Research Article Is It Safe? Community Integration for Individuals With Serious Mental Illnesses Rohini Pahwa 1 , Ryan J. Dougherty 2 , Erin Kelly 3,4,5 , Lisa Davis 5 , Melissa E. Smith 6 , and John S. Brekke 7 Abstract Purpose: Community integration is a key component of recovery for individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMIs). The goal of the current study is to explore the nature and impact of safety concerns for experiences of communities for individuals with SMIs. Method: Using constructivist grounded theory, 30 semistructured interviews were analyzed to explore the depth and breadth of individuals’ safety concerns, how individuals manage these concerns, and how these concerns shape their community experiences. Findings: Participants described various unsafe encounters related to neighborhood disorder, homelessness, traumatic experiences, substance use, stigma, and loss of relationships and multiple strategies to manage their safety. Many saw mental health services as a sanctuary from the dangers of their environment, providing support, resources, and coping skills. For many, future communities were envisioned within the context of safety. Conclusions: Service providers should consider safety as a critical issue that impacts how individuals experience their current and future communities. Keywords serious mental illnesses, community, safety, trauma, community mental health services Community integration is well recognized as an important com- ponent of recovery for individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMIs), but it remains a persistent challenge for many (Pahwa et al., 2014; Townley et al., 2009). Post-deinstitutionalization, community integration services have been key components of mental health programs and policies (Farone, 2006) as there are many benefits to well-being associated with social inclusion (Townley et al., 2013). However, substantial barriers to success- ful community integration exist. Violence, victimization, and/or lack of perceived safety in the physical spaces where people spend most of their time can have a negative impact on commu- nity experiences of individuals with SMIs (Albers et al., 2018). Lack of belonging, social exclusion, and stigma are also known to adversely affect community experiences of individuals with SMIs (Bromley et al., 2013). The current study aims to explore the influence of stigma, lack of belonging, social exclusion, and threats to physical safety on the community experiences of indi- viduals with SMIs in mental health services. Physical Safety: Vulnerability to Violence and Victimization Several studies have shown that individuals with SMIs have a higher likelihood of being the victims of crime and violence than those in the general population (Choe et al., 2008; Man- iglio, 2009). Individuals with SMIs are up to 11 times more likely to experience violent victimization including physical assault, sexual assault, or threat of violence as compared to the general population (Christ et al., 2018). Furthermore, exposure to violence and victimization and a lack of physical safety have been associated with increased symptomatology, lower quality of life, and greater likelihood of revictimization for this popu- lation (Christ et al., 2018). Despite evidence of the impact of physical violence, victimization, and vulnerability on the experiences of successful community integration for individu- als with SMIs, there has been minimal focus on these factors in community integration research. 1 Silver School of Social Work, New York University, NY, USA 2 Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 3 Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Center for Social Medicine and Humanities, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, CA, USA 4 Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson Univer- sity, Philadelphia, PA, USA 5 Center for Health Services and Society, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 6 School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA 7 Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Corresponding Author: Rohini Pahwa, Silver School of Social Work, New York University, 1 Washington Square N., New York, NY 10012, USA. Email: rohini.pahwa@nyu.edu Research on Social Work Practice 1-13 ª The Author(s) 2020 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1049731520951628 journals.sagepub.com/home/rsw