BRAP has 3 primary eligibility criteria:

1. You have a primary diagnosis that is non-excluded, meaning that it is not a Neurocognitive, Neurodevelopmental, Antisocial Personality, or Substance Use Disorders
2. Must be receiving, or have applied for Social Security Disability.
3. Have applied for, or are currently on the waitlist for Section 8/HCV or another permanent subsidy.

Alzheimer’s, Antisocial Personality disorder, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Intellectual and learning disabilities, Parkinsons disease, Substance Abuse Disorder (For Substance Abuse Disorders: Can be co-occurring, as long as primary diagnosis is eligible.)

A program priority is a living situation, population, or criteria that an applicant must be coming from, in order to be eligible for the program and are prioritized and ranked for review and approval.

1^st Priority – Inpatient Psychiatric hospitalization for 72 or more hours or graduating from a Mental Health PNMI.

A hospitalization at any state-run psychiatric hospital, private psychiatric hospital, or behavioral health units beds at local hospitals.

For Section 97 PNMI discharges, the applicants must be leaving to move to less restrictive accommodations per their treatment plan.

2^nd Priority – Release from incarceration.

Was/Will be released from any jail or prison and has no other identified residences.

3^rd Priority – Literal Homelessness, including Fleeing Domestic Violence, as defined by HUD.

Is living in a place not meant for habitation, an emergency shelter, transitional housing program for formerly homeless, or a hotel/motel paid by a state/federal agency or charitable organization.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

            Riverview or Dorathea Dix Psychiatric Centers

            Spring Harbor Hospital

            Southern Maine Healthcare – Behavioral Health Unit

            Northern Light- Acadia Hospital

            Section 97 Mental Health PNMIs

What does not count?

            Stays at Crisis Stabilization Units (CSU)

            Sober or Rehab programs

            Inpatient stays not related to mental health

            Substance Abuse programs

Examples include, but are not limited to:

Emergency Shelters               

Portland Homeless Shelters

            Shelters by Jesus-Skowhegan

            Bangor Area Homeless Shelter

            PCHC Hope House Emergency Shelter

Places not normally meant for habitation

            Sleeping in your car or vehicle

            Sleeping outside, including in a tent

            Sleeping in an old, condemned building

            Sleeping in a camper that is uninsulated and doesn’t have usable bathroom facilities.

Motel/Hotel

Staying in a motel paid by General Assistance, WRAP, EHV, local agency or government office, etc.

 Domestic Violence

     -Was a victim of domestic violence, and are currently fleeing and have no other residence

     -Is a victim and trying to flee the situation and have no other residence.

What is Domestic Violence? Dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or family member that either takes place in, or him or her afraid to return to, their primary nighttime residence (including human trafficking).

What does not count?

Sleeping in a RV or Camper that is properly maintained, has functioning onboard water and sewer connection (including functioning storage tank as designed), and can retain heat during the winter.

Staying at a hotel paid by a family member, friend, insurance policy, or employer

Living in a transitional housing program where prior homelessness cannot be verified.

Living in a transitional housing program for substance abuse, or as part of a condition of release from incarceration.

Evictions

Staying with a friend, family member, or another person (couch surfing)

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Yes. As a program we understand that it can be hard to apply for benefits if you do not have case management, are in the hospital or jail, or are homeless and do not have easy access to a computer. This is why we can award a voucher even if there is no verification for either of these requirements, on a conditional basis.

                You will be required to provide this documentation by the time you lease up. If you do not, your continued eligibility could be in jeopardy.

This will depend on what priority you are applying funder. For all, you will need to supply 3^rd Party documentation, documenting your situation as accurately as possible.

For Priority 1-Psychiatric Hospitalization/PNMI: You will need Intake and/or discharge paperwork from the institution or program with a clear intake and discharge date. We will also accept a signed statement from the institution or program, on letterhead, that states the reason for the stay and both intake and discharge dates.

For Priority 2-Incarceration: You will need release paperwork from the Correctional Facility referenced above, or DHHS Intensive Case Manger assigned to the facility on agency letterhead stating the name of the Correctional Facility and dates of stay.

For Priority 3-Literal Homelessness: You will need 3^rd party verification from a provider or individual witnessing your situation, on agency letterhead.

What should homeless verification include:

Current living situation, including location.

Approximate length of stay at current location, including specific dates witnessed by provider. (last documented incidence must be within 14 days of application submission.)

A printout or screenshot of HMIS (Homeless Management information System) will suffice in place of a list of dates by the provider.

We ask for, at a minimum, two separates dates where situation was witnessed.

      Name/Title/Agency of individual providing verification

      Any other pertinent information, such as condition of location, how the situation effects their mental illness, how situation will increase risk factors and continued instability, etc.

The CAA does have a limited ability to approve waivers for individuals that don’t quite fit under a particular priority. These waivers are submitted by the local agency if they believe that the submitted application and situation warrants special consideration.

Availability of waivers is based on need and funding availability, and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Here are some things that are looked at when reviewing a waiver for approval:

Current Location, including dates and length of stay.

History of psychiatric hospitalization, incarceration, or homelessness, and how the situation will increase the likelihood of these historical risk factors, inpatient hospitalizations, and/or further instability.

What resources the applicant has attempted to access, including family and other natural supports?

How will receiving housing assistance offer permanency and decrease the likelihood of further instability?

As not all situations that warrant a waiver are the same, here are a few examples of previously approved waivers.

Client 1 was released from a long-term psychiatric hospitalization more than 30 days ago, so they don’t qualify as a Priority 1. They planned on applying a few weeks ago, but they went into crisis and entered a Crisis Unit, which is why they couldn’t apply within 30 days.

Client 2 is living with a disabled parent in a small apartment and the landlord is telling him he has to leave, or his mother will be evicted. He has a history of psychiatric hospitalizations due to schizophrenia and can’t go to a homeless shelter due to his support dog. His symptoms are being worsened by the stress and he doesn’t want his mother to be homeless either.

Client 3 is currently staying in a sober living boarding home, where they have lived since they were released from jail 6 months ago. They have co-occurring substance abuse and bipolar and borderline personality disorders. They have a history of homelessness, which can be verified by the agency, as well as incarceration. They are being discharged in a few weeks and have no other place to go.