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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Katherine T. OHara, RN, MPH, CHES¹, Mary McLaughlin, RN, BSN, MS¹, Nancy E. Kincaid, RN, BSN, MA², Sandra Chierici, PhD³, and Patricia P. O'Kane, MSS, LCSW¹. (1) Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University and Woodland Avenues, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-287-3253, ktohara@msn.com, (2) Philadelphia Veterans Multi-service and Education Center, Inc., 213-217 N. 4th St., Philadelphia, PA 19106, (3) Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1400 Blackhorse Hill Road, Coatesville, PA 19320

The homeless population in our country has great difficulty getting beyond the first level of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs: food, water, shelter and warmth. Once the first level is attained they are enmeshed in the second level: security, stability and freedom from fear. The question is asked, where does health care fit into their lives? The Pragmatic Approach Model of Health Care for Homeless identifies outreach as the first step in incorporating the homeless into the health care system. Homelessness is a systematic problem and without the participation of multiple levels of public and private sector organizations, consistent, effective health care for the homeless population will remain a goal just beyond our reach. An effective tool of outreach was designed in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey areas to outreach to homeless veterans. The military concept of Stand Down, stepping from the front lines to rest and to become well, was incorporated to interact with community resources to offer medical, social, and mental health screenings and interventions to homeless veterans. Partners included federal, state, county, for-profit, and non-profit organizations as well as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard Reserve and Active Duty Units. Screenings included general medical, HIV, RPR, hepatitis, diabetes, dental, podiatry, eye, hypertension, substance abuse, depression and mental illness. Resources were present from Social Security, Job Corps, welfare, housing, substance abuse programs, Legal-Aid, homeless programs and multiple community outreach programs. The targeted population was the homeless in shelters, on the street, in cars, in abandoned buildings and in make shift spaces provided by family and friends. The Stand Down effort has evolved and improved over the 13 years of its existence. Due to the multi-level community participation, this model can be incorporated into the general population using the same resources and structure used for the veteran's Stand Down. Outreach is the first and most crucial step to engaging and empowering the homeless population.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify five community resources necessary to design a homeless health care screening event.
• List three targeted locations to identify homeless in need of health care screening.
• Discuss the need of outreach in providing health care to the homeless population.
• List five screening tests targeting prevalent health problems in the homeless population.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Homeless Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation