Through a variety of local, state and federally funded programs, the Homeless Outreach team works to provide resources and tools to supported the unhoused community in Pierce County. 

Forensic HARPS is a state-funded program that emerged from the Trueblood v. DSHS lawsuit which challenged unconstitutional delays in competency evaluation and restoration services for people detained in city and county jails. The Trueblood Contempt Settlement Agreement establishes a plan for providing services to persons involved in the criminal court system and for providing treatment to people when needed so they are less likely to become involved in the criminal court system. The Forensic HARPS program addresses the barriers to seeking services while people are experiencing homelessness through residential supports that connect individuals with housing. Participants are provided peer support and subsidies for costs such as application fees, security deposits, and up to a few months of rent vouchers while individuals are helped with finding more permanent housing support.

Projects of Assistance Transitioning from Homelessness (PATH) is a federally funded outreach program for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness who are homeless. This program is also available to those persons with co-occurring substance use disorders. 

We also offer HUD-subsidized housing for adults with serious mental illness. These services are integrated with our other counseling, case management and community support services designed to assist individuals to locate, secure and maintain permanent, independent housing which is safe and secure.

State Targeted Response (STR) supports people who have an opioid addiction and are high utilizers of emergency departments at community hospitals. In partnership with Tacoma Detox, hospitals, jails and other community providers, the STR team connects to medically assisted treatment, housing and other resources. All members of the STR team are recovery coaches whose history includes recovery from opioids.

Positive Interactions is a city of Tacoma-funded program that offers tailored services to businesses in Tacoma that are impacted by people experiencing homelessness. The team meets with business owners and works to find solutions and resources for people experiencing homelessness.

Housing Navigator is part of the coordinated entry system. Housing navigators work with individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness to locate and maintain housing. Because housing resources are scarce, housing navigators focus on stabilizing the majority of households through the use of short-term interventions and connections to mainstream services. Housing navigators also connect those who need long-term housing and supports to the appropriate housing programs to meet their needs.

SOAR is a federally sponsored program with funding from the state that supports unhoused people through the SSI and SSDI application process. (Also known as Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance.)  The SOAR program reduces the financial burden on unhoused adults so they can build paths toward security.  By having a direct connection to the Social Security Department, the time between applying and receiving benefits can be cut in half. 

"Comprehensive Life Resources' Positive Interactions program has been a critical resource to our business over the past six years.

CLR has responded to calls from our taproom on several occasions, always with the utmost care both for our business and for the person in crisis.

Knowing that compassionate help is available brings peace of mind to our team."

- Rebecca Pilcher, retail director at 7 Seas Brewing

Positive Interactions is funded by:

Foundational Community Supports (FCS) promotes self-sufficiency and recovery by helping people on Medicaid benefits find and maintain stable housing and employment.

Supportive housing services help individuals get and keep community housing. To be eligible, participants must be 18 or older and Medicaid eligible, and meet at least one of the following assessed health needs-based criteria and at least one risk factor:

Assessed health needs-based criteria (must meet at least one):

• Mental health need where there is need for improvement, stabilization or prevention of deterioration of functioning resulting from the presence of a mental illness
• Need for outpatient substance use disorder (SUD) treatment 
• Need for assistance with three or more activities of daily living (ADL) receiving long-term care services
• Need for hands-on assistance with one or more activities of daily living 
• Complex physical health need, which is a long continuing or indefinite physical condition requiring improvement, stabilization or prevention of deterioration of functioning (including the ability to live independently without support)

Risk factors (must meet at least one):

• Homeless for at least 12 months or homeless on at least four separate occasions in the last three years (combined to equal at least 12 months)
• Two or more contacts in the past 12 months or 90 or more consecutive days within an institutional setting
• Two or more adult residential care stays within the past 12 months
• Frequent turnover of in-home caregivers
• Predictive Risk Intelligence System (PRISM) score of 1.5 or above
  

Supported employment services help individuals with barriers to employment get and keep a job. To be eligible, participants must be 16 or older and Medicaid eligible, and meet at least one of the following assessed health needs-based criteria and at least one risk factor:

Assessed health needs-based criteria (must meet at least one):

• Mental health need for improvement, stabilization or prevention of deterioration of functioning resulting from the presence of a mental illness
• Need for outpatient SUD treatment 
• Need for assistance with three or more activities of daily living (ADL) or need for hands-on assistance with one or more ADL
• Objective evidence of physical impairments, and because of this, the individual needs assistance with basic work-related activities
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​​​​​​​Risk factors (must meet at least one):

• Unable to be gainfully employed for at least 90 consecutive days due to a mental or physical impairment
• SUD with repeated treatment episodes
• Diagnosed mental health and/or SUD that is at risk of deteriorating without intervention
• An inability to obtain or maintain employment resulting from age, physical disability or traumatic brain injury