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We recived this very sad news from our friend Leslie Stivale from Triple C Housing. We will miss Ms. Ambruso.

Dorothy Ambruso, a trailblazer in community mental-health and supportive housing, died early Tuesday morning at Somerset Hospital. Born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, she moved to New Jersey as a teenager, residing in Middlesex, Morris and Somerset Counties. Dorothy Ambruso made it her life’s work to promote and develop quality housing for individuals afflicted with serious and persistent mental illness. Dorothy was a leader in developing transitional programs for the mentally ill, which enabled them to become successful members of the community.

Ms. Ambruso lived her life contributing to the deinstitutionalization movement within the State of NJ, and did so without fanfare. She genuinely sought to improve the quality of life and living standards for former patients returning to their communities. With undaunted effort, exceptional determination and little fanfare she achieved great success.

Determined to make a difference, she led in the founding of CCCPA (now known as Triple C Housing), a non-profit supportive housing organization dedicated to improving the lives of people afflicted with mental illness, and to offer support to their families and friends. She was the President of the organization for 10 years. Ms. Ambruso also founded and volunteered with CCCPA Alliance for the Mentally Ill (now known as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill-Middlesex Chapter), dovetailing her efforts to involve family in the recovery of their offspring, and to contribute to their wellness.

In 2000, CCCPA split into what is now Triple C Housing and NAMI Middlesex, which is the support group for families. Dorothy was devoted to NAMI to the day she died. She believed that families of the mentally ill needed to form a bond of mutual support.

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The MacArthur Foundation Mental Health Policy Research Network, according to NAEH, has prepared a series of issue briefs on the intersection of mental health and other areas of public policy, including housing. NAEH stated “the brief on housing examines the challenges that individuals with severe and persistent mental illness face when trying to find safe and affordable housing. It also identifies the key issues that future policies need to address and critical steps for improving housing policy for people with severe disabilities.”

To read the full policy position click here.

The following are their key issues. We were surprised about the first key issue as that seems to be area in which New Jersey has had significant success with over the last decade with the creation of a significant number of supportive housing units. Perhaps New Jersey is an area they have not studied but should do so soon.

The authors identify three key issues that can help guide future policymaking. First, some persons with severe and persistent mental illness are able to live stable and independent lives in the community. However, we know little about the characteristics of this subgroup or which specific support services ensure their success.

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Tags: mental-health, Supportive Housing

On February 1, 2008, the Council of State Governments Justice Center released an updated edition of Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Mental Health Court. The publication is the result of many rounds of rigorous review and describes the 10 important program elements that jurisdictions should consider when planning, implementing or enhancing a mental health court. To download the report click here. for more information and to read the full press release click here.

An article in the current issue of Affordable Housing Finance highlighted the need for permanent, affordable and supportive housing for female veterans. According to VA studies “estimated 8,000 female vets are homeless in the country.”

The article also notes “It’s one sign that the number of homeless female vets is increasing. Many fear their numbers will continue to grow because more women are serving in the military. There were 201,575 women in active duty in 2006, according to the Department of Defense. It is also expected that many will return home from the war in Iraq with the same problems their male peers have had to deal with over the years.”

To read the full article in Affordable Housing Finance click here. The following is the first section.

Helping Homeless Women Veterans
BY DONNA KIMURA
AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE - JANUARY 2008

Crisis Ministries in Charleston, S.C., sheltered four homeless women veterans in 2006. In 2007, it had served 16 with two months left to go.

It’s one sign that the number of homeless female vets is increasing. Many fear their numbers will continue to grow because more women are serving in the military. There were 201,575 women in active duty in 2006, according to the Department of Defense. It is also expected that many will return home from the war in Iraq with the same problems their male peers have had to deal with over the years.

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Tags: Ending Homelessness, homeless, homelessness, mental-health, NAEH, Supportive Housing

Earlier this month we had the opportunity to listen to Peter Earley speak about his book: “CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness.” We rarely recommend a book after hearing an author speak and having only read the first chapter. However, this is a must read book. In addition, Peter Earley is someone whose message needs to be heard. It is amazing that we have not seen or heard of him having any presentations in NJ. This needs to be corrected.

For more information click here to go his web site. To read the first chapter click here. To listen to an interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air click here and then click on the item in the playlist.

The following is from his preface.

I had no idea.
    
I’ve been a journalist for more than thirty years, a reporter for the Washington Post, the author of several nonfiction books about crime and punishment and society, some of them award-winning, even two bestsellers. I’ve interviewed murderers and spies, judges and prosecutors, always seeking the truth and attempting to convey it so that readers can see the people and the events for themselves - can understand not only what happened, but why.
 
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Tags: Ending Homelessness, mental-health, peter-earley

The Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS), a New York based service agency, has been doing a study of the disabilities that they have identified in the homeless that they serve. According NCS their “research shows that chronically homeless individuals are more impaired than we had expected.”

How accurate is this based on the experience in NJ? Please share your comments by clicking here.

To read more about their research click here.