Vulnerable populations typically suffer from multiple overlapping issues (poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, health problems) that require multiple services and treatments. This book provides students and professionals in health care and service delivery with innovative programs and models to address the needs of these vulnerable populations, including adults, children, youth, families, and the elderly who are coping with mental illness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and other social ills.

Very often these problems are compounded by the effects of developmental disabilities and/or social problems, such as poverty, homelessness, criminal justice involvement, racism, and cultural barriers. This text offers innovative approaches to program design, service delivery, evaluation and funding. Strategies for introducing these innovations (such as cross-system coordination and blended funding) are described in detail, using real, evidence-based programs from around the country as examples. Experts from across program delivery systems, as well as from academia and government, share their practice experience.

• Discusses a variety of populations, including minorities, the elderly, at-risk children and families, the disabled, mentally ill, and more
  
• Covers a variety of problems, such as substance abuse, poverty, crime, physical and mental illness
  
• Describes how barriers in program delivery systems are identified and overcome
  
• Includes emerging programs that address the needs of vulnerable populations