Summary
Supported housing initiatives (IHP) areresidential facilities that serve as alternatives and complements to psychiatric hospitals.
The IHP serves individuals who require psychiatric care but do not need continuous inpatient treatment.
Supported housing is designed as a transitional environment. It offers chronic, stabilized psychiatric patients the opportunity to live outside the hospital setting in an independent and structured manner, while receiving support from a multidisciplinary team.
These facilities provide housing and offer daytime activities. They also support residents in their daily lives and in developing social skills.
Two types of placements exist within the Supported Housing Initiatives:
- shared living arrangements: the resident has a room and access to common areas in a supported housing unit (subject to payment of living expenses);
- individual housing units: the resident has a protected housing unit in which they live alone (subject to payment of accommodation fees).
Once they leave the supported housing, residents may also receive individual post-stay support. This support allows them to live in their own home while receiving assistance from the IHP team active at the facility they previously attended.
Key points
AVIQ is not involved in the admission process to an IHP.
In detail
Individuals who require psychiatric care but do not need continuous inpatient treatment.
The mission of a supported housing initiative is to provide housing and support for individuals who do not require continuous inpatient treatment and who, for psychiatric reasons, need assistance in their living and housing environment to develop social skills, and for whom appropriate daytime activities must be organized.
Appropriate care for patients
Each supported housing initiative (IHP) has a minimum professional staff. This team consists of:
- a psychiatrist (or neuropsychiatrist);
- support staff, at a rate of one full-time equivalent for every 8 residents.
Support staff must hold a college degree and possess a qualification such as a social nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, or special education teacher, etc.
Staff members have a support role focused on developing residents’ independence. Their continuous presence is therefore not required. However, measures must be in place to ensure that, if necessary, the most appropriate care can be accessed or the IHP manager can be contacted.
There is no standard model for an IHP: each operates in a unique way depending on the available local resources.
There is always a partnership with a mental health center or a psychiatric hospital. This partnership helps foster links between the residential and outpatient sectors.
The individual, their legal representative, or their psychiatrist submits an admission request directly to the care team of the Supported Housing Initiative (IHP). LAVIQ is not involved in the admission process for an IHP.
A meeting with the care team is scheduled to assess the feasibility of supporting the individual. If the admission application is approved, the individual may join the IHP for several months to evaluate their ability to integrate into the group and to monitor progress on the established treatment plan.
Following a positive evaluation, the individual may remain in the IHP for as long as it takes to achieve full reintegration into social life.
- The support:
Support provided by staff members of the Supported Housing Initiative (IHP) is covered by health insurance.
Other medical care not included in the Supported Housing Initiative’s support package (such as medication, general practitioner and psychiatrist fees, etc.) must, however, still be paid for separately.
- The stay:
Residents pay a residency fee to the supported housing initiative (IHP). This fee varies by IHP.
At the end of the stay in the IHP, the multidisciplinary team sets up a follow-up program for the resident in their private housing. This external follow-up period lasts 6 months and may be renewed only once.
Walloon Regulatory Code for Social Action and Health Walloon Code on Social Action and Health - Decree section
Useful documents
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List of Protected Housing Initiatives (IHP) List of Protected Housing Initiatives (IHP): in French
Useful links
AVlQ Website - Protected Housing Initiatives Cresam website Federation of Protected Housing Initiatives website
