Transcript Health Care for the Homeless (HCH)

Health Care for the Homeless
(HCH)
HOUSING IS HEALTH CARE
MARGARET FLANAGAN, LGSW
DISABILITY AND CASE MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Who we are
 Over 200 HCH projects nationwide
 Recognized model that specializes in serving those
experiencing homelessness
 Established in Baltimore in 1985 as one of the pilot
sites
 HCH provides comprehensive and integrated
services offering pediatric and adult medical care,
mental health services, case management, addiction
treatment, dental care, vision, HIV services,
outreach, and supportive housing
Locations in Maryland
 Baltimore City – free-standing clinic, provides
funding to four smaller projects in:
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Frederick County
Baltimore County
Montgomery County
Harford County
 Saw over 10,000 individuals last year across all sites;
80% in Baltimore
Who we serve (2011 data)
Our Mission
Health Care for the Homeless works to
prevent and end homelessness for
vulnerable individuals and families by
providing quality, integrated health care
and promoting access to affordable
housing and sustainable incomes
through direct service, advocacy, and
community engagement.
How HCH is structured
 Teams setup by discipline
 Work across teams to provide comprehensive care
 Working towards integrated, patient-centered teams
 Goal is to provide high quality care to as many
individuals
Case management occurs across teams
 Case management within HCH is diverse
 Centers around the belief that housing is health care
and the best way to serve individuals who are
homeless is to work to end homelessness
 Provides ongoing support to:
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Manage chronic health conditions
Obtain benefits and income
Obtain and maintain housing
Education on resources
Connection or referrals to other programs
Case Management at HCH
 Medical providers offer education about health
management and disease prevention including
Asthma, Diabetes maintenance and prevention,
Hypertension, and HIV counseling, testing, and
referral services
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Homelessness is hazardous to one’s health
Higher incidents of chronic health conditions such as high
blood pressure, Hep C, diabetes, and hypertension
How to manage health when living on the streets or in shelter
Case Management at HCH
 Mental health providers offer counseling, crisis
intervention and ongoing support to clients
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Hard to focus on therapy without basic needs met
Benefits assistance for the most vulnerable
Groups to provide education and ongoing support
 Addictions providers assist with compliance with
treatment through harm reduction model
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Phase groups
Individual plans
Meet the client where they are in recovery process
Case Management team
 Case Management team assists medical, mental
health, and addictions teams with short and longterm tasks to prevent and end homelessness
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Application supports
Assistance obtaining identification
Referrals to employment programs
Applying for housing options
Connection to services within HCH
Mail services for clients who lack permanent address
Specialty programs at HCH
 The Adherence Program promotes the effective
treatment of chronic diseases by encouraging healthy
living practices and educating clients about disease
management and HIV transmission prevention
 The Connect Project provides housing placement,
home visits, and intensive case management to end or
prevent the homelessness of people living with
HIV/AIDS and other co-occurring health problems
 The Convalescent Care Program provides
recuperative care, case management, and nursing
assistance for individuals who are too ill to recover in
traditional shelters or on the streets
Case Management in and out of the home
 Supportive housing
 Housing first model
 Provide supportive services in the home to help maintain
housing
 Counseling on energy usage, cooking, relationships with
neighbors
 Outreach engages people into services where they
are
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Works to connect vulnerable individuals to care in the clinic
Relationship building and meeting needs based on what the
CLIENT identifies
Summary
 Health care for the Homeless provides
comprehensive and integrated care to individuals
experiencing homelessness
 Focus on preventing and managing chronic health
conditions, accessing income and other benefits, and
obtaining and maintaining homelessness
 In accord with direct service, also focus on advocacy
in order to promote awareness and involvement in
external environment