Created under the McKinney-Vento Act, The PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) Program, is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories to support service delivery to individuals with serious

mental illnesses A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

, as well as individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are

homeless Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

or at risk of becoming homeless. The

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; pronounced ) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). SAMHSA is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitati ...

(SAMHSA) provides technical assistance to states and local providers funded by the PATH program. This includes on-site consultation, collection of annual reporting data, the development of an annual report to Congress, holding bi-annual meetings of PATH contacts, and identifying and disseminating

best practice A best practice is a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to alternatives because it tends to produce superior results. Best practices are used to achieve quality as an alternative to mandatory standards. Best practice ...

s from the program. The PATH Consumer Involvement Workgroup's guiding vision was to encourage PATH programs to employ mental health consumers with homelessness experience as direct care staff.

External links

PATH Program Home page

Consumer Involvement in the Path Program

PATH State Contacts
Mental health in the United States Homelessness in the United States {{US-org-stub

See also

External links