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Abstract
The Community Living Supports (CLS) and Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI) are community-based programs that support people with severe mental illness to live and participate in the community, the way that they want to. The programs offer psychosocial support, tenancy support and, where appropriate, clinical mental health services. Many consumers are also supported to access secure housing. CLS-HASI are statewide programs funded by the NSW Ministry of Health (Ministry) and delivered locally through partnerships between local health district (LHD) mental health services and specialist mental health Community Managed Organisations (CMOs). The programs also have a strong partnership with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and community housing providers for social housing. The Ministry commissioned the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) to evaluate the CLS-HASI programs. The evaluation involved two rounds of qualitative interviews and focus groups, as well as the analysis of quantitative program data and statewide outcomes data about consumers. It ran from November 2017 to January 2020. CLS-HASI supported 5,533 consumers in the study period from 2015 to 2019. Most consumers were in the programs for only part of this period. The average time in CLS-HASI was 10.7 months. Overall, the evaluation shows that CLS-HASI is generally working well, achieving its goals and is cost effective. At a broad summary level: • Consumers liked the programs, and most experienced positive outcomes – overall the programs improved wellbeing, helped people better manage their mental health, enhanced aspects of consumers’ physical health and increased opportunities for social inclusion. • Consumer contact with community mental health services decreased by 10% in the first year in CLS-HASI and was 63.7% less if they remained in the programs for more than one year. • Hospital admissions due to mental health decreased by 74% following program entry, and the average length of stay decreased by 74.8% over two years. This improvement was sustained after consumers exited the programs. • Consumers with a new charge in the criminal justice system and with community corrections orders dropped to almost zero in the year after program entry.
