This workshop will share the administrative, clinical, and consumer perspectives of launching and operating a Community Clinic at the Organization. The Organization is a nonprofit that ends isolation and homelessness through radical hospitality. It’s an inclusive space for anyone experiencing homelessness to feel welcome, feel safe, and receive services. By partnering with the Clinic and tailoring its services to fit the community’s needs, the Organization is able to provide robust, wrap-around health care to consumers where they feel safe, valued, and are encouraged to take the lead on their health journey.
The partnership between the Organization and the Clinic brings together critical services under a shared roof including primary and behavioral healthcare, infectious disease care, substance use counseling, community engagement, and housing support. Because of the discrimination and other practical barriers to care that persons experiencing homelessness face, combining these vital services is not just best practice but a matter of justice and equity.
This workshop will share the successes and challenges of the project from the consumer and staff perspectives. Attendees will hear from consumers about their experiences of accessing care at the Community Clinic. The team will share the challenges of building new processes and adapting existing workflows to the needs of the community. The team will also share the impact that rooting care in a community-driven, inclusive, and low-barrier setting has had on 1) consumers’ longitudinal access to full- person care; and 2) optimization of treatment goals and morbidity metrics in comparison to pre-enrollment patient data. This workshop will provide lessons learned for other agencies seeking to incorporate true community-based and community-led healthcare services into their offerings.
Speakers: Julie Han: Senior Program Coordinator, The Center in Hollywood; Kristian Melby: Saban Community Clinic; Christine Stellino
Session Materials:
