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The Seven-Year Itch…It’s Time to Tackle Homelessness Again

It’s been seven years since the passage of AB 2745, which mandated that the regional hospital associations invite key stakeholders to planning meetings to improve the post-hospital transition of homeless patients and then compile the recommendations into a document. Sadly, the issue of homelessness and how to handle homeless patients once they leave the hospital has not gone away. The problem is very much alive and present.

In these years, some noteworthy work has been done. In Los Angeles County, HASC has worked with several agencies to draw up solutions to post-hospital discharge of homeless patients, and partnered with Homeless Health Care Los Angeles to offer homeless discharge training sessions for hospitals in the region. A good point was made at a United Homeless Health Care Partners Summit back in 2007: solutions need to match community needs.

In Orange County, the Orange County Continuum of Care calls for a 10-year plan that includes service providers, representatives of social service agencies, and others to work together on the safe discharge of homeless patients into post-hospital settings for recovery. Of course, the mental health component of this issue is a very important one to face.

At meetings in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, it has been noted that when homeless patients need placement, it can take hours and days to help them. Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties also have tackled the issue, developing a model for hospitals needing to update their policies. Santa Barbara has a 10-year plan to end homelessness.

A good start has certainly been made, but we’re not there yet. What has been lacking is the political will to truly get down to work in this arena. We need greater collaboration among policy makers, regional associations, hospitals, and all other agencies involved in the post-hospital treatment of homeless patients. Hospitals are not an isolated solution to this multi-pronged problem; hospitals are one important component in a complex situation that involves health care, politics, social work, and a myriad of others trying to develop lasting solutions.

It’s a tough issue to talk about, but the time to do so is now. Let’s use what has been done and spring forward into action.

Comments

Innovative Hospital Program to Address Homelessness

Submitted by Barry Ross (not verified) on March 27, 2014 - 8:44am.
St. Jude Medical Center initiated a Community Care Navigation program to address the needs of the homeless in our community. When Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill homeless man was beaten by the police in Fullerton and died it caused the entire community to reflect on how we were meeting the needs of the homeless. The Medical Center was asked what our experience was with the homeless. We pulled data for those individuals who did not provide an address and identified a number of patients who made many visits to our Emergency Department annually - including one man who came in 65 times. We decided to pilot a model where a social worker who had been assigned to the ED would be freed up to develop a relationship with our homeless patients and try to link them up to community services. In 2013, the primary reason for the 369 homeless indivduals who she saw who came to the ER were mental illness (30%), substance abuse (24%) and no food, clothing or housing (30%). Our Navigator implemented an organized clothing and toiletry closet supported by hospital employees. Her interventions included: building a relationship, providing direct resources such as clothing, charity medications and bus passes, and linking patients to medical and social resources. She is able to make sure patients get to needed appointments, are able to apply for benefits and connect them to any available service that will improve their health and quality of life. In addition, she has been involved in advocacy efforts to increase services for the homeless in Orange County. For more information please call 714-992-3996.

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Comments

Innovative Hospital Program to Address Homelessness

Submitted by Barry Ross (not verified) on March 27, 2014 - 8:44am.
St. Jude Medical Center initiated a Community Care Navigation program to address the needs of the homeless in our community. When Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill homeless man was beaten by the police in Fullerton and died it caused the entire community to reflect on how we were meeting the needs of the homeless. The Medical Center was asked what our experience was with the homeless. We pulled data for those individuals who did not provide an address and identified a number of patients who made many visits to our Emergency Department annually - including one man who came in 65 times. We decided to pilot a model where a social worker who had been assigned to the ED would be freed up to develop a relationship with our homeless patients and try to link them up to community services. In 2013, the primary reason for the 369 homeless indivduals who she saw who came to the ER were mental illness (30%), substance abuse (24%) and no food, clothing or housing (30%). Our Navigator implemented an organized clothing and toiletry closet supported by hospital employees. Her interventions included: building a relationship, providing direct resources such as clothing, charity medications and bus passes, and linking patients to medical and social resources. She is able to make sure patients get to needed appointments, are able to apply for benefits and connect them to any available service that will improve their health and quality of life. In addition, she has been involved in advocacy efforts to increase services for the homeless in Orange County. For more information please call 714-992-3996.

Post new comment