Alliance Celebrates 100th Transitions to Community Living Initiative move of FY18

DURHAM, N.C. - May 7, 2018 - PRLog -- Alliance Behavioral Healthcare's Transitions to Community Living Initiative (TCLI) recently completed its 100^th move of FY2018. This milestone significantly exceeds the state annual performance target for Alliance of 88 individuals transitioned into supportive housing as required by the 2012 Olmstead Settlement Agreement between the United States and North Carolina.

The Olmstead agreement mandates that the state provide community-based supported housing to people who currently reside in, or are at risk of entry into, adult care homes. It also ensures that thousands of people with mental illness have access to critical community-based mental health services and expands their employment opportunities by providing supported employment services.

Alliance is the agency charged with implementing the settlement agreement provisions in Durham, Wake, Johnston, and Cumberland counties. Over the past year Alliance has strengthened its efforts to exceed program goals by adding new employees specifically for the program and securing additional housing inventory to meet demand.

"We are focused on getting as many people into housing as we possibly can," said Alliance Olmstead Settlement Project manager Larry Swabe. "Our mission in doing this is to make sure that individuals with severe and persistent mental illness have the same opportunities to live a life just like you and I do"

For the people served by TCLI the transition from restrictive institutional settings, where life is regulated and residents do very little for themselves, can be transforming. "This program opens a whole new life to these folks – one many of them never dreamed was possible." said TJ Hayes, an Alliance transition supervisor.

"Going through the process makes me feel a sense of accomplishment. I am proud of myself and there's still so much more I want do in my life," said Rakshanda (who asked to be identified by first name only), a community member who transitioned into her own apartment in 2016. "Having this apartment is a major stepping stone."

Alliance's TCLI efforts are aligned with the organization's commitment to housing as a healthcare strategy. "We believe that housing is a platform that improves an individual's quality of life, allows them to pursue their own goals and dreams, and serves as a foundation for their recovery," said Ann Oshel, senior vice president of community relations at Alliance.

"On multiple levels, this is the right thing to do for these individuals," said Alliance CEO Rob Robinson. "We shouldn't underestimate the value this initiative provides to help us meet our goals as a managed care organization – to tangibly improve the quality of life of the people we serve, and in the process to make more efficient use of the public funds we are entrusted with."

Alliance is the managed care organization for publicly funded behavioral healthcare services for the people of Durham, Wake, Cumberland and Johnston counties. Alliance works with a network of almost 2,200 private providers to serve the needs of 471,000 Medicaid-eligible and uninsured individuals within a total population of 1.8 million.
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