Knowledge exchange: Supporting people with mental health problems through housing-based models

Employment and housing are key to our sense of mental well-being and our recovery from mental illness. Recently, GLE explored how we can better support people with mental health problems to live better lives through the provision of housing-based approaches. Together with GLE’s Peter Molyneux, Professor Helen Killaspy from University College London, Professor Dirk Richter from Bern University (Switzerland) and Professor Giovanni de Girolamao from the Psychiatric Epidemiology and Evaluation Unit in Brescia (Italy) shared the evidence from across Europe on the models of provision that are needed, the principles that need to be applied and the competencies staff need to make a meaningful difference for those living with this diagnosis.

Whilst the political, social and economic contexts vary there are very similar models found across Europe. They are essentially i) floating outreach – including Housing First, ii) supported housing with 24-hour staffing on-site, iii) supported housing with staff on-site Monday to Friday and iv) residential care. All of these have their place and many of us would argue that we need some combination of all four across any area.

Most service users state a preference for independent, self-contained forms of accommodation. Yet, in most countries that have seen significant progress towards deinstitutionalisation most of the mental health supported accommodation still provides shared facilities. There is also a concern that many services lack a rehabilitative and recovery ethos.

There is strong evidence that for people to achieve clinical and social recovery goals, it requires a combination of recovery-based practice and a focus on an individual’s human rights together with the provision of accommodation that provides a degree of physical and psychological security and the opportunity to connect with friends, family and / or the wider community. Services that are more recovery orientated and focused on people’s human rights are better at supporting people to move on successfully and embedding these principles across all such services could deliver even better outcomes.

To read more about the principles and core competencies please click here.

You can view the webinar by clicking the links below – there are three segments.

Professor Helen Killaspy, University College London
Professor Giovanni de Girolamao from the Psychiatric Epidemiology and Evaluation Unit in Brescia (Italy)
Professor Dirk Richter from Bern University (Switzerland)