Are you a fan of Paul Farmer- Mountains Beyond Mountains? I'm reminded of him prescribing a roof and a floor to his patients in Haiti. Absolutely agree with the concept.
Dear Becky,
I applaud your innovation. The state of homelessness in New England is epidemic. I also work with the homeless population through an Emergency Department and Supportive Housing in Connecticut. People who are homeless come along with complex social and medical problems. Your pilot program hinges on immediate access to subsidized housing. I have always found this and the need for immediate access to medical (especially dental) care to be the weak links in the system, your basic assumptions are correct. The best we have been able to do is immediately connect the person to our State-Administered General Assistance program so that the providers of services will get paid. Once the individual is in Supportive Housing then another set of challenges arise in keeping them there. Some homeless people say it is easier living on the streets but I will never believe this. My interventions focus on providing information on how to navigate through the system, support, and help in developing a desire to assimilate back into the community. Good luck with your endeavors. - Ralph
In my city we have a facility for housing the homeless, but it is just for men.
Women on the streets with children can't get welfare or social services because they have no residential address.
We have a mobile heating unit that operates in winter months for the homeless to visit to get warm in... it's just a bus, run by volunteers. There was an unfortunate incident on that bus where a homeless man stabbed another man for talking to much, though... and that brings to light some of the perils of housing for homeless people.
Although many are perfectly capable and willing to abide in society with civility, many are not capable or not willing. Many others are on the street due to alcoholism, or drug addiction... or just plain huffing glue. They won't go to rehab, or if they do, they don't rehabilitate and quickly return to the streets. Your program may be able to address this problem in a way that will be more successful, if in part because it is a program that offers dignity, self respect and hope, and not the least because you will be in a position to evaluate the ability of the person to morph back into society.
If there was a way your program could also help some of the homeless (like the women who can't get services for lack of a residence) that would be awesome. Mostly because once they have secured an income, your turnover rate would be higher, because they would then be able to move into government low income housing complexes, leaving the space behind them for the next individual.
I myself have begun a program in Baltimore and would like to know more about yours. It makes perfect sense, as this would serve two purposes. One, get someone off the street; two, also reduce the cost of healthcare in any form you see it.
Please email me at Debra@womenofworth-wow.com. I would love to know more about where you are with this project and if I can emulate it here.
We have had the same issue in the UK.
Last year Homeless Link worked with the Homelessness Group of the London Network for Nurses, the Department of Communities & Local Government and Department of Health to produce joint guidelines to help hospitals draw up their own protocols for the admission and discharge of people who are homeless. These guidelines were issued jointly by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the
Department of Health. They represent recommended practice.
Comments
Are you a fan of Paul Farmer- Mountains Beyond Mountains? I'm reminded of him prescribing a roof and a floor to his patients in Haiti. Absolutely agree with the concept.
Dear Becky,
I applaud your innovation. The state of homelessness in New England is epidemic. I also work with the homeless population through an Emergency Department and Supportive Housing in Connecticut. People who are homeless come along with complex social and medical problems. Your pilot program hinges on immediate access to subsidized housing. I have always found this and the need for immediate access to medical (especially dental) care to be the weak links in the system, your basic assumptions are correct. The best we have been able to do is immediately connect the person to our State-Administered General Assistance program so that the providers of services will get paid. Once the individual is in Supportive Housing then another set of challenges arise in keeping them there. Some homeless people say it is easier living on the streets but I will never believe this. My interventions focus on providing information on how to navigate through the system, support, and help in developing a desire to assimilate back into the community. Good luck with your endeavors. - Ralph
I completely support the concept of this program.
In my city we have a facility for housing the homeless, but it is just for men.
Women on the streets with children can't get welfare or social services because they have no residential address.
We have a mobile heating unit that operates in winter months for the homeless to visit to get warm in... it's just a bus, run by volunteers. There was an unfortunate incident on that bus where a homeless man stabbed another man for talking to much, though... and that brings to light some of the perils of housing for homeless people.
Although many are perfectly capable and willing to abide in society with civility, many are not capable or not willing. Many others are on the street due to alcoholism, or drug addiction... or just plain huffing glue. They won't go to rehab, or if they do, they don't rehabilitate and quickly return to the streets. Your program may be able to address this problem in a way that will be more successful, if in part because it is a program that offers dignity, self respect and hope, and not the least because you will be in a position to evaluate the ability of the person to morph back into society.
If there was a way your program could also help some of the homeless (like the women who can't get services for lack of a residence) that would be awesome. Mostly because once they have secured an income, your turnover rate would be higher, because they would then be able to move into government low income housing complexes, leaving the space behind them for the next individual.
I just like this program!
Becky,
I myself have begun a program in Baltimore and would like to know more about yours. It makes perfect sense, as this would serve two purposes. One, get someone off the street; two, also reduce the cost of healthcare in any form you see it.
Please email me at Debra@womenofworth-wow.com. I would love to know more about where you are with this project and if I can emulate it here.
Thanks,
Debra.
We have had the same issue in the UK.
Last year Homeless Link worked with the Homelessness Group of the London Network for Nurses, the Department of Communities & Local Government and Department of Health to produce joint guidelines to help hospitals draw up their own protocols for the admission and discharge of people who are homeless. These guidelines were issued jointly by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the
Department of Health. They represent recommended practice.
http://www.homeless.org.uk/policyandinfo/issues/health/discharge/?search...
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