Transcript Tapping into Public Health System for Your Clients

Tapping into Health
Resources for Homeless
Families
Susan Kline, MN ARNP
Health Care for the Homeless Network
Public Health – Seattle & King County
February 9, 2007
Health Care for the Homeless
Advisory Planning Council
Structure of
Seattle-King
County HCHN
Program
Public Health’s Community Health
Services Division
Health Care for the Homeless Network
12 Subcontract Agencies &
the homeless sites they
serve
About $4
million budget
(HHS & HUD
grants, local
funds,
Medicaid
Match)
Quality
Management
Committee
Public Health Clinics &
Programs
About 8,000
people/year
About 13,000
people/year.
HCHN Database
(1997 to date)
(Includes
doubled up & at
risk patients)
• Reduce the barriers to care and
assure access
• Meet clients where they’re at…..
– Location
– Address the health concerns clients
identify (patient/client-centered)
• Assure patients’ (health) safety
Our Current Response:
Multidisciplinary Approach to Care
Visit from the Nurse (Country
Doctor, Community Health
Centers of King County, or
Puget Sound Neighborhood
Health Centers)
Gets mental health
counseling from the visiting
counselor from Valley Cities
Counseling & Consultation
Family Staying in an Emergency
Shelter staff get training
Shelter
on lice, TB, first aid,
cleaning up bodily fluids,
etc. from HCH Public
Health Nurse
Gets a visit with an Eligibility
Counselor from YWCA Health
Access Program
Help Enrolling in Medicaid
Approach to Health Care
Acutely Homeless
Securely Housed
Chronically Homeless
Crisis
Acute Health Needs
Security
Health Maintenance
Health Promotion
Single
Adults
Current HCHN
Programs by
Subpopulation
Shelter/day
center-based
Services
22-Bed
Medical
Respite
(recuperation)
REACH - care
for chronic
public
inebriates
Health Care
for IV Drug
Users
Opportunity
Place
Wellness
Center (Fall
2004)
Youth
Families
Shelter/day
centerbased
Services
Shelter/day
center based
Services
Support for
Homeless
Youth
Clinics
Pathways
Home - Case
management
for families
Access
Advocacy
(Medical
coverage
eligibility)
All
Health & safety
technical
assistance/
training for
homeless
agencies
TB Education,
Screening &
Services
Public Health
Clinics &
Services
Emergency
preparedness
T.A. for shelters
Public Health Programs
• Public Health Nurses
– Perinatal – 12 Months Services
• Maternity Support Services
• Best Beginnings (First Time Parents)
– Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Moms Plus (Pregnant & Parenting Women
with Addictions)
• Northwest Family Center (Pregnant &
Parenting Women with HIV/AIDS)
Public Health Programs
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WIC Nutrition Program
Primary Care Clinics
Dental Clinics
TB Clinic
Reproductive Health Clinics
STD Clinic
School-Based Health Centers
Public Health Programs
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Environmental Health
Food Handlers Certificates
Emergency Preparedness
Communicable Disease
Tobacco Cessation
Nutrition Education
Healthy Homes Project (Asthma)
Strengths
Challenges
• Rich array of services
• Many health care
agencies are involved
in the effort to serve
homeless people.
• Avoiding duplication
of service
• Communicating what
is available
• Creating an
integrated system
Future Direction – Transition services from
emergency shelter-based model to a
housing first model
Public Health Seattle & King County
General www.metrokc.gov/health
HCHN
www.metrokc.gov/health/hchn
• Recommended Shelter Health and Safety Best Practice
Guidelines
• An Influenza Pandemic Planning Guide for Homeless and
Housing Service Providers
National
• National Health Care for the Homeless
Council www.nhchc.org
Locate Health Care Clinics (HCH Programs)
• Find a Health Center (Bureau of Primary
Health Care) http://ask.hrsa.gov/pc/
• 211 Information & Referral www.211.org/
Health Information
• American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org/x6973.xml
• American Academy of Pediatrics
www.aap.org/topics.html
• Medline Plus http://medlineplus.gov/