A Monthly Briefing from Tipping Point
A Monthly Briefing from Tipping Point
Dear Friends,
We know that confronting the homelessness crisis requires a multi-pronged approach. Certainly, providing housing is a critical component, but to stem the tide of homelessness, prevention is equally essential. Our team believes we need to intervene at key moments when people are particularly vulnerable and at risk of becoming homeless: when people are leaving jail, foster care and hospitals. Many of these moments involve direct interactions with public systems, which informed the investment we're featuring in this month's Spotlight.
Shortly after announcing the Chronic Homelessness Initiative, we invested $612,000 to help the Department of Public Health complete the renovation of the Medical Respite and Sobering Center. We're proud to have played a part in this important project: only six months since the expansion was completed, the Center’s increased capacity is already having a positive impact on individuals experiencing chronic homelessness as well as the City's shelters.
Please read on and share this email with others to keep up to date on this work to cut chronic homelessness in half by 2022.
All my best,

Daniel
CEO + Founder, Tipping Point Community

Snapshot: San Francisco Medical Respite and Sobering Center

In October of last year, Tipping Point partnered with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to complete the renovation of the Medical Respite and Sobering Center, expanding the facility to accommodate 30 additional people, increasing the total capacity to 75.
As a “step-down” facility, the Center is equipped to support individuals who require specialized treatment not available at traditional emergency shelters. Shelters refer clients with complex medical needs to the Center for more intensive care, and hospitals discharge patients to the Center instead of releasing them to shelters or the street. This expanded service plays a meaningful role in improving health outcomes, as more than 60% of individuals experiencing long-term homelessness report serious medical conditions. Upon discharge from the Center, the majority of clients have a connection to a primary care provider in the community to support their continued health and wellness.
From what we’ve seen so far, investments in the Center provide many benefits to the City:
  • The Center saves resources: One bed in the Center costs $350 a day — as opposed to $4,500 a day for a regular hospital spot.
  • Individuals experiencing homelessness with serious medical needs can access the level of treatment that they need.
  • Because the Center cares for individuals who, due to their medical needs, previously placed a disproportionate strain on shelter staff, shelter staff now have more time to attend to all shelter residents.

Who's Making It Happen

Dr. Kelly Eagen, Medical Director
Alice Moughamian, Nurse Manager + Program Director
“I do this work because I believe compassionate healthcare is a right that all people deserve. I also have tremendous respect for the clients I work with who display remarkable resilience in the face of homelessness.” – Dr. Kelly Eagen
Dr. Kelly Eagen is Medical Director of the San Francisco Medical Respite and Sobering Center and Direct Access to Housing Nursing Programs. Dr. Eagen has been the head medical doctor for the Center since 2016 and has been a primary care provider for homeless adults through the Department of Public Health since 2011. Dr. Eagen’s colleague, Alice Moughamian, is the Program Director and Nurse Manager of the Center. She also serves as the Nurse Manager of the Direct Access to Housing Nursing Program and has been very involved with the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council's Respite Care Providers Network to further the growth of Respite Care across the country.

How You Can Help

The San Francisco Medical Respite and Sobering Center welcomes donations:
  • Socks, underwear, bras
  • Sanitary products (pads and tampons)
  • Sweatpants
  • Belts
  • Toothbrushes, floss, chapstick
  • Gift cards (Safeway, Walgreens, Target)
  • Donations of catered food for client events, such as holiday parties
  • Rain gear (ponchos, rain coats, small umbrellas)
Please call the Center (415-734-4200) to notify them in advance of dropping off donations.

What We're Reading

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on a new facility opening this month to provide urgent care for our community’s most mentally ill individuals: “For mentally ill homeless patients, new center offers 54 beds and a dose of hope.” The San Francisco Healing Center, which opened this month, will serve people under conservatorship, meaning individuals who are involuntarily admitted and receiving care for acute mental illness, providing services to prepare them to live as independently as possible.

Chronic Homelessness Initiative Overview

There are approximately 2,100 people experiencing chronic homelessness on any given night in San Francisco. Tipping Point’s $100 million pledge marks the single largest private investment to address homelessness in city history.

Tipping Point takes a three-pronged approach to our impact goal. See here for more details. If you are receiving this email as a forward, subscribe here to receive this update monthly.
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