Consultant recommends H4 enhance mental health services, consider renaming to reduce stigma

Windsor city council has selected 700 Wellington Ave., seen on April 30, 2024, as the future home of Windsor's Homelessness and Housing Help Hub on a permanent basis. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

An evaluation of Windsor's Homelessness and Housing Help Hub recommends H4 enhance access to mental health services, implement supportive housing programs and consider a name change to reduce the stigma associated with its offerings.

A report by OrgCode Consulting Inc. being presented to Windsor city council Monday makes nine recommendations aimed at improving H4's effectiveness in serving its clients.

According to the report, the average age of an H4 user is 42 years old.

The user base is diverse, with 51 per cent identifying as white, 31 per cent as Black, 11 per cent as Indigenous and seven per cent as bi- or multi-racial.

Nearly half of H4 users are classified as having higher needs or higher acuity, often facing chronic homelessness, mental health issues, or substance use disorders.

Many have experienced repeated episodes of homelessness, with about 34 per cent reporting being homeless five or more times.

"The hope and intention should be for each H4 service user to realize stable housing with appropriate supports and no longer need H4, or to use H4 significantly less," the report said.

The evaluation notes more than 90 per cent of individuals living outdoors have had interactions with the criminal justice system.

In light of these findings, the consultant report makes multiple recommendations to better support H4 clients.

One key recommendation is the development of supportive housing options for H4 clients.

"H4 service users are primarily living in extreme economic poverty and need a permanent place to call home that they can afford on an ongoing basis," the report reads. "Over 80 per cent of H4 service users would like to have ongoing case management supports once they move into housing. There is an acknowledgment amongst people served that supports are necessary in order to sustain housing going forward."

According to the report, there are two key criteria that supportive housing must meet: that it is affordable and incites "customized support services to help the household remain housed."

"People living in supportive housing tend to achieve overall life stability, are more resilient to respond to adverse life events, can focus on recovery, see their health, mental health and substance use improve, and realize personal goals," the report reads.

The establishment of a Persons with Lived Experience (PWLE) Advisory Group is another significant recommendation.

"This will assist with policy and procedure improvements, program improvements, and improvements to engagement and activities at H4," the report reads.

According to the report, a PWLE advisory group would:

• help reinforce a culture of inclusion at H4
• create opportunities for input on an ongoing basis, thereby assisting with continuous improvement
• enhance trust between service providers and service recipients
• provide training and mentorship opportunities for people that participate in the advisory group
• empower and share responsibility for the ongoing intended success

The report states that this group would provide valuable insights into the needs and preferences of H4 clients, ensuring that services are tailored to their specific situations.

"While engagement has been attempted with community-based organizations and health care organizations that deliver services to people living with mental illness, the presence of staff at H4 with expertise in these areas has not been sustained," the report said.

The evaluation also emphasizes the need for improved mental health services at H4.

The report notes that a considerable number of clients report serious mental health challenges, making access to mental health support essential for promoting recovery and stability.

"People that use H4 want access to mental health services and most of the entities that provide services at H4 identified mental health services, both rapid response and longer-term supports and counselling, as glaringly missing."

Furthermore, trauma counseling is highlighted as an important recommendation, as many H4 clients have experienced significant trauma.

Targeted counseling services can assist them in processing their experiences and building resilience, according to the report.

Additionally, the report recommends improving assistance with document replacement and storage for clients, noting that many individuals lack essential identification documents necessary for accessing services and securing housing.

Renaming H4 to reduce stigma is another suggestion. According to the report, the inclusion of homeless in the facility's title can create a stigma which prevents people from accessing services.

"It may be more beneficial and less stigmatizing to, going forward, refer to the resource as something like the Holistic Housing Help Hub given the multi-service nature of resources that operate at the facility," the report said.

Back in April, the City of Windsor approved the H4 to move to a yet-to-be-built property on 700 Wellington Ave. on a permanent basis. It has been operating out of the former Water World building since April 2020 — as a way of responding to homelessness during the pandemic.

The Water World building was always meant to be a temporary site for the H4.