The paradigm shift in residential services: From the linear continuum to supported housing approaches.

Abstract

The field of residential services has used the residential continuum as its predominant model or paradigm for the last decade. The old paradigm is breaking down under pressures that demand attention to basic housing needs. This article describes the basic concepts inherent in the paradigm shift that is moving the field toward supported housing models.

There's no place like (a) home: Ontological security among persons with serious mental illness in the United States

“…The 'housing first' approach separated treatment from housing, considering the former voluntary and the latter a fundamental human right (Carling, 1990;Ridgway & Zipple, 1990). As such, it removed the ladder continuum and made access to housing the first step and subsequent steps subject to consumer choice rather than coercion (Tsemberis, 1999).…”

Beyond “Landscapes of Despair”: The need for new research on the urban environment, sprawl, and the community integration of persons with severe mental illness

“…Services are typically off-site and there are considerably fewer program rules (Tsemberis and Eisenberg, 2000). Independent housing is designed to allow individuals to live in "normal" settings interspersed with general community members, and is intended to maximize opportunities to take advantage of natural local supports and resources (Ridgway and Zipple, 1990). …”

How Evidence-Based Practices Contribute to Community Integration

“…Supported housing, first defined in the 1980s (Ridgway & Zipple, 1990), is an approach in which consumers rent or lease independent, affordable housing that is integrated into the community (i.e., separate from the mental health service agency and no live-in staff). Consumers have access to 24-hour services to avoid crises that might interrupt housing (Rog, 2004).…”