Northern Area Multi Service Center
Supportive Living Enhancement Program (SLEP)

Description:  The agency provides supportive living services in low-income public housing to promote safe, cost-effective and permanent housing for both frail elderly and adults with disabilities (primarily behavioral health) who live side-by-side.  The program provides onsite health and wellness, social/recreation programming, and outreach through service coordination.  United Way funds will be used to support on-site program services and to engage a consultant to assist with an advocacy planning group to determine the best levers of system change for supportive living at the county level. 

The Program Serves a Population with Great Needs:  The program serves seniors and adults with disabilities in low income public housing communities.  In 2009, 50% of participants were under 60 years, 63% were female, 30% were African American, 89% lived alone, 39% had 1 or more IADL disability, and 64% were receiving medical assistance.  The public housing communities are located in Brackenridge, Tarentum (2), Wilmerding, Duquesne, North Braddock, Wilkinsburg, West Mifflin, Clairton, Ross, and West View, with plans to expand to Blawnox, Springdale, and tentatively McKees Rocks.

The Program Achieves Measurable Results: In 2009, 96% of 416 residents maintained non-institutional status. 

The Program Applies a Sound Approach:  SLEP’s core strategies reflect the prevention-based guidelines developed by the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Healthy Aging and Highmark’s Guidelines for Adults over 65. Specifically, by providing supportive living services to high-risk occupants, the agency helps participants to prevent becoming homeless and/or being institutionalized.

Alignment with Preferred Outcomes and Likelihood of Community Change:

• Remain safely in home/least restrictive community setting (720 of 800, or 90%)
• Adequate/improved nutritional, health, and/or functional status (520 of 800, or 65%)
• Greater access to supportive services and subsidized programs (700 of 800, or 88%)

Community Outcomes:  The program will increase integration of aging, mental health and housing services to enhance housing permanency and quality of life for all residents in the targeted public housing communities and will help to establish benchmarks for all supportive living sites in Allegheny County