The Health Advocacy Project (HAP) is a program of services for persons with mental disabilities who reside in community care (board and care) facilities. The project is intended to serve as a pilot project, initiated first in San Diego County and readied for statewide replication upon completion. These services are designed to promote and protect the health, quality of life, and independence for this population of under served individuals. Program design and implementation is based upon the collaborative participation of multiple community based organizations, consumer groups, family members, individual advocates, and San Diego County Mental Health.
Over the past year, HAP has provided training for approximately 1/3 of all the board and care operators in San Diego County, training and education for family members throughout the County, and advocacy and education for individuals with mental disabilities in three local Clubhouse programs. Furthermore, HAP staff has completed 9 months of work, directly in one board and care home, and they are now beginning to provide services for 130 residents in three additional homes.
The focus of this workshop will be to report the findings of the project so far and to discuss the issues confronting board and care residents today. Attendees will leave this workshop armed with valuable information that they can take back to their counties to argue for expanded services for board and care residents in their communities.