This past week, the Mental Health Association of Portland held a conference on “Supportive Housing for People with Mental Illness and Addictions.” Over 340 people attended from across the State of Oregon.
CSH CEO Deb DeSantis was the keynote speaker. She described CSH’s core work and promoted long-term, permanent solutions – like supportive housing – for people experiencing chronic homelessness with untreated or under-treated mental illness and addictions.
Also in attendance were Debbie Thiele, Managing Director of CSH’s Western Region, who provided information on how Medicaid can help fund services in housing.
Heather Lyons, CSH Director of the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Northern California, co-presented a session on the nuts and bolts of doing supportive housing, and served on a panel to promote new revenue sources to take supportive housing to scale in the region.
Conference Wrap-Up
The Oregon Housing Conference is an interdisciplinary gathering of housing developers, lawmakers and public administrators, public health, law enforcement and community leaders, tenants and neighbors to discuss the Oregon housing crisis. The theme of the Conference is supportive housing for people with mental illness and addiction. Their goal is to educate the community and increase opportunities for supportive housing in Oregon.
Deborah De Santis, President and CEO of CSH headlined the Conference convening on October 15. De Santis has guided the development of initiatives that bring the benefits of supportive housing to many people at risk of chronic homelessness including veterans, those reentering society from hospitals and correctional facilities, youth and the elderly.
DOWNLOAD – Oregon Housing Conference session schedule (PDF)
DOWNLOAD – Oregon Housing Conference program (PDF)
DOWNLOAD – Governor Kate Brown’s proclamation October 15, 2018 is “Supportive Housing Day” (PDF)
Session Materials
Rachael Duke, Community Partners for Affordable Housing & Heather Lyons, Corporation for Supportive Housing
Supportive Housing 101 – DOWNLOAD SESSION MATERIALS
Rachel Post, LCSW, Technical Assistance Collaborative
Supported Employment as a Recovery-Oriented Intervention for Supportive Housing –DOWNLOAD SESSION MATERIALS
Mike Savara & Donna Standing Rock, Central City Concern
Direct Services for Supportive Housing – DOWNLOAD SESSION MATERIALS
Kenny LaPoint, Oregon Housing & Community Services
Supportive Housing and Oregon’s Statewide Housing Plan – DOWNLOAD SESSION MATERIALS
Tom Stenson, JD, Disability Rights Oregon
You Can Fight City Hall: Land Use Laws, Zoning Rules, and Housing for People with Disabilities – DOWNLOAD SESSION MATERIALS
Ilana Shushansky & Oscar Benitez, Third Sector Capital Partners, Paul Solomon, Sponsors Inc., & Jacob Fox, Homes For Good
Innovative Funding for Supportive Housing – DOWNLOAD SESSION MATERIALS, SIPPRA Funding Overview
Adrian Brown, JD, US Department of Justice
Housing is the Key – The enforcement of federal civil rights laws surrounding housing issues for persons with serious mental illness
DOWNLOAD – Department of Justice Olmstead Enforcement and the case for Supported Housing
DOWNLOAD – Hyde Report on Oregon Performance Plan – March 2017
DOWNLOAD – Oregon Performance Plan Semi-Annual Narrative Report – July 2018
DOWNLOAD – Olmstead v LC
DOWNLOAD – Oregon Performance Plan for Mental Health Services
DOWNLOAD – USDOJ letter to Oregon closing investigation
