Council News
August 2015
Apply Now for Consumer Subsidies for the
Fall Regional Training in Philadelphia
Registration will soon open for the Fall Regional Training presented by the National HCH Council and Community Health Partners for Sustainability on October 15 & 16 — two great days of professional development and networking opportunities. The registration fee will be $100, which includes a boxed lunch each day. Subsidized registration is available for HCH Consumers, with applications due by September 4. Learn more.
HCH Day in America
Thanks to the dozens of Health Care for the Homeless projects that participated in HCH Day activities on August 12, in the middle of Health Center Week.
An HCH Project and Organizational Member of the Council, Duffy Health Center in Hyannis MA, is among the finalists in the Health Center Week video contest. Vote for HCH! Watch our friends on Cape Cod take you back 50 years with Hula Hoops: scroll down to the #10 video and be sure to vote for their entry by August 28 via the online form at the bottom of the page.
Thanks, also, to our friends at the National Association of Community Health Centers and numerous co-sponsors and supporters for their vigorous leadership of Health Center Week.
Clinicians: Project ECHO for HCH Needs Your Input by August 31
With the Weitzman Institute at Community Health Center, Inc., the National HCH Council is considering development of a Project ECHO for Health Care for the Homeless. We see Project ECHO as a very promising way to connect primary care providers with a multidisciplinary team of specialists to improve the health outcomes of HCH patients with complex illnesses, but we need HCH clinicians’ input to proceed. Please take a few moments to complete the survey assessing the possible components of Project ECHO HCH. The deadline to complete the survey is August 31.
Registration Open: Fall Summit of the Governing Membership
The Fall Summit of the Governing Membership is one of two annual gatherings of representatives from organizational members and other elected leaders who convene in Nashville, Tennessee. The day-and-a-half meeting is structured to fulfill two primary objectives: strategic planning of the Health Care for the Homeless movement, and mutual support among colleagues who serve people experiencing homelessness. Attendees cherish this autumn gathering as a fruitful networking event taking place in a restorative environment marked by a distinct sense of solidarity. Learn more about the Fall Summit. 
Member Spotlight: New Start HCH's Join the Council
Two rounds of New Access Points (NAP) were announced in May and August, including several new-start Health Care for the Homeless projects. The Council welcomes the addition of these NAP awardees into our Organizational Membership:
New-start HCH projects can benefit from the Council’s tailored training and the peer networking opportunities within our membership. Learn more. 
Advance Care Planning Study Invitation for Clinicians
Clinicians’ Network members are invited to participate in a research study to examine ways to improve the Advance Care Planning (ACP) process for older individuals experiencing homelessness. The HCH Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) is collaborating with network member and seasoned researcher, Dr. Margot Kushel of the University of California San Francisco, to plan and seek funding for this study. Please read the invitation from Dr. Kushel to see if you would like to participate. Contact Molly Meinbresse if you have any questions about the PBRN or this study.
HCH Projects Recognized for Quality Improvement
On Tuesday, August 25, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced $63.3 million in Affordable Care Act funding for 1,153 health centers to “recognize health center achievement in providing high quality, comprehensive care.” These awardees include 211 Health Care for the Homeless projects, 98 of which are members of the National HCH Council. Congratulations!
White House Launches Plan to Address Heroin Use
On Monday, August 17, the White House released its new plan to address the sharp rise in heroin use by focusing on treatment, rather than arrests. A total of $13.4 million is being made available to health centers in fifteen targeted states to use tools like Naloxone and to fortify prevention programs.
Heroin use has risen significantly in the unstably housed population, as it has in the general population. This new funding has the potential to support health centers in treating heroin overdose as a public health problem, rather than a criminal issue, as Health Care for the Homeless projects have been advocating for years. Please review the National HCH Council’s Adapted Clinical Guidelines on Opioid Use Disorders and other resources for treatment recommendations for patients experiencing homelessness.  
CMS Releases Bulletin on Medicaid and Housing-Related Services
On June 26, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an Informational Bulletin outlining how Medicaid can be used to cover housing-related services. In response, the National HCH Council and several of our partner organizations issued a joint statement encouraging states to implement these policy solutions so that the most vulnerable populations can get access to the services they need to remain stable in housing. Don’t miss the Council’s policy brief on Medicaid and Permanent Supportive Housing, as well as a webinar discussion with service providers using Medicaid options to expand services in local communities.
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
P.O. Box 60427 | Nashville, TN 37206-0427
(615)226-2292 | www.nhchc.org
www.NHCHC.org
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