Substance use services are fully embedded within our care model and grounded in a nonjudgmental, harm reduction philosophy. We recognize that individuals with mental illness may use substances to manage trauma responses, navigate instability, or sustain social bonds, and we do not require abstinence as a condition for housing or support. Our staff are trained to meet residents where they are, offering education, skill-building, and non-coercive pathways toward change. For residents who are actively using, we prioritize overdose prevention, safer use strategies, and reducing the harms associated with street-acquired substances. Narcan training is encouraged for all residents and mandatory for everyone on our team.
Residents have access to both individual and group-based substance use counseling that incorporates relapse prevention, motivational enhancement, and recovery-oriented goal setting. Groups may include peer-led recovery circles, resident and peer-facilitated AA and NA meetings, psychoeducation, and structured skill-building groups informed by Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Substance use is never treated as grounds for discharge from our program. Instead, it is understood as clinical information that helps guide adjustments in service intensity, approach, and planning. Staff engage residents in supportive and nonpunitive conversations about safety, triggers, and long-term goals. Residents must feel safe disclosing use and seeking support; our model ensures that they can do so without fear of losing their housing.
