SAMHSA Welcome message. This inspiring discussion will feature what we know about the highly diverse populations who are experiencing homelessness and what works in terms of services and housing for these clients. This session will set the stage for the rest of the symposium with a focus on diversity in terms of culture, age, serious mental illness, substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, trauma, and other individual factors.

People experiencing homelessness have many vulnerabilities and complex histories. This session will provide insight into understanding personal sociocultural environments and biases. Speakers will provide real-world strategies for creating a person-centered approach to providing support and helping clients understand and address their individual needs, including needs regarding medical, psychological, and social conditions.

The golden key is one that ends homelessness by opening the door to a home. This session will showcase current strategies and interventions that support overcoming individual barriers to housing. Presenters will discuss programs working with people living with mental and/or substance use disorders to support tenancy, including finding housing resources, conducting targeted outreach to highly vulnerable people, and providing care.

How can we make crisis services available in the unsheltered community? This session will focus on strategies to reach, engage, and support individuals overcoming crises, including the use of coordinated teams and innovative access strategies. Presenters will integrate research with practical experience, tips, and case presentations to provide a dynamic and inspirational session.

How does homelessness affect people at different points in their lives? This session will provide guidance on effective interventions specific to people experiencing homelessness, spanning the entire life cycle. Presenters will highlight two populations of focus: youth with complex needs and older adults/seniors. Presenters will draw from their personal experiences and on-the-ground research to provide innovative approaches.

Many people receiving assistance for homelessness have experienced the loss of a stable foundation upon which to build a meaningful life. This session will probe solutions and housing innovations designed to bridge life in shelter, treatment, or corrections systems back to permanent housing and community. Presenters may share examples drawing upon work underway with unsheltered populations, as well as youth.

What is the intersection between homelessness and opioid use? This session will identify crisis points and effective responses. Speakers will discuss promising overdose prevention strategies, the needs of individuals released from the corrections systems, and low-threshold access to buprenorphine—all geared toward helping individuals move into recovery and housing.

This final session will put our work in context. Grounded in lived experiences, presenters will share innovations in delivering recovery-oriented services and supports to those at the intersection of homelessness, serious mental illness, and substance use disorders. Bring your hope and your action steps to this session, so we can share a vision for the future.