Countywide : Grant Targeted for Mentally Ill Women

The Orange County Mental Health Assn. has received a $100,000 grant from the James Irvine Foundation to treat homeless, mentally ill women in the county, association officials said Monday.

The grant comes nearly two years after a RAND Corp. study found that mentally ill women--specifically those who are homeless--were one of the most underserved populations in the county in terms of health care.

Since the study “we have made it a priority issue to provide vocational and resocialization services to that population,” said Michelle Whiting, the association’s director of development.

Mariano Diaz, program officer for the James Irvine Foundation, said his organization has a particular interest in the homeless problem but was attracted to the mental health association project because it seeks to meet a specific need while also addressing broader issues of homelessness.

“Women are one of the most exploitable groups in the homeless population,” Diaz said. “They find themselves in a homeless situation, and if nothing is done . . . the skid continues. But a lot of them don’t need to be there. This program offers outreach to specific women with specific needs.”

Social service officials estimate that the county’s total homeless population includes from 4,000 to 10,000 people. But Whiting said that, “based on educated guesses and cumulative information,” the number of homeless, mentally ill women may number from 3,000 to 5,000.

Whiting said mental health officials hope to serve at least 90 women over the two-year period of the grant.

“We are looking to serve higher-functioning women--those who are not severely disturbed--who may have been able to care for themselves in the past but due to an emotional lapse find themselves in reduced circumstances,” she said.

One of the first goals of the program is to develop a network of agencies such as shelters, crisis hot lines and halfway houses to identify and refer women with chronic mental illness.

Once identified, clients will receive individual treatment programs and will work with counselors to strengthen job skills and obtain permanent housing and employment.

The project will also provide follow-up support and job-coaching to help women adapt to their new environment, Whiting said.