Our focus at BTSS  is to address the systemic breakdown of support  provided to individuals dually diagnosed with mild to severe mental illness and developmental disabilities and its connection to homelessness in our community . BTSS provides each individual receiving MHSS a person centered approach of support and guidance needed to address their mental illness, but also bring to the forefront their strengths and abilities to understand while providing care. Our person-centered approach will also include assessments and individualized service plans to  address each individual ability to understand ;which will increase their chances to maintain  long-term stability in their community.

 

There has been a long-term disconnect in our community with addressing Mental Health CRISIS amongst individuals that are dually diagnosed with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Those dually diagnosed with mental illness as the primary diagnoses are of the vast majority of individuals in our community that are not being provided the best opportunity to receive the highest continuity of care of support to promote  independence and stability.

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Mental illness largely contributes to the inappropriate behaviors , increased hospitalizations , mass incarceration,labeling , and the enormous amount of paper trails that impede on a individuals chances to receive the best support.

 

Unless, individuals with dual diagnoses have a primary diagnoses of intellectual developmental disability, support needed  for training , education and housing , and other resources are not properly provided. They are left with no other options but to suffer in our communities through homelessness, no guidance,no education, no training , no community connections or funding that could help them become more independent and stable in their community.

 

Not to mention individuals dually diagnosed that have slipped through the system; whose behaviors has led them down a road of crime and incarceration. After serving their time in jails and prisons, they are then released back into the community, never provided rehabilitation ,given time frames, deadlines, expectations, not given the education and skills, housing, or finances that would enable them to gain and maintain stability to meet the expectations to prevent recidivism. Instead , they become part of our homeless population.   

 

BTSS promises  to “Inspire Hope through Recovery” while fostering a safe environment that would allow the opportunity to build trusting relationships with each individual to increase their chances of reclaiming their independence , stability and appropriately re-establishing healthy relationships in the home and community . Our promise is to respect and involve each individual is in the development of creating short-term and long-term goals and plans of actions to address their personal  recovery needs and concerns in their community.