Grant to Support Continuation of Housing and Homeless Services

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Jan. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- $20,000 of this grant will support MIRCI’s housing and homeless services in Columbia.  MIRCI provides integrated Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services to  individuals who are homeless and have a mentally illness or are diagnosed with a mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorder, and transitions them into stable supported housing. During the grant term, MIRCI will serve/screen/refer 300 individuals through its homeless outreach; and house at least 150 formerly homeless through its HomeBase and Supportive Housing Programs.

The remaining $5,000 of the grant assisted in funding a conversion to Electronic Health Records.  Beginning in 2014, all providers billing Medicaid and/or Medicare must use Electronic Health Records or receive penalties in their reimbursement rates. Well over half of MIRCI’s clients have insurance through Medicaid and/or Medicare and the penalties for not converting to Electronic Health Records would have negatively impacted the ability to assist clients.

“Our Housing and Homeless Programs utilize several nationally recognized best practice treatment modalities to help people recover in the areas of their lives impacted by their mental illness – first and foremost, getting them off the street and into treatment. We are thrilled to have the Nord Family Foundation continue its support of helping individuals on their recovery journeys,” said MIRCI Executive Director Julie Ann Avin.

MIRCI – the Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (www.mirci.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to assist individuals with mental illness to recover in the areas of their lives impacted by their illness through housing, behavioral healthcare, and assistance with obtaining and managing their disability income.