The Intersection of the Opioid Crisis and Homelessness: Mapping the Federal Response July 19, 2017 9:15 – 10:45 am

Panelists Tyler Gray Medical Director Health Care for the Homeless, Baltimore Daniel Raymond Deputy Director of Policy and Planning Harm Reduction Coalition Christine Simiriglia President & CEO Pathways to Housing PA Britt Manzo, Moderator Policy Advisor U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

Overview of the Session Introduction and Framing: Mapping the Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis Understanding the Clinical Perspective Harm Reduction and Promising Practices in Outreach and Engagement View from the Field: Housing Interventions and the Work Underway at the East Coast’s Ground Zero

Framing the Discussion Improving Health and Stability Objective 7 of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is to: Integrate primary and behavioral health care services with homeless assistance programs and housing to reduce people’s vulnerability and the impacts of homelessness. Building on our broader work to improve health and stability for individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, USICH has been focused on supporting states, communities, and our federal partners to find ways to better integrate primary and behavioral health care services with homeless assistance programs and housing to reduce people’s vulnerability and the impacts of homelessness. Over the last year, USICH and its federal partners have developed and promoted strategies to ensure that communities have the tools they need to respond to substance misuse and abuse among individuals experiencing homelessness, with a specific focus on the nuances and particular challenges posed by the opioid crisis. While much of the national response to the opioid crisis addresses this as a recent phenomenon, we know our strategies and approach are building on decades of practitioner expertise and experience in serving individuals with substance use disorders. We’re making a concerted effort to ensure that the approaches we’re employing to address the opioid crisis are leveraged to serve individuals experiencing homelessness who struggle with all types of substance use disorders. We have relied heavily on the best practices we’ve seen from the field and we’re grateful for national leaders like the Harm Reduction Coalition, Pathways to Housing, and Health Care for the Homeless grantees and the role they’ve played in informing federal policy and recommendations.

Framing the Discussion Improving Health and Stability Objective 7 of the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is to: Integrate primary and behavioral health care services with homeless assistance programs and housing to reduce people’s vulnerability and the impacts of homelessness. Building on our broader work to improve health and stability for individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, USICH has been focused on supporting states, communities, and our federal partners to find ways to better integrate primary and behavioral health care services with homeless assistance programs and housing to reduce people’s vulnerability and the impacts of homelessness. Over the last year, USICH and its federal partners have developed and promoted strategies to ensure that communities have the tools they need to respond to substance misuse and abuse among individuals experiencing homelessness, with a specific focus on the nuances and particular challenges posed by the opioid crisis. We have relied heavily on the best practices we’ve seen from the field and we’re grateful for national leaders like the Harm Reduction Coalition, Pathways to Housing, and Health Care for the Homeless grantees and the role they’ve played in informing federal policy and recommendations. ----- More background on the federal response is outlined in a USICH blog: https://www.usich.gov/news/strengthening-local-responses-to-opioid-misuse-among-individuals-experiencing-homelessness

Key Local Strategies Assess the Prevalence of OUDs and Opioid Misuse Among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Develop and Implement Overdose Prevention and Response Strategies Strengthen Partnerships between Housing and Health Care Providers to Provide Tailored Assistance Improve Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment Remove Barriers to Housing USICH’s recently-published guide, titled Strategies to Address the Intersection of the Opioid Crisis and Homelessness, builds on their expertise and outlines five key strategies that communities, providers, and policymakers can use to address the intersection of homelessness and the opioid crisis. The guide also highlights key resources and research to inform communities’ work and approaches. ----- The Guide is accessible at: https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/strategies-to-address-intersection-of-opioid-crisis-and-homelessness

Panelists’ Presentations Understanding the Clinical Perspective Tyler Gray Health Care for the Homeless, Baltimore Harm Reduction and Promising Practices in Outreach and Engagement Daniel Raymond Harm Reduction Coalition View from the Field: Housing Interventions and the Work Underway at the East Coast’s Ground Zero Christine Simiriglia Pathways to Housing PA USICH’s recently-published guide, titled Strategies to Address the Intersection of the Opioid Crisis and Homelessness, outlines five key strategies that communities, providers, and policymakers can use to address the intersection of homelessness and the opioid crisis. The guide also highlights key resources and research to inform communities’ work and approaches. ----- The Guide is accessible at: https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/strategies-to-address-intersection-of-opioid-crisis-and-homelessness