WASHINGTON, DC. In an unprecedented collaborative effort to help ensure that people with mental illness have every opportunity for recovery, six cabinet level departments - Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration have detailed 70 specific steps in a mental health action agenda, "Transforming Mental Health Care in America. The Federal Action Agenda: First Steps". The agenda is the beginning of a multi- year effort to alter the form and function of the mental health system. HHS also announced the creation of a Federal Executive Steering Committee to guide the work of mental health system transformation. SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. HHS Secretary Leavitt is pictured here.

"The Action Agenda makes an important contribution for Americans with mental health-related disabilities," Secretary Mike Leavitt said. "The Action Agenda details the initial steps the federal government is taking to transform the form and function of the mental health service delivery system in America. HHS and its partners across the federal government are committed to a shared goal of collaborating to fundamentally change the way the nation's mental health care system currently functions."

The new Federal Agenda is part of the work of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health established by President Bush by Executive Order in 2002. President Bush directed the Commission to focus on community-level models of care that effectively coordinate the multiple health and human service providers and public and private payers involved in mental health treatment and delivery of services; focus on those policies that maximize the utility of existing resources by increasing cost- effectiveness and reducing unnecessary and burdensome regulatory barriers; consider how mental health research findings can be used most effectively to influence the delivery of services; follow the principles of Federalism, and ensure that its recommendations promote innovation, flexibility, and accountability at all levels of government and respect the constitutional role of the States and Indian tribes.

"The Action Agenda is not a 'quick fix' for the problems that have ailed the mental health care system for decades. It is a living document that begins to chart the course for the long term," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie, which has lead in the development of the federal action agenda. He continued, "The public sector is the major financial driver in mental health care and transformation is a shared responsibility. Federal agencies must act as leaders, partners, and facilitators. States, however, will be the centers of action for system transformation. Many have already begun this critical work. Their leadership in planning, financing, service delivery and evaluation of consumer and family-driven services will significantly advance the transformation agenda."

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Legislative Director Andrew Sperling welcomed the new Action Agenda: "This interagency initiative, combined with concrete goals and objectives that will be measured over time, is an enormous accomplishment."

Highlights of the Mental Health Action Agenda include: reinforcing the message that mental illnesses and emotional disturbances are treatable and that recovery is the expectation; helping states develop the infrastructure necessary to formulate and implement comprehensive state mental health plans that include the capacity to create individualized plans of care that promote resilience and recovery; expanding the "Science-to-Services" agenda to develop new toolkits outlining evidence-based practices for use by providers, administrators, educators, and consumers; increasing the employment of people with psychiatric disabilities; and designing and initiating an electronic health records and information system that will help providers and consumers better manage mental health care and that will protect the privacy and confidentiality of consumers' health information.

Highlights of the Mental Health Action Agenda include: reinforcing the message that mental illnesses and emotional disturbances are treatable and that recovery is the expectation; helping states develop the infrastructure necessary to formulate and implement comprehensive state mental health plans that include the capacity to create individualized plans of care that promote resilience and recovery; expanding the "Science-to-Services" agenda to develop new toolkits outlining evidence-based practices for use by providers, administrators, educators, and consumers; increasing the employment of people with psychiatric disabilities; and designing and initiating an electronic health records and information system that will help providers and consumers better manage mental health care and that will protect the privacy and confidentiality of consumers' health information.

WASHINGTON, DC. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), working to achieve the President's goals of reducing drug use among all Americans by 10 percent in two years and 25 percent in five years, is directly engaging local officials and concerned citizens in 25 of America's largest cities. By meeting with local leaders and developing teams of local citizens and officials to identify problems they can address, the 25-Cities Initiative will work with the leadership of 25 targeted cities-particularly in the areas of drug prevention, drug treatment, and public safety-to enhance cooperation, and to identify and accomplish significant improvement in certain key measures of drug use in each city. Cities in the initiative are Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, DC.

With virtually all the ONDCP target cities also representing mayors who have made commitments to develop 10-Year Plans, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has recently begun conversations with initiative officials to identify points of coordination in their efforts. According to ONDCP, each city in the 25-Cities Initiative has its own unique set of challenges when it comes to substance abuse. Likewise, each city possesses a range of tools that reflect current efforts to reduce drug use, including law enforcement, druginterdiction, education, treatment, and community-based coalitions. Some cities also have drug courts, student drug testing programs, a strong political commitment to reducing drug use, and coordination between law enforcement and prevention. The Office of National Drug Control Policy also hopes to identify successful initiatives at the local level that can be replicated as best practices in other cities.

ONDCP's purpose in working with these cities is to reduce drug use in each city by encouraging cities to use proven techniques in expanding their efforts to reduce drug use, promoting coordination among all segments of the community, and assisting in the gathering and maintenance of accurate data to reflect the current state of drug use in each city. The ONDCP effort focuses on reducing the prevalence of drug use in certain key measures, such as arrestee drug use data, emergency room drug mentions, price and purity of drugs, and effectiveness of drug courts in diverting appropriate persons into treatment.

TOPEKA, KANSAS. Observing that "Our homes provide us such comfort and many of us take for granted that everyone has a place to live," Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius last week signed an Executive Order creating the Kansas Interagency Council on Homelessness. Governor Sebelius named Steve Weatherford, President of the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, to head the new Council. Governor Sebelius is one of 53 Governors of States and Territories to move to establish a State Council.

Governor Sebelius' Executive Order notes that "consistent with the Governors' initiative for state government to work smarter and more efficiently while serving Kansans, it is imperative that a comprehensive and coordinated effort be developed so that strategies to alleviate and end homelessness in our State are implemented." The Kansas Council will draw upon existing resources to identify and prioritize efforts to prevent individuals and families from being homeless, engage in planning activities to utilize state agencies in the most efficient and effective manner to work toward eliminating homelessness, identifying and utilizing federal, state and other funding opportunities to address and alleviate homelessness within the State and will work to identify causes and effects of homelessness in the state in order to make informed recommendations to policymakers and other interested parties.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Regional Coordinator Michael German represented the Council at the event. The Council will bring together representatives from the Departments of Aging, Commerce, Corrections, Education, Health and Environment, Labor and Social and Rehabilitation Services, as well as the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, Human Rights Commission and the Juvenile Justice Authority. Various community organizations will also be invited to have a representative: the Veterans' Administration, the Independent Living Centers for Persons with Disabilities, Kansas Legal Services, Healthcare for the Homeless, the Kansas Association of Community Action Programs, the Kansas chapter for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the Kansas Association for the Medically underserved, the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition, the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, the Topeka Rescue Mission, Inter-faith Ministries' and Catholic Charities.

WACO, TEXAS. The Waco, Texas, Mayor's Homeless Planning Committee, which last week unveiled the City's new 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, entitled "Opening Doors, Unlocking Potential," enlisted the partnership of Baylor University to conduct new cost benefit analysis in support of the plan's focus. The academic institution contributed insights to the new plan on the use of homelessness resources in the community, as well as law enforcement and hospital costs.

Waco, whose chronically homeless population this year was estimated at 97, examined the economic costs and benefits of using resources to alleviate "core issues" rather than invest in short- term aid. According to the study that was completed in January 2005, homelessness cost the Waco an estimated $7.6 million annually, with a percentage of this figure derived from the City budget. Waco has estimated that every chronically homeless individual costs the community approximately $39,000 per year.

Estimates of current expenditures in response to homelessness were derived by averaging expenses over a three-year period. Researchers looked at non- profit services, estimated at $7.2 million, as well as local charitable giving, such as over $10,000 in food and services supplied by Wal-Mart. In addition, surveys of local police derived data on over $203,000 in costs for arrests, fines, patrol costs, and jail costs. National models were used to estimate hospital costs of over $71,000.

10-Year Plan leaders are lining up to visit the upcoming August 4 Project Homeless Connect, San Francisco's new and successful bimonthly event that encourages both the experienced volunteer and the concerned citizen to work directly with people experiencing homelessness in the streets of San Francisco and to help link them to needed services. Looking toward a planned December 8 National Project Homeless Connect Day being organized by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, cities across the country will use the upcoming August 4 event in San Francisco to see firsthand how their own communities can adopt this innovation.

Volunteers, trained and paired with more experienced workers, encourage homeless people to come to a "linkage station" where they can receive medical treatment, substance abuse and mental health counseling, legal services, sign up for food stamps, GA and SSI benefits, learn more about housing options and get food and other giveaways. Street Outreach workers go out in groups of 2 or 3 to engage clients and help bring them inside to connect with the City's web of social services. More on the National Day in future e-news releases. Is your city moving forward to participate? Contact Janna Jahn at USICH to get on board!

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-news reports on outcomes from federal initiatives targeted to preventing and ending chronic homelessness. LAST WEEK'S e-news reported on the current outcomes for the federal Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness, supported by investments from the United States Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs.

. . . that the United States Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) projects that more than 9,000 homeless veterans will enter employment as a result of the Department's 78 grants totaling $18.7 million that were recently awarded. The program provides homeless veterans with training, job search help and job placement assistance, including crucial follow-up, to expedite their reintegration into the labor force.

. . . that the DOL/HUD Demonstration Project, "Ending Chronic Homelessness Through Employment and Housing" funded in Indianapolis, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, OR, has just completed its first year of providing services to participants, with results showing 342 persons served and 243 chronically homeless persons placed in housing. Of those placed in housing, 31% were in unsubsidized employment and another third were engaged in vocational activities.

. . . that DOL awarded $4.5 million in housing assistance grants to serve migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Approximately $3.1 million will provide assistance with permanent housing, and $1.4 million will provide temporary and/or emergency housing assistance.

WITH THIS ISSUE, the e-newsletter continues its focus on opportunities to secure resources for homeless programs under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

WASHINGTON, DC. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission is holding site visits and hearings as it continues its work with an eye to its upcoming September deadlines for action. By September 8, the Commission must transmit to the President "a report containing its findings and conclusions based on a review and analysis of the Secretary's recommendations for closure and realignment." By September 23, the President shall transmit to the Commission and to the Congress, "a report containing the President's approval or disapproval of the Commission's recommendations."

Commission Chairman Anthony J. Principi, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Commission members are conducting site visits and hearings over the next few weeks. Among these are hearings in Washington, DC, on Thursday, August 4, at 1:00PM at Senate Hart Hearing Room 216 concerning Virginia's Oceana Naval Air Station; Monterey, California, on Monday, August 8, at 1:00PM at Monterey Convention Center, concerning Alaska, Colorado, and California sites; Washington, DC, on Wednesday, August 10, at 8:30AM, at Senate Hart Hearing Room 216, concerning Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, and Maine sites.

Site visits to areas being considered for realignment or closure will be conducted on July 28 in DC and Virginia; July 29 in Michigan and Alaska; August 1 in Texas and Virginia; August 2 in North Carolina, Ohio; August 3 in Indiana; August 4 in Colorado; and August 5 and 8 in California. More information on hearings and site visits is available at www. brac.gov

Local homeless planning partners will be interested in the opportunities presented by the closure and reuse process. The Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act (1994 Base Closure Act) addresses the use of military base property as surplus federal property on military bases. The Act requires consideration of the needs of persons experiencing homelessness during the redevelopment process.

Once the closures are announced, several early steps occur in the reuse process. Federal agencies can use the federal screening process to be the first to express interest in property over a 60 day period. During this period, a Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) must be formed in the community to address conversion of the property to other uses. As the LRA advances and conducts outreach, it will advertise to state and local governments and homeless services providers that the former base property is availability and that "notices of interest" will be received during a specified time period.

DOD maintains a web site of resources that can assist a variety of community partners in understanding and participating in the upcoming process, including accommodations to the needs of homeless people in the community. DOD's Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) is the primary source for assisting communities that are adversely impacted by such changes, including base closures or realignments, base expansions, and contract or program cancellations. To assist affected communities, OEA manages and directs the Defense Economic Adjustment Program, and coordinates the involvement of other Federal agencies. Under the 1994 Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act, DOD, in a joint process with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), also plays a role in the community's base reuse planning process and future homeless assistance.