorder treatment.
  • Issue briefs on federal funding for housing, landlord engagement, housing rights, and more!

Stay tuned for updates by subscribing to the HHRC email list!