Clinical care and rehabilitation of homeless individuals with mental illnesses

Abstract

Homeless mentally ill (HMI) individuals suffer from complex issues. Care for HMI people is an urgent challenge to mental health professionals and is a global problem. Clinical care and rehabilitation of HMI individuals are important and essential with respect to the person’s rights and with regard to ensuring a high-quality healthcare service. The clinical outcomes and rehabilitation of HMI individuals are likely to be influenced by multiple factors such as favourable treatment outcomes, recovery from mental illness, employment, social support, stable housing options, assertive community treatment, integrated physical and mental health services, community-based care, and finally national and local health policies and proactive legislations. Based on the HMI population’s research-driven specific needs, there is a need for developing optimal models of social care and rehabilitation for the HMI individuals in every country. The comprehensive care system for HMI individuals should provide individualized, tailor-made, community-based outreach, based on local and social resources. There is a need for prospective studies for the HMI individuals that can influence public policy. It is important to collaborate with different stakeholders from the community including the public sector, ministries of housing, health, social welfare, labour, women and child development, law and non-governmental organizations, rehabilitation centres, judiciary, and psychiatric facilities to ensure and enhance the quality of services for these very vulnerable individuals.