Part of SAMHSA’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) series, this manual provides best-practice guidelines for practitioners offering mental health and substance use disorder treatment services to individuals experiencing homelessness. It defines types of intervention and prevention, stages of recovery, and forms of treatment through discussion and vignettes, as well as a literature review.

This recorded webcast describes an incident involving a person in Texas who was experiencing homelessness when he got sick with Ebola virus disease in 2014. The webcast features firsthand experiences, lessons learned, and best practices for disaster behavioral health services in relation to Ebola and other public health emergencies.

Developed for emergency planners and providers of services for people experiencing homelessness, this resource reviews research on disaster vulnerability and highlights the importance of adapting disaster planning to best serve at-risk populations. Expert guidance provided in this consultation includes suggestions for supporting population-specific needs and managing service reductions.

Developed for programs serving people experiencing homelessness, this fact sheet offers information and guidance for supporting youth who are homeless and who have a trauma history, which may include traumatic experience associated with disaster. It includes a definition of complex trauma and explores its effects on youth experiencing homelessness, offering providers recommendations for conducting intake assessment and providing ongoing care.

Developed for shelter staff members, this fact sheet provides guidance for supporting families and children experiencing homelessness. It includes a definition of complex trauma, which may involve trauma linked to a disaster, and explores its effects on caregivers and children who are homeless, offering recommendations for providing support.

Created for healthcare professionals providing services to individuals or communities affected by disaster events, this recorded webinar explores special considerations that must be addressed for community members who have previous trauma experience or impacts and struggle with homelessness or poverty. It highlights the need for Mental Health First Aid and explores the differences between disaster trauma and other traumatic experiences.

This adaptation of the psychological first aid model is designed to be used when working with youth who are experiencing homelessness. The guide provides a framework and a model for direct care staff working in drop-in centers, emergency and transitional shelters, and group homes so they can better understand and address the needs of homeless youth who are often impacted by trauma.

This guide provides an adaptation of the psychological first aid model that shelter providers can use when working with families experiencing homelessness.

This web page provides information on housing and homelessness resources and opportunities available to community members facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other concurrent disasters. It features resources describing housing, legal, and funding aids from federal and local governments available for individuals in need.

This brief explores challenges faced by youth experiencing homelessness and defines trauma and related consequences, such as substance use, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. It includes treatment considerations for mental health and substance use disorder service and treatment professionals when working with youth experiencing homelessness who are coping with trauma or retraumatization.

This resource highlights ways that emergency management plans fail to meet the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and offers guidance for local officials, emergency planners, homeless service providers, and others involved in disaster planning. It provides strategies for addressing barriers people experiencing homelessness face, including lack of transportation and ability to evacuate, health status, and communication issues.

This web page includes information and resources related to students experiencing homelessness and disasters, with a focus on helping students cope and connecting schools to displaced students. It features a series of briefs about the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and how it can help students and families displaced by disaster, as well as links to resources from federal agencies and nonprofit organizations.

This toolkit provides guidance for building an inclusive emergency management system and highlights the importance of collaboration between and among healthcare professionals, emergency managers and public health officials, and professionals who provide services to individuals experiencing homelessness. It offers resources and strategies for addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness during disasters.

This comprehensive toolkit provides communities with information and resources to develop a disaster response and recovery plan that addresses the needs of community members experiencing homelessness. The toolkit features information regarding stakeholders; data regarding homelessness; provider networks; and checklists of key actions for disaster planners to consider before, during, and after disasters.

This web page includes information and resources related to using a trauma-informed approach when serving individuals experiencing homelessness. It explores the rates of trauma in the community of people who are homeless and provides guidance for supporting this community during disaster planning and response.

An essential element to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness during disasters is to establish communication and provide successful outreach. This recorded presentation provides guidelines for reaching people experiencing homelessness effectively through case illustrations and the application of five clinical principles of care.

Created for service providers supporting individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, this web page includes regularly updated key points regarding best practices for ensuring staff, volunteer, and client safety. It includes facility layout, ventilation, and procedural considerations to ensure communities of people who are homeless are supported and providers are safe.

This regularly updated web page highlights guidance and considerations for providing services and supports to individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resource highlights the need for community-wide planning and explores considerations for establishing communication, providing services for unsheltered individuals, and supporting outreach staff while maintaining safety precautions.

Companion animals are often essential for individuals experiencing homelessness to reduce stress and enhance resilience. This resource provides best practice guidance for treating this bond as a family unit when providing individuals experiencing homelessness with services, shelter, and support during disasters.

This web page compiles numerous resources for individuals experiencing homelessness seeking housing and food assistance, health and safety support, and disaster support. The collection includes national and local agencies readily available to provide for people experiencing homelessness through hotlines, food banks, treatment centers, and more.

This guide offers staff at service provider organizations best practices and tools for building engagement with individuals experiencing homelessness and successfully involving them in services and programs. It describes principles and roles of outreach, highlights possible challenges, and offers strategies for effective outreach.

This manual presents an adaptation of Psychological First Aid for professionals working with individuals and families experiencing homelessness. It includes information on trauma and strategies for shelter staff members to gather information, address immediate needs, and connect families with social supports. The manual includes worksheets and examples to refer to when offering services.

This manual presents an adaptation of Psychological First Aid for professionals working with youth experiencing homelessness. It explores childhood trauma and offers strategies for establishing engagement, offering practical assistance, and creating a safe space. The manual includes worksheets and examples to refer to when offering services.

Developed for emergency shelter staff members, this manual provides worksheets and checklists for agencies to develop a disaster plan that best serves youth experiencing homelessness. The activities encourage staff to consider various topics such as community demographics, record maintenance, evacuation plans, and staff preparedness.

Individuals experiencing homelessness often experience traumas that cause them to be especially vulnerable during disasters. This manual defines trauma and highlights the need for a trauma-informed approach when providing services and support to communities that have survived trauma.