The Homeless Youth Dual Diagnosis Initiative (HYDDI) is a Department of Health and Human Services Youth Homelessness initiative implemented through a partnership between Hope Street and the NorthWestern Mental Health (NWMH), the mental health arm of Melbourne Health. A HYDDI Practitioner is employed by NWMH's Substance Use and Mental Illness Treatment Team (SUMITT) and is co-located at Hope Street. SUMITT's ability to respond to the needs of consumers who have co-occurring mental health and substance use issues is enriched by having a clinician embedded within Hope Street and the homelessness sector.

SUMITT have enjoyed a close working relationship with Hope Street for 10 years and this relationship benefits both organisations, SUMITT get an on-the-ground understanding of how housing and homelessness affects our consumers and Hope Street get access to clinical expertise.

Shane Sweeney
Program Manager
www.nwmh.org.au