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New Issue Brief Explores COVID-19, Medical Respite Care, & Alternate Care Sites
In response to COVID-19, communities are quickly creating Alternate Care Sites (ACS) for people without homes so they have a safe place to protect themselves from infection, await test results, and/or recover from the disease. These programs have the same purpose as medical respite care, which provides acute and post-acute care for unstably housed patients who are ready for hospital discharge but are too frail to recover on the streets or in shelters.
Our new brief aims to provide public health authorities, emergency response systems, and ACS program administrators with an operational framework to improve the quality of care at ACS programs and promote longer-term stability for vulnerable people. Ideally, communities can retain this increased capacity for medical respite care after the pandemic subsides given the high level of need for these programs prior to COVID-19.
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Council and NAEH Launching New COVID-19 Learning Series
Homeless response systems are facing unprecedented challenges in the wake of COVID-19. To train and support staff, the Council collaborated with the National Alliance to End Homelessness to develop the COVID-19 Online Learning Series. The series provides staff with information on how to better protect themselves and those they serve from the virus—and how to connect individuals without homes to necessary housing, care, and services. Guidance for communities in planning their COVID-19 responses is contained in the following seven courses:
- COVID-19 Overview & Guidance
- Understanding Homelessness: The Basics
- Harm Reduction: Preparing People for Change
- Providing Trauma-Informed Care for People Experiencing Homelessness
- Providing Trauma-Informed Supervision
- Cultural Humility
- An Introduction to Case Management in the COVID-19 Era Homeless Services Sector
Access the online courses now: access for the first 2,500 users is underwritten by Kaiser Permanente. Once 2,500 spaces are filled, these courses will remain available at a fee.
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New Visual Guide Offers Consumer-Focused Tips for Wearing and Caring for Cloth Masks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends covering your face in public during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in places where it is difficult or impossible to maintain social distancing. To assist patients experiencing homelessness, the NHCHC has created a new quick visual guide on how consumers can make, use, and clean cloth face coverings.
This two-sided handout uses plain language and is suitable for both internal use and outreach purposes. The publication and further guidance from organizations across the U.S. are available in our continuously updated (and soon to be redesigned!) COVID-19 Resources.
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New COVID-19 Coffee Chat to Explore How the Pandemic is Impacting Rural CommunitiesFriday, May 15 | 12-1 p.m. CT
The COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges to health care providers in rural areas who are confronting the difficulties of limited resources and services. Join our COVID Coffee Chat this Friday to discuss the specific challenges of caring for people in rural communities and the strategies providers have developed to address them.
Our panelists will include the NHCHC's TennCare Shelter Enrollment Project Coordinator Cindy Manginelli as well as representatives from the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless in Clinton, TN, and Partnership Health Center in Missoula, MT. We encourage you to bring your questions and experiences to share in this interactive discussion!
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Upcoming COVID-19 Coffee Chat: Organizational Strategies for Supporting the Mental Health & Wellness of Providers & StaffTuesday, May 19 | 12-1 p.m. CT
Care providers and staff on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic are at higher risk for traumatic stress related to their work caring for vulnerable populations during these unprecedented times. Health care systems and administrators play a critical role in maintaining the psychological safety and emotional wellness of their staff.
Don’t miss next week’s Coffee Chat to learn from NHCHC staff and experts from the Center for Social Innovation and HCH programs as they provide a framework to conceptualize wellness and trauma during COVID-19 and offer concrete examples on how systems and organizations can better support the mental health of their workforce.
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Next Clinicians' Coffee Chat Will Explore Diabetes and NutritionWednesday, May 20 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. CT
In this fourth conversation of a four-part “Clinicians’ Coffee Chat” series on diabetes, participants will discuss the role of nutrition in diabetes management for people experiencing homelessness.
Join our interactive conversation to take part in peer learning and shared support across the homeless health care field. Please bring your questions and experiences to share in the discussion!
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Building Resilience for Front Line Providers Comes Into Focus in Our COVID-19 Coffee Chat on Self-CareFriday, May 22 | 12-1 p.m. CT
Even before the emergence of COVID-19, homeless health care providers suffered from high rates of burnout, stress, and vicarious trauma. Now during a public health crisis, it is more critical than ever to explore what it really means to build resiliency and find time for self-care.
Join experienced homeless health care clinicians and other front line staff members as they share strategies and tools for staying mentally sound and taking care of themselves during the most trying of times. To get a head start on the conversation, listen to our latest Poverty Policy Podcast on self-care and resiliency with two of our panelists.
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New BHTA Webinar and Community of Practice Focus on Telebehavioral HealthMay 20: 2-3:30 p.m. ET
Telebehavioral health can reduce gaps and increase access to critical behavioral care. The HRSA Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Technical Assistance is hosting a webinar (requires log-in) on best practices for establishing telebehavioral health services. Presenters will share practical strategies to implement telebehavioral health services that sustainably meet the needs of health centers. Staff from health centers, look-alikes, PCAs, HCCNs, and NCAs are invited to participate. New users will need to create an account before registering.
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Recent Council COVID-19 Publications:
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| May 13, 2020 | Volume 2, Issue 20 | Archives
Copyright © 2020 National Health Care for the Homeless Council
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