Good Morning!
Happy Healthcare for the Homeless Day!
We will be fostering a conversation around services as well as strength-based practices for interacting with people who are homeless.
Later this afternoon, we will be doing some feet on the street outreach as we pass out care packages in the Unincorporated Alameda County Area.
Watch this introduction video to learn more about today’s work. Thank you for tuning in!
In this video we are highlighting La Clinica’s efforts in serving displaced individuals. La Clinica receives ACHCSA funding to provide low, to no cost services, while connecting them to a case manager for extra support!
Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (ACHCSA) funds the Healthcare for the Homeless Dental Program at La Clinica’s Fruitvale and Transit Village Dental sites.
A mobile trailer goes out in the community and visits displaced persons encampments Case Managers from ACHCSA refer displaced Alameda County adults and children to La Clinica, where they receive comprehensive dental services.
Serivces include:
-Phase I Treatment: Emergency needs and services needed to stabilize the patient (cleaning, fillings, extractions, periodontal services, and root canals
-Hygiene Education: Hygiene visits and education
-Phase II Treatment: Rehabilitation services, such as dentures, crowns, and limited bridges
The ACHCSA Case Manager meets with patients on-site to provide dental case management to patients, including on-site support during appointments including de-escalation, conflict resolution, and counseling. The Case Manager also offers referral and linkage to benefits, such as housing, physical and mental health services, reminders and transportation support to appointments, and connection to a dental home following completion of treatment.
During the 2020 calendar year so far we are celebrating the following successful efforts the HCH dental program as accomplished:
127 patients have received comprehensive dental services
31 patients have received oral cancer screenings
11 patients have received oral health education
4 patients have completed their full treatment plan
Jayme Luna is an MSW student and has worked with people that are homeless. Jayme will be sharing some critical information around strength-based practices. These practices will help you work with people who are homeless in a way that promotes compassion, inclusivity, and self-determination while honoring that we are partners in caring for the homeless and that they are experts in their own lives.
Today was important for my mission with An Insightful Journey because it is important to understand the impacts of mental illness can often be the cause for homelessness.
“Mental illness can strain relationships with others, disrupt capabilities of self-care, and interrupt the routine of a daily job, which are all factors that can lead to homelessness. Also, people who are homeless and suffer from mental illness are more prone to problems in physical health due to neglect of self-care, leading to prevalence of respiratory infections, HIV, and substance abuse. Studies show that psychotic homeless individuals have a higher chance of being physically assaulted. A study in Baltimore showed that nearly one-third of homeless women had been raped.
Unfortunately, because of the increase in factors such as substance abuse, mentally ill, homeless individuals are more likely to be incarcerated. In fact, every single state in the United States arrests more mentally ill people than it hospitalizes. In one report, it was found that 17.3% of prison inmates with severe mental illness were homeless prior to being arrested and 40% were homeless at one point in their lives, compared to 6% of undiagnosed inmates. Homelessness and incarceration increases the risk of each other through a positive feedback loop, causing a cycle of hardship and uncertainty. This cycle that these individuals face between living on the streets and in prison causes emotional, financial, and physical stress for their families and the community at large.
A study by the National Institute of Mental Health found that approximately 6% of Americans are severely mentally ill, compared to the 20-25% of the homeless population that suffers from severe mental illness. Furthermore, 45% of the homeless population shows history of mental illness diagnoses.”
(Source: https://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~hcht/blog/homelessness-and-mental-health-facts)