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As part of the efforts made by Medi-Cal, we seek to support homeless Californians, addressing the primary needs of the community with a medical service that goes beyond medical consultation, such as the transition to housing. , rent and deposit aid, recovery housing after hospitalization, day rehabilitation and street medicine, among others.
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is concerned about the needs of the community and seeks to support people in housing and home services, with social services aimed at the health of people at risk of become homeless; This multi-year initiative provides services to one in three, or almost 15 million, Californians.
During a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services (EMS), DHCS leaders say they are using Medi-Cal to help Californians experiencing homelessness and housing instability live healthier lives.
Glenn Tsang, Homelessness and Housing Policy Advisor for the California Department of Health Care Services, spoke about the importance of addressing issues around homelessness, as it is really worrying to have to make difficult decisions like buying food or pay the rent.
?I want to start with our improved care management and community supports, that is what we are going to focus on, covering the issues that concern the community through street medicine; "These services really constitute a strategy to support frontline response that offers connection to emergency shelters and others," said Gleen Tsang.
The administration of housing and outreach programs specifically, is a new benefit that was launched in phases starting January 1, 2022; This has been launched in phases by focus population, with homeless people being one of those populations of the new benefit.
Tsang detailed that health plans are also encouraged and supported to collect data on racial and ethnic groups, with the goal of building a broader network of providers to serve those members and thus build a relationship of trust, connection and access points. with the most vulnerable groups.
?Let's say we have a member or an individual who lives on the streets and is diabetic, how can we reasonably expect them to store their insulin medications and take care of their medications? "That's an example that I turn to again and again to really frame how these community supports are set up," Tsang added.
For the homeless population, he specified, one of the services available is housing transition, which guides people through the process of identifying stable housing and provides assistance with housing search requests to support with what is necessary during the process.
Another of these supports is for people who are discharged from the hospital and who are homeless; Having another housing option is better for your recovery compared to an unstable living environment, so a request was submitted to federal partners at the Centers for Medicare and Medi-Cal Services to cover 6 months of rent for members who are making very critical and impactful transitions from emergency department settings, but which may serve as a pathway into homelessness.
Another important issue is medicine and street care services, which seek to provide medical services within the reach of everyone, in this way people will not have to travel long distances to receive care, providing more health opportunities to vulnerable communities.
Amber Middleton, director of the HOPE program at the Shasta Community Health Center, located in Redding, California, commented that they have a program that has a mobile medical component where they park at different sites and support those who are homeless.
?I'm a social worker by training and education, the whole focus is really going to the population and not waiting for things to get so bad that they have to seek services it's an emergency, so I think this is a great example of breaking down barriers ?, commented Amber Middleton.
There are three community supports that are specific to housing: housing transition and navigation, housing deposits, and housing services; Added to this is a person who is really focused on being an expert in housing,
The Shasta Community Health Center Health Department has a Consumer Advisory Board and is made up of people who are currently in shelter or have been in one in their lifetime, that group meets twice a month to report to the health department. Hope on any type of change in practice as a way to continue to instill the direct needs of the population being served.
Brian Zunner-Keating, director of the UCLA Homeless Healthcare Collaborative, explained about the Homeless Healthcare Collaborative Health program, which began in January 2022 to promote health equity by bringing high-quality healthcare to the streets of the county. of the Angels.
Since it began, more than nine thousand clinical evaluations have been provided to almost five thousand people, it started with two teams and now the program has expanded to five teams and others similar.
In this way, communities are seeking to bring doctors and even prescription medications directly to people suffering on the streets, camps, shelters and other vulnerable places, which is why it has become a very useful tool for those who cannot attend a physical clinic.
"Usually we can't just walk up to someone we meet, it works much better to make a real human connection and say something simple like: Hello," added Brian Zunner-Keating.
He commented that they have a very diverse team that speaks several languages and comes from different ethnic backgrounds, in this way medical care can be made more accessible, ensuring that team members are culturally and linguistically sensitive to the communities they visit.
Experts assure that the changes in the medical service are improving, taking into account the most vulnerable population and with fewer opportunities to be informed about health services, so continuing with projects aimed at homeless people will be a key piece to guarantee access to health for all Californians.
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