Work

A Primary Care-Public Health Partnership Addressing Homelessness, Serious Mental Illness, and Health Disparities

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: People with histories of homelessness and serious mental illness experience profound health disparities. Housing First is an evidenced-based practice that is working to end homelessness for these individuals through a combination of permanent housing and community-based supports. METHODS: The Jefferson Department of Family and Community Medicine and a Housing First agency, Pathways to Housing-PA, has formed a partnership to address multiple levels of health care needs for this group. We present a preliminary program evaluation of this partnership using the framework of the patient-centered medical home and the "10 Essential Public Health Services." RESULTS: Preliminary program evaluation results suggest that this partnership is evolving to function as an integrated person-centered health home and an effective local public health monitoring system. CONCLUSION: The Pathways to Housing-PA/Jefferson Department of Family and Community Medicine partnership represents a community of solution, and multiple measures provide preliminary evidence that this model is feasible and can address the "grand challenges" of integrated community health services.

Source: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine

DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2013.03.120239

Authors: L. C. Weinstein, M. D. LaNoue, J. D. Plumb, H. King, B. Stein, S. Tsemberis

Institutions: Pathways to Housing, Thomas Jefferson University

Language: English

Topic: Homelessness and Social Issues

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Public Health Service