Resolve, To Reduce Homelessness for People with Mental Illness or . . . Dual Diagnoses
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1376
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: ADAMS

Legislative Document 
No. 1376 
H.P.966. 
House of Representatives, April 2, 2009 
Resolve, To Reduce Homelessness for People with Mental Illness or 
. . 
. 
Dual Diagnoses 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative ADAMS of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Representative STUCKEY ·of Portland. 
Primed llll recycled p<lpl:l' 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Sec. 1. Definitions. Resolved: As used in tills resolve, the following tenus have 
the following meanings: 
1. Client. "Client" means a person from the target population who participates in the 
. -_._ .. _. 4--·······_·program;·--· ........ _ ............ . 
2. Program. "Program" means a pilot program to demonstrate the effec~iveness of a 
strategy to end homelessness for individuals in the target population by providing stable 
housing and long-term support; and 
3. Target population. 
"Target population" means the population of homeless 
individuals 'in the State who have been diagnosed with mental illness or dually diagnosed 
with mental illness and chemical dependency; and be it further 
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Sec. 2. 
Department of Health and Human Services to conduct pilot 
program. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall 
conduct the program and make the program a priority when directing rental assistance 
resources; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Program goals. Resolved: 
That the program's goal is to provide 
permanent housing and an adequate support network for the target population through 
caseworkers engaging and providing case management and support for the target 
population. A caseworker may have no more than 20 clients and will provide services in 
a fluid manner, beginning with emergency crisis services for each client and following 
each client into the community, consistent with Maine's Plan to End and Prevent 
Homelessness adopted March 11, 2008 by the Maine State Housing Authority's Statewide 
Homeless Council; and be it further 
Sec. 4. Program details. Res(}lved: That the program will last 2 years and serve 
clients who live in both urban and rural settings with 9 caseworkers who will be 
assigned 20 clients apiece. The caseworkers shall place each client in stable housing by 
distributing to each client a rental assistance vqucher provided by the Maine State 
Housing Authority, the Department of Health and Human Serviees, the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development or any other entity. After placing a 
client in housing, the caseworker shall provide outreach and support to maintain the 
stability of the client's housing and serve other issues that the Client may have for the term 
of the pilot program. The program shall place one caseworker each in Presque Isle, 
Bangor, Lewiston, Augusta, Waterville, York and the Greater Portland area and 2 
caseworkers in Portland; and·be it further 
, 
Sec. 5. Rules. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services 
may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this resolve. Rules adopted pursuant to tills 
section are routine technical rules pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A. 
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SUMMARY 
This resolve directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a 2-
year pilot program to demonstrate the effectiveness· of placing homeless individual.s who 
have been diagnosed with mental illness or dually diagnosed with mental illness and 
chemical dependency in stable housing and providing long-term support in accordance 
with Maine's Plan to End and .Prevent Homelessness adopted March 11, 2008 by the 
Maine State Housing Authority's Statewide Ijomeless Council. The program involves 9 
caseworkers serving 20 clients each in finding the clients stable housi~g using rental 
assistance vouchers and continuing outreach and support to the clients for the term of the 
program.