Outreach
Places for People engages individuals through the justice system, hospitals, and in the community.
Overview
Places for People provides engagement and outreach to individuals of all ages in a variety of ways to connect with people where they are.
In hospitals
As part of the Emergency Room Enhancement and Inpatient Hospital Liaison projects for youth and adults, Places for People engages individuals while they are in the hospital. Individuals being discharged from emergency room and hospital stays, as a result of serious mental illness or substance use issues, are often in need of support services that extend well beyond their time in the hospital. The period post-hospitalization is critical for intervention. Short-term supports provided by our Outreach Team during that time frame through the Hospital Community Linkages Program can mean the difference between a successful departure from the hospital and a costly and painful return to this high level of medical intervention.
The Hospital Community Linkages Program is funded by the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Places for People’s efforts to provide outreach in our community’s hospitals is supplemented by funding from the Norman J. Stupp Foundation.
In the justice system
Places for People’s youth and family program, and adult outreach programs have developed a long partnership for the court system to provide alternatives to jail time for individuals who need behavioral health services.
Project Success, funded by the St. Louis Mental Health Board, offers jail diversion opportunities for individuals involved in the justice system who would benefit from short-term case management and health supports.
Places for People’s youth and family services’ Multi-Systemic Therapy program has worked with the juvenile justice system for decades to provide intensive family-based therapy for youth at high risk for out of home placement.
In the community
Our outreach specialists engage people where they are – in shelters and community centers, on the streets, anywhere. A recent federal grant helps Places for People provide outreach to individuals and families experiencing homelessness or who are at-risk of losing housing. Places for People also accepts referrals from community partners, including social service organizations, churches, schools, and the Department of Social Services.