Urban Peak Collaborates with The Mile High Council to help youth “Beat the Street”

(UP TO DATE Newsletter - Winter/Spring 2009)

Urban Peak greatly values its partnerships with the many individuals and organizations that help us provide the best possible service for our young people. In January, Urban Peak teamed up with The Mile High Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (The Council) to assist homeless youth in accessing mental health and substance abuse services. The partnership is a result of grant monies received from the US Department of Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The purpose of the project, called “Beat the Street,” is the development of comprehensive drug/alcohol and mental health treatment systems for persons who are homeless. During the project’s first year, Beat the Street will provide intensive or weekly outpatient treatment, strengths-based case management and supportive housing to 30 clients. In each subsequent year, these services will be provided to 50 homeless or runaway youth.

“It gives me great pleasure to partner with an organization that dedicates its mission to those youth struggling with drugs, mental health, and other
challenging situations,” says Robert “Bob” Dorshimer, Executive Director of The Council. “The purpose of this grant is to reduce young adults and those aging out of the child welfare system from the possibility of becoming chronically homeless. Catching the problem early and connecting the young people into substance abuse and mental health treatment as well as providing stable housing is key to reducing this problem. Given the shortage of treatment dollars available, Denver and the State of Colorado have been given a tremendous opportunity to address this vulnerable population. With added support staff and a new location dedicated to the ‘Beat the Street’ we are prepared to accept the challenges of this new program.”

The dynamic and often volatile intersection of mental illness and substance abuse has become an increasing dilemma in this country in the past few decades. Youth with mental health problems are more likely than those in the general population to use alcohol or drugs. Almost 43% of youth who receive mental health services in the United States have been diagnosed with a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Substance use problems are a complicating factor for many persons who experience mental illness. Dually-diagnosed youth are at greater risk for homelessness because they tend to have more severe mental symptoms, to deny both their mental illness and their substance use problems, to refuse treatment and medication, and to abuse multiple substances. Untreated, they may be antisocial, aggressive, and sometimes violent, and have high rates of suicidal behavior and ideation. Once homeless, people with co-occurring disorders have more problems, are often unable to benefit from services, and are more likely to remain homeless than other groups of people. They are more likely to be homeless longer and living in harsher conditions, and to suffer greater distress, demoralization, and alienation from their families.

Homeless youth and young adults present challenges to homeless service providers, in part due to their mental, social and physical developmental issues, which are very different from older adults.

Homelessness introduces these young people to a street economy and culture that includes drug use, survival sex and other forms of exploitation — all of which contribute to a culture of mistrust. At the same time, mental health and substance abuse concerns and other developmental challenges further complicate their lives. As a result, homeless and runaway youth are traditionally reluctant to access services through the shelter or social services systems. In addition, most do not have access to health insurance coverage. Free or low cost benefit programs, such as Medicaid, require applicants to document their residence or mailing address, and few homeless young people are able to secure employment that provides health coverage. This combination of reluctance to seek services and lack of insurance coverage makes it difficult to document their health concerns and problems, often resulting in health emergencies.

While Denver’s social service landscape is fortunate to have a number of providers who serve homeless persons with co-occurring disorders, only Urban Peak and The Council have significant experience addressing the unique and challenging needs of the young adult age group between 17 and 24 years old. Along with Urban Peak’s 20 years experience working with homeless and runaway youth, The Council brings more than 45 years of substance abuse experience to this project.

In the partnership arrangement, The Council shall serve as the fiscal agent for the Beat the Street project, and Urban Peak Denver will refer youth to The Council for substance abuse, mental health, or co-occurring treatment. Urban Peak will also provide street outreach and case management to youth on the streets of Denver and identify those with substance abuse and/or mental health disorders and conduct psycho-social and mental health assessments to homeless young people who are appropriate candidates for the Beat the Street program.

The team will collaborate at different community events and coordinate services to serve the Beat the Street clients.

“This is a great opportunity to expand our collaboration,” says Kendall Rames, Deputy Director/Director of Programs for Urban Peak, “and provide more extensive mental health services, in addition to the substance abuse services that are already available to our young people through The Council.”

Next year, Urban Peak will also collaborates with The Council and Mental Health Centers of Denver to provide intervention and treatment for those young people of color who have HIV or are at risk of HIV. This program is also possible because of a grant from SAMHSA and will be conducted through Urban Peak’s Street Outreach Program.