Street psychiatry research & resources
The evidence base for street-based mental health care is growing fast — much of it written by members of this Coalition. Start here, whether you're building a program, studying the field, or making the case to funders. New to the topic? Read our plain-language explainer on what street-based mental health care is first.
Peer-reviewed research
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Street Psychiatry: A Clinical Approach (external link)
A clinical framework for practicing psychiatry in street settings, from a leading street psychiatrist on our Executive Committee.
Psychiatric Services →
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Sustainably Funding Street Psychiatry (external link)
How to finance field-based psychiatric care for people experiencing homelessness — proposing payment reforms, including new reimbursement codes and Medicaid adjustments, to deliver street psychiatry at scale.
JAMA Psychiatry →
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Low-Barrier Buprenorphine Treatment for People Experiencing Homelessness (external link)
On delivering low-barrier medication treatment for opioid use disorder to people experiencing homelessness — a core practice of many street-based mental health teams.
Psychiatric Services →
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Implementing the Street Psychiatry Model in New Haven, CT: Community-Based Care for People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness (external link)
A detailed account of building a street psychiatry program in New Haven — a practical reference for teams launching their own.
Community Mental Health Journal →
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Association of Recent and Past Homelessness with Health-Related Quality of Life among US Adults (external link)
National evidence on how both current and past homelessness affect health-related quality of life — underscoring why early, accessible intervention matters.
Psychiatric Quarterly →
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Telehealth for Patients Experiencing Homelessness—An Unexpected Opportunity (external link)
A viewpoint on how telehealth, despite initial skepticism, has become a core part of care for people experiencing homelessness since the pandemic — from Katherine Koh of our Executive Committee.
JAMA Internal Medicine →
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Behavioral Health Care Delivery Through Street Medicine Programs in California (external link)
An analysis of California street medicine programs finding a shortage of street-based psychiatric clinicians and difficulty referring patients to mental health and addiction services — a case for expanding behavioral health capacity in the field.
Community Mental Health Journal →
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A Street Psychiatry Rotation for Medical Trainees: Humanizing the Care of People Experiencing Homelessness (external link)
An educational case report on building a street psychiatry rotation for trainees — a model for humanizing the care of people experiencing homelessness, co-authored by Emma Lo of our Executive Committee.
Academic Psychiatry →
Essential books and reports
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Street Mental Health Handbook (external link)
A comprehensive handbook on delivering mental health care in street settings — from engagement and assessment to medication treatment, substance use, and trauma — co-edited by Liz Frye of our Executive Committee.
Find the book →
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The California Street Medicine Landscape Survey and Report (external link)
A survey of 25 street medicine programs across California — staffing, services, patient demographics, and recommendations for scaling care to people living unsheltered.
California Health Care Foundation →
Articles, podcasts, and analyses
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Street Addiction Medicine: Bringing a Patient-Centered Approach for Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder to the Unhoused (external link)
A guest editorial on direct-to-inject buprenorphine protocols and stimulant-use treatment strategies designed for people experiencing homelessness, emphasizing patient-centered, trauma-informed care.
The ASAM Weekly →
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The Street Stabilization Team (SST): Supporting Complex Care Coordination for Individuals with Multi-System Needs (external link)
Profiles a new Allegheny County program coordinating behavioral health, medical, and social support for unhoused residents with severe psychiatric symptoms, using predictive data models to identify and reach the most vulnerable.
Allegheny County Analytics →
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Therapy in a Tent: The Health Care Many Homeless Californians Need but Aren't Getting (external link)
On the shortage of street-based therapists in California, even as street medicine teams have expanded — leaving many of the state's unhoused residents with treatable mental health conditions unable to access care.
CalMatters →
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Implementation of Peer Support Roles in Street Medicine and Outreach: Challenges and Possibilities (external link)
On the systemic challenges facing peer specialists in street outreach — personal vulnerability, role overload, and wage undervaluation — co-authored by Samuel Jackson of our Executive Committee.
Behavioral Health News →
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Street Psychiatry: Meeting Patients Where They Are (external link)
A podcast conversation on street psychiatry's move into non-traditional care settings and recovery-centered approaches to serving people experiencing homelessness, featuring Samuel Jackson of our Executive Committee.
Listen to the episode →
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Is Recovery-Oriented, Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Possible? (external link)
A roadmap for responsible, ethical, and individualized involuntary psychiatric intervention — co-authored by Samuel Jackson of our Executive Committee.
MedPage Today →
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Street Psychiatrists Build Trust, Offer Hope to Homeless Patients With SMI (external link)
A profile of street psychiatry teams delivering care directly in encampments and under bridges nationwide, featuring insights from Liz Frye of our Executive Committee.
Psychiatric News →
Know a resource we should include?
We're building this library as the field grows. Send us research, reports, or training materials worth sharing.