SAMHSA 2005 Budget

 

    Center For Mental Health Services
    Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)

    (Dollars in thousands)

Authorizing Legislation - Section 535 of the PHS Act:
FY 2004
 +/- 
FY 2003
Final
FY 2005
FY 2004
 
Actual
Conference
Estimate
Final Conf.
         
B. A.
$43,073
$49,760
$55,251
+$5,491

2005 Authorization Expired

Purpose and Method of Operation

The PATH formula grant program, established in 1991, supports SAMHSA's Capacity goal by expanding the availability of services to homeless individuals with serious mental illnesses. The program directly supports the Secretary's Initiative as well as SAMHSA's Homelessness priority area.

PATH is designed to provide community support services to individuals with serious mental illness who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. PATH is a formula grant program to States and U.S. Territories to provide (through local governmental entities or private nonprofit organizations) support services including outreach, screening and diagnostic treatment, community mental health services, alcohol and drug treatment, supervisory services in a residential setting; and referrals to other needed services.

The formula calculates State allotments based on the population living in urbanized areas. These population data are updated after each census. This program requires matching funds of $l to every $3 of federal funds. In FY 2001, State and local matching funds were more than three times the required amount. PATH programs have been highly successful in targeting assistance to persons who have the most serious impairments.

Accomplishments

Existing funds will support grants to link hard-to-reach persons who are homeless with mental health treatment and housing, regardless of the severity and duration of their illness.

(TBR: To be reported)

FY 2000

FY 2001

FY 2002

FY 2003

FY 2004

FY 2005

Funding ($ in millions)

$30.883

$36.855

$39.855

$43.073

$49.760

$55.251

Increase persons contacted (FY96 baseline 105,000)

Target: 117,000 Actual: 109,000

Target: 124,000 Actual: 125,730

Target: 132,500 Actual: TBR 7/04

Target: 137,000 Actual: TBR 7/05

Target: 147,000 Actual: TBR 7/06

Target: 154,500 Actual: TBR 7/07

Increase percent contacted enrolled (FY96 baseline 41%)

Target 33%
Actual:42%

Target 35%
Actual:43%

Target 39%
Actual: TBR 7/04

Target 41%
Actual: TBR 7/05

Target: 44%
Actual: TBR 7/06

Target: 47%
Actual: TBR 7/07

Program data indicate that 419 local agencies and/or counties utilized FY 2001 PATH funding. Adults in the age range 18-64 comprised 96 percent of the clients enrolled in services. 33 percent were African-American; 9 percent were of Hispanic origin. 50 percent of clients who were homeless at first contact had been homeless for more than 30 days. Clients receiving PATH-funded services reach individuals with some of the most disabling mental disorders. For the States reporting diagnostic information, the most common diagnoses were schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (41 percent), and affective disorders (41 percent) including severe depression and bipolar disorder. 57 percent of clients had co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders.

Funding levels for the past five fiscal years were as follows:

Funding FTEs

2000.... $30,883,000 ---
2001.... 36,855,000 ---
2002.... 39,855,000 ---
2003.... 43,073,000 ---
2004.... 49,760,000 ---

Rationale for the Budget Request
The FY 2005 budget proposes $55.251 million, an increase of approximately $5 million over the final FY 2004 conference level. Each State will receive a minimum of $300,000 and each Territory will receive a minimum of $50,000. As a result of increased program funding and successful program performance, the target for individuals to be served in FY 2005 has been raised from 147,000 to 154,500 (7,500 additional individuals contacted) and the target for those contacted who become enrolled in services has been raised from 44% to 47%.

The PATH Program was one of the SAMHSA programs selected for review with the OMB Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) reported in the FY 2004 budget. The program scored well and was considered "Moderately Effective". As a component of this assessment, SAMHSA established, with DHHS and OMB, long-term measures for the program to track and improve program performance:

  • Increase the percentage of contacted homeless persons with serious mental illnesses who are enrolled in services (Five year target: 47%; FY 2000 actual: 42%)

  • Increase the percentage of enrolled homeless persons with serious mental illness who receive community mental health services (Five year target: 65%; FY 2000 actual: 44%)

  • Maintain the cost for enrolling a person into services (Five year target: $668.00; FY 2000 actual: $668.00)
FY 2004
FY 2003
Final
FY 2005
Increase or
STATE/TERRITORY
Actual
Conference
Estimate
Decrease
Alabama
$369,000
$437,000
$492,000
+55,000
Alaska
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Arizona
744,000
879,000
991,000
+112,000
Arkansas
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
California
5,704,000
6,741,000
7,595,000
+854,000
Colorado
612,000
723,000
815,000
+92,000
Connecticut
542,000
641,000
722,000
+81,000
Delaware
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
District of Columbia
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Florida
2,566,000
3,032,000
3,416,000
+384,000
Georgia
955,000
1,128,000
1,271,000
+143,000
Hawaii
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Idaho
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Illinois
1,854,000
2,192,000
2,469,000
+277,000
Indiana
650,000
768,000
865,000
+97,000
Iowa
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Kansas
300,000
300,000
306,000
+6,000
Kentucky
300,000
352,000
397,000
+45,000
Louisiana
483,000
571,000
643,000
+72,000
Maine
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Maryland
809,000
956,000
1,077,000
+121,000
Massachusetts
1,073,000
1,269,000
1,429,000
+160,000
Michigan
1,253,000
1,481,000
1,668,000
+187,000
Minnesota
516,000
610,000
688,000
+78,000
Mississippi
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Missouri
589,000
696,000
784,000
+88,000
Montana
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Nebraska
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Nevada
319,000
377,000
425,000
+48,000
New Hampshire
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
New Jersey
1,476,000
1,745,000
1,966,000
+221,000
New Mexico
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
New York
2,952,000
3,489,000
3,932,000
+443,000
North Carolina
716,000
846,000
954,000
+108,000
North Dakota
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Ohio
1,392,000
1,645,000
1,854,000
+209,000
Oklahoma
300,000
334,000
376,000
+42,000
Oregon
376,000
445,000
501,000
+56,000
Pennsylvania
1,563,000
1,848,000
2,082,000
+234,000
Rhode Island
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
South Carolina
357,000
422,000
475,000
+53,000
South Dakota
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Tennessee
565,000
667,000
752,000
+85,000
Texas
2,818,000
3,331,000
3,752,000
+421,000
Utah
333,000
393,000
443,000
+50,000
Vermont
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Virginia
897,000
1,061,000
1,195,000
+134,000
Washington
820,000
969,000
1,091,000
+122,000
West Virginia
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
Wisconsin
541,000
640,000
721,000
+81,000
Wyoming
300,000
300,000
300,000
---
     Subtotal, States
$40,444,000
$46,688,000
$51,847,000
+5,159,000
Puerto Rico
662,000
782,000
882,000
+100,000
American Samoa
50,000
50,000
50,000
---
Guam
50,000
50,000
50,000
---
Northern Mariana Islands
50,000
50,000
50,000
---
Virgin Islands
50,000
50,000
50,000
---
     Subtotal, Territories
$862,000
$982,000
$1,082,000
$100,000
Total States/Territories
$41,306,000
$47,670,000
$52,929,000
+5,259,000
SAMHSA Set-Aside
1,767,000
2,090,000
2,322,000
+232,000
TOTAL, PATH
$43,073,000
$49,760,000
$55,251,000
+$5,491,000
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness

Rating: Moderately Effective

Program Type: Block/Formula Grants

Program Summary:

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) makes formula grants to states to provide outreach, mental health and other supportive services to homeless individuals with serious mental illness.

The assessment indicates:

1. PATH is not entirely unique, but is designed to have a significant impact.

2. The program purpose is clear and commonly held by interested parties.

3. As required by the authorizing legislation, PATH supports an evaluation every three years to ensure expenditures are consistent with the authorization and to recommend changes in program design and operations.

4. Evaluations have found PATH succeeds at targeting homeless individuals with serious mental illness. For example, the 2000 evaluation found 35% of clients who
received funded services were diagnosed with schizophrenia or some other psychotic disorder and an additional 30% were diagnosed with an effective
disorder such as major depression or bipolar disorder.

5. The program has adopted useful and ambitious long-term and annual performance measures and is managed well overall.

6. The program's existing data indicate progress toward meeting newly adopted long-term performance measures.

7. The program can take additional steps to improve administrative efficiency, but operates with a relatively limited number of employees and has some procedures
in place to be more efficient, such as electronic application and grantee reporting.

In response to these findings, the Administration:

1. Proposes a $3 million increase above the 2003 Budget, which is a 26% increase above 2002.

2. Will track and improve program performance using newly developed long-term outcome and efficiency measures.

Program Funding Level (in millions of dollars)

2002 Actual 2003 Estimate 2004 Estimate

40
47
50
  • See Also:

PART Corrective Action Plan