Hello My name is Mimi. My cumulative experience (CE) project aims to identify and implement intervention strategies for methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) that are suitable for individuals experiencing homelessness in Grand Prairie and surrounding areas.
A major development in my cumulative experience (CE) project is understanding the complex and intertwining relationships between MUD, mental health issues, and homelessness. Substance use disorders (SUD), including MUD and opioid use disorder (OUD), can be “both the cause and result of homelessness” (Prescott, 2024). On the one hand, SUD can cause individuals to make life choices that lead them into homelessness. On the other hand, individuals experiencing homelessness use drugs, such as methamphetamine and heroin, as a coping mechanism to ease the stress and anxiety associated with homelessness (Prescott, 2024). Therefore, any MUD intervention strategies can be compromised by the continued homelessness of the treated individuals, resulting in discontinuation of treatment or relapse after treatment. Further, SUD and mental disorders often co-exist, which are referred to as co-occurring disorders (COD) by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, 2019). Mental illness can increase the risk of SUD and hinder individuals from seeking and adhering to treatments (SAMHSA, 2019). Therefore, it is important to consider mental illness as a barrier to the effective implementation of MUD intervention strategies. Correspondingly, strategies for addressing homelessness (either temporarily or permanently) and treating the mental illness of our clients may need to be employed or implemented in conjunction with the MUD intervention strategies. This represents a slight change of direction or broadening of scope for my CE project