Mental health disclosure in housing: Practical tools for supportive conversations

Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) Foundational Community Supports (FCS) team in partnership with Rutgers School of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions to present the April Supportive Housing topical. 

Disclosing a mental health condition in a housing setting is deeply personal. Clients may struggle with whether to share, how much to say, and what the potential consequences might be. At the same time, supportive housing staff often want to guide these conversations in a thoughtful way. This practical, skills-focused webinar explores how to support client-centered decisions about disclosure, including when disclosure may be helpful, when it may not be necessary, and how to approach landlords in a calm, solution-focused manner.

We will also discuss the potential impact of disclosing to neighbors, the benefits and drawbacks of transparency, and what a clear, intentional disclosure plan can look like in real-world practice. Participants will leave with concrete strategies, structured planning tools, and sample scripts they can use immediately to support housing stability while honoring client choice and dignity.

Objectives:

• Understand the basics of housing-related protections for people with mental health conditions
• Help clients decide if, when, and how to disclose mental health information to a landlord.
• Weigh the benefits and risks of disclosing to neighbors or within a housing community.
• Develop a client-centered disclosure plan that prioritizes choice, safety, and housing stability.

Use practical conversation scripts to support clients and engage landlords in a respectful, solution-focused way.

Shorter Bio of Presenter: Crystal Socha PhD, LPC, CRC, ACS, NCC (she/her) is a Senior Training and Consultation Specialist at Rutgers School of Health Professions in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. She provides training, consultation and technical assistance for the Community Support Services Initiative. She has over twelve years of experience in the behavioral health field, in various settings

Register Here: Meeting Registration – Zoom

“Therapeutic Court Association of Washington is sharing this event for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with, endorsing, or sponsoring the event.”