The mothers' project for homeless mothers with mental illnesses and their children: a pilot study

Abstract

Mothers with mental illnesses, who are homeless, as well as their children, are highly vulnerable and need specialized services. This retrospective study describes the experience of the Thresholds Mothers' Project in serving 24 homeless mothers. Benchmarks suggest that the mothers and their children benefited from the program. A year after intake, 79% were still engaged in services and were all living in either independent apartments or in supportive housing. The majority of the children in their mother's care at intake were still living with them 1 year later, 77%. The Mothers' Project provides an exemplary model of how to serve this vulnerable population.