REPORT: MENTALLY ILL NEED BETTER HOUSING.

Byline: Krystn Shrieve Staff Writer

Ventura County needs to create a transitional home for mentally ill homeless people and improve its board-and-care system as it works to provide better care for the mentally ill, a housing expert reported Tuesday.

Lynn Aronson, who was hired by the Behavioral Health Department to create a five-year plan for housing the mentally ill, also said the county needs to hire a housing director and better educate its staff about housing goals.

Patricia Kosich, a psychiatric social worker spearheading the county's housing improvement efforts, said she wasn't surprised by Aronson's findings.

``It was apparent to her that the county hasn't focused much attention on housing for many years,'' Kosich said. ``But she was impressed with the interest shown by people in even the top levels of government to fix things. It will take some money by the county to leverage other federal money to make some of the improvements.''

John Chaudier, who chairs the Mental Health Board and its ad hoc housing committee, supports the idea of hiring a housing director.

``Housing is such an important element,'' Chaudier said. ``It's just as important as helping people get medication, jobs, rehabilitation - all the other services. We need someone who can be a housing advocate.''

In order to improve the system, Aronson's 11-page report recommends that the county find a way to help the nearly 500 patients in the housing system transition to less intensive living situations when appropriate.

In some cases, this means creating ``safe havens'' - different types of housing to meet the spectrum of needs of mentally ill patients.

She points to the transitional housing program, which provides a supervised home where homeless mentally ill people could stay after being released from the county hospital, which could be created in small houses and have intensive support services.

``Clients can stay up to two years, and residents who successfully complete the program can then be granted an immediate (federal housing) voucher to secure affordable permanent housing,'' Aronson said in her report.

She also pointed to affordable housing, called supportive housing, which allows people to live in apartments along with on-site staff members who can offer assistance to residents if necessary.

Also key to beefing up the housing program is developing a well-trained housing support staff who can deliver services to clients wherever they live, she said.

``When you've been in an environment with such limited services the way we have, it's hard to imagine the types of programs she's talking about,'' Kosich said. ``It's a matter of education. It's a matter of showing our staff that these people can prosper if they are in the right environment with the right types of services. That's what we're aiming for.''

Chaudier said Aronson's report will be used by the ad hoc housing committee to form a five-year housing plan. The process could take nine months to complete.

``We'll break up into work groups who will focus on the different types of housing, the financing and all other aspects,'' Chaudier said.