This study aims to increase our understanding of the ways in which homelessness, mental health and drug and alcohol services can be coordinated or integrated to provide services to homeless people, the extent to which system and service integration is occurring in Australia at present and the effectiveness of various integrated service delivery responses.

The study addresses three research questions:

1. What do we mean by the ‘integration of services’ in the homelessness context? How do we measure the extent of integration and assess its form and structure?
2. What is the current level and nature of service and system integration in Australia as it relates to the provision of support services to homeless people with poor mental health and problematic substance use?
3. Does system and service integration lead to better access to services on the part of homeless people with poor mental health outcomes and problematic substance use? Does it lead to improved client outcomes over and above what would otherwise occur?