Health Care for the Homeless / Cuidados de Salud para Personas sin Hogar

Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) serves approximately 3,500 unduplicated homeless people per year in 8 shelters and drop-in centers in St. Paul. The program began in 1987 through federal grant funds allocated from the Stewart McKinney-Bruce Vento Act to End Homelessness. This act covers a global set of approaches to address the housing, health care, addiction, mental health, and employment obstacles that prevent homeless people from stabilizing their lives. Health Care for the Homeless carries out its mission to increase access to essential health care by bringing the services to convenient locations and using a walk-in design that works well for the target population.

HCH uses a multidisciplinary team to assess the medical and psychosocial needs of the patient. We focus at first on any immediate health concerns and keep mindful of any other issues for future visits. We work hard to establish trust and rapport with our patients as a first step in encouraging them towards more positive outcomes. It is an HCH goal to participate in helping to improve lives towards long-term solutions to their health and housing needs. Staff looks for opportunities to activate constructive change in the patients whenever possible. When we hear that a client hasn’t been seen for a while because he or she has found an apartment and a job, we celebrate a success. But not everyone is capable of making it to such independence. Some homeless patients we meet are faced with multiple issues that compound their problems. Our strong mental health and chemical health resources are a boost in working effectively with our patients, as is the breadth of community agencies providing adjunct services.

The team of providers that travels between sites includes some or all of the following: Family Nurse Practitioner, Public Health Nurses, family practice physicians, psychiatrists, a social worker, an ophthalmologist, a chiropractor, mental health nurse, a Chemical Dependency counselor, and clinic coordinators. Acute and preventive services are offered on a walk-in basis. Well-child and well-woman check-ups, hypertension, diabetes, upper respiratory infections, and skin and foot problems are the more common visit types. Medications are provided without charge from an array of purchased and donated pharmaceuticals. Community referrals assist HCH staff in meeting needs beyond the scope of the clinic (e.g.: x-ray, chemical dependency treatment, and legal aid).

Address:
438 Main Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102

Contact Information:
Name: Helene Freint, Program Director
Phone: (651) 290.6815
Fax: (651) 290.6818