Adult Mental Health Housing Services

The Office of Supportive Housing was created in 2019 in the Behavioral Health division to oversee the Georgia Housing Voucher Program (GHVP) and Bridge Funding, as well as Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) grantees.

Georgia Housing Voucher Program and Bridge Funding

Our Mission: House, support, and sustain eligible individuals in need who have a severe and persistent mental illness, in order to prevent homelessness and promote independence and long-term recovery, in collaboration with our network of partners, efficiently and effectively. 

The Georgia Housing Voucher Program (GHVP) is a state-funded permanent supportive housing program that helps eligible individuals obtain safe and affordable housing and supports their housing stability and integration into the community to promote long-term recovery and independence.

Bridge Funding provides GHVP recipients with financial support to help facilitate their transition into permanent housing by helping to cover initial start-up expenses, like deposits and household goods.

All individuals with financial means are required to contribute a portion of their income toward their living expenses (tenant-paid utilities, rent, and initial start-up expenses).

Eligibility Criteria:

To be considered eligible for GHVP and Bridge Funding, an individual must meet the following criteria, as laid out in DBHDD Policy 01-120:

1. Individuals with a diagnosis of a Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) AND Who are:
   1. Being served in state hospitals; or
   2. Frequently readmitted to state hospitals and/or CSUs/BHCCs three or more times within 12 months; or
   3. Frequently seen in Emergency Rooms for psychiatric needs three or more times within 12 months; or
   4. Chronically homeless with four or more episodes of homelessness within 36 months; or
   5. Has a history of incarceration; or
   6. Has a forensic status; AND
2. Individuals identified in Transition Planning Process for Individuals on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Ready to Discharge List, 01-507.

To confirm if an individual is eligible for GHVP, they need to be connected with a community provider who can conduct an assessment.

For help accessing GHVP housing resources in your area, contact your regional field office.

From the National Alliance to End Homelessness:

What is Permanent Supportive Housing?

“Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is an intervention that combines affordable housing assistance with voluntary support services to address the needs of chronically homeless people.  The services are designed to build independent living and tenancy skills and connect people with community-based health care, treatment, and employment services.”

How Permanent Supportive Housing can End Chronic Homelessness

“Investments in permanent supportive housing have helped decrease the number of chronically homeless individuals by 20 percent since 2007.  In addition to ending homelessness for people who are chronically homeless, research has demonstrated that permanent supportive housing can also increase housing stability and improve health.

“A cost-effective solution, permanent supportive housing has been shown to lower public costs associated with the use of crisis services such as shelters, hospitals, jails, and prisons.”

For help accessing GHVP housing resources in your area, contact your regional field office.

Additional Resources:

• COVID-19:
  • DBHDD GHVP and PATH Guidance;
  • DPH Resources; and
  • CDC COVID-19 Information
• Policy 01-120, Supported Housing Needs and Choice Survey: https://gadbhdd.policystat.com/policy/5283398/latest/
• Provider Manual for Community Behavioral Health Providers, 01-112: https://gadbhdd.policystat.com/policy/6855400/latest/
• Have an issue that you need to report?
  • Please submit it directly to DBHDD Provider Relations: [email protected] 

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)

PATH Teams conduct street outreach and provide case management and connections to resources for individuals currently experiencing homelessness with behavioral health needs.

DBHDD funds ten PATH Teams with the support of federal grant dollars from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).  It is an annual block grant.

PATH staff may provide PATH-eligible clients with the following services:

• Outreach
• Screening and diagnostic treatment
• Habilitation and rehabilitation
• Community mental health
• Substance use disorders treatment
• Referrals for primary health care, job training, educational services, and housing
• Housing services as specified in Section 522(b)(10) of the Public Health Service Act

You can read more about PATH on the SAMHSA website.

For help accessing PATH services in your area, contact your regional field office.

Crisis Respite Apartments (CRA)

Crisis Respite Apartments (CRA) provide short-term, residential, and aftercare support, including housing referrals, for individuals experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis. The service offers crisis respite for an individual who needs a supportive environment (1) when transitioning back into the community from a psychiatric inpatient facility, Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), or 23-hour observation area; or 2) when preventing an admission or readmission into a psychiatric inpatient facility, CSU, or 23-hour observation area and can be safely served in a voluntary community-based setting.

The CRA is not equipped to handle skilled nursing care and/or constant medical support. Additionally, CRA is not equipped to provide residential services to individuals displaying aggressive, homicidal, suicidal behaviors or current substance abuse.

For help accessing housing resources, contact your regional field office.

Community Residential Rehabilitation (CRR)

DBHDD offers 3 levels of residential care to eligible individuals: Intensive Residential, Semi-Independent Residential, and Independent Residential Rehabilitation. These short-term community-based residential settings offer staff support in intensive and semi-independent residential settings.

We offer continuous monitoring and supervision, with a step-down approach—once the individual has obtained skills to move to a lower level of care, they will transition into a less intense setting. Each residential setting provides staff-directed skill training. 

Skills training includes the development of daily living skills, alongside community integration activities that promote recovery and increase self-sufficiency, as well as personal support services and activities to restore and develop skills in functional areas that interfere with the individual’s ability to safely live in the community.

For help accessing adult mental health services, contact your regional field office.

Please visit our Supportive Housing Help Center for more information and any assistance you may need. The website URL is GHVP.ZenDesk.com if you need to type it into your browser, it can be accessed on any device.

There you will find frequently asked questions and the most up-to-date documents and information.

If you have a program-related question, you can submit it directly to DBHDD by using the “Submit a Request” link at the top right of the Help Center or at the link below. Your request will be routed to the right team and tracked to ensure we provide you with assistance.

Submit your GHVP requests here: https://ghvp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Please remember: You will have to create an account (if you don’t already have one) and log in to access your ticket and our responses because all messages are encrypted for data privacy and security.

Program participants should first contact their provider agency for assistance but if you are still in need of assistance, you can reach out to [email protected].

Office of Supportive Housing Staff:

• Maxwell Ruppersburg, MPA, PMP, Director
• Letitia Robinson, LMSW, Assistant Director
• Stella Sam-Ekhator, PMP, GHVP Program Manager
• Jennifer McIntosh, GHVP Support Specialist
• Bridgette Hamilton, GHVP Support Specialist
• Brett Seay, GHVP Monitor Specialist
• Vacant, Program Analyst and Vital Records Support