Many mainstream mental health service providers are not equipped to handle the complex social and health conditions that the homeless population presents. Many mainstream mental health providers are not typically linked to the full range of health, housing, social, and maintenance services that homeless persons with mental disorders require for recovery and residential stability. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allocate funds on a formula basis to all 50 states and the territories that submit applications for the funds. States with larger urban populations receive additional amounts. States are required to match at least one dollar for every three federal dollars as a condition for receiving federal funds.
States use funds to make awards to community-based organizations for service delivery.
The target population is homeless persons and persons at imminent risk of homelessness with serious mental disorders or co-occurring addictive and mental disorders. The PATH program does not duplicate mainstream health systems, but rather offers community mental health centers and homeless organizations additional resources to provide homeless persons a gateway into and extensions of such mainstream systems. Thus, homeless persons' services needs are distinguishable from the needs of other groups. Finite resources should be directed to persons most in need. Persons without housing are among the most economically disenfranchised and medically underserved of all groups.