At a noon event on May 12, ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the ASU Center for Health Information & Research (CHiR) will present findings from a study sponsored by the Association for the Chronically Mentally Ill (ACMI). Register via Zoom.

Some individuals with serious mental illness experience severe, long-term symptoms of their disease. They may lack insight into their condition, not adhere to treatment, and have high support needs, among other challenges.

These individuals can be considered to have a chronic form of serious mental illness. Without appropriate treatment, support, and housing, they can experience recurrent crisis episodes, homelessness, and frequent interactions with emergency, criminal justice, and health systems, incurring great public expense.

This study examines how housing and in-home supports affect public spending on individuals with chronic mental illness in Maricopa County. It does so in two ways.

(1) A comparative analysis of average costs per person per year across three housing settings: permanent supportive housing, housing with unknown in-home support, and chronic homelessness. Specifically, it analyzes costs for housing, health care, and criminal justice during the period of 2014-2019.

(2) A small-sample (small-N) case study of a housing setting that provides individualized, 24/7 in-home support to individuals with chronic mental illness who have high support needs, examining average costs per person before and after moving into that setting.

Finally, the study outlines recommendations from interviews with dozens of experts who work with and care for individuals with chronic mental illness in Maricopa County about reducing costs and improving care.

Featuring:

Chrissie Bausch, Research Analyst, Morrison Institute for Public Polic

Alison Cook-Davis, Research Director, Morrison Institute for Public Policy

Laurie Goldstein, ASU Trustee, ACMI Vice President

Gevork Harootunian, Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, ASU Center for Health Information & Research

Jonathan Koppell, ASU Vice Provost for Public Service and Social Impact, Dean of the Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions, and the Lattie and Elva Coor Presidential Chair in the School of Public Affairs

Josh Mozell, President, ACMI

Andrea Whitsett, Director, Morrison Institute for Public Policy