Healing Hands

	Because Health Care is a Right, Not a Privilege

Healing Hands Newsletters
Healing Hands, a publication of the HCH Clinicians' Network, melds scientific knowledge with the experience of clinicians working in Health Care for the Homeless. The Network's Communications Committee selects and prioritizes topics for Healing Hands, reflecting issues of concern to direct service providers and program administrators who serve people experiencing homelessness.
Click here to see a chronological index of Healing Hands issues

Topic	Healing Hands articles	Related Links/Resources
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Cardiovascular Disease	Heart of the Matter: Managing and Preventing Cardiovascular Disease (Aug 2005) Heart of the Matter: Hypertension & Homelessness (Apr 2001)	Adapted clinical guidelines: Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, and Heart Failure Hypertension & Homelessness: What Interferes with Treatment
Diabetes	Diabetes: Health Care’s Burgeoning Beast (Aug 2007) Diabetes Care: Old Challenges, New Strategies (Oct 1999)	Diabetes Mellitus resources Diabetes and homelessness
Disability	Dealing with Disability: Cognitive Impairments & Homelessness (Mar 2003) Dealing with Disability: Physical Impairments and Homelessness (Oct 2002)	Disability resources Cognitive Impairments
End-of-Life Care	The Clinician's role in helping homeless people die with dignity (Feb 2004)	Premature Mortality in Homeless Populations
Exposure Related Conditions	Exposure-Related Conditions: Symptoms and Prevention Strategies (Dec 2007)	Cold-related injuries Heat-related conditions
Infectious Diseases	Homeless People at Higher Risk for CA-MRSA, HIV and TB (Dec 2006) Chronic Hepatitis C: Silent Intruder, Insidious Threat (Mar 1999) Tuberculosis & Homelessness: Metaphor for Our Time (Jan 1999)	Chlamydial & Gonococcal Infections Communicable diseases HIV/AIDS Human Papilloma Virus Tuberculosis
Liver Disease	The Specter of Liver Disease (Dec 2008)	Case Report: Chronic Liver Disease with Aplastic Anemia Hepatitis resources
Oral Health Care	Pediatric Oral Health: What Every HCH Provider Should Know (Oct 2007) Filling the Gaps in Dental Care (Jun 2003)	Oral Health
Palliative Care	Pain Management: Reducing Disparities for Homeless Patients (Oct 2004)	Pain Management
Parasites & Infestations	Bugs That Bite: Helping Homeless Patients and Shelter Staff Cope (Feb 2005)	Lice Maggots (Myiasis) Pinworm Ringworm Scabies
Prescription Drugs	Prescriptions for Homeless Patients Present Financial/ Medical Challenges (Apr 2004) Safely Using Medications Past the Expiration Date (Nov 1998)	Prescription Drugs Antibiotics, proper use of
Respiratory Diseases	Short of Breath: A Winter's Tale of Asthma, COPD & Homelessness (Dec 2000)	Adapted clinical guidelines: Asthma
Wound Care	Wound Care Difficult for Homeless Patients and Providers (Jun 2004)
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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE
Complementary & Alternative Therapies	The Presence of Spirituality in Healing (Aug 2008) Use of Complementary & Alternative Therapies in Homeless Health Care (Jun 2008) Lessons for Clinicians from Traditional Healers (Aug 1999)	National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Behavioral Change	Eliciting Behavioral Change: Tools for HCH Clinicians (Jun 2000)	Stages of Change Motivational Interviewing
Co-occurring Disorders	Meeting the Challenge of Comorbid Mental Illness & Substance Related Disorders (Feb 2009) Bridging the Gap: What We Know and Don’t Know about Dual Diagnosis (Jul 1998)	Mental illness resources Substance abuse resources
Mental Health	Which Is It: ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, or PTSD? (Aug 2006) Patients with Borderline Personality Disorders Challenge HCH Clinicians (Sep 2003) Mental Illness, Chronic Homelessness: An American Disgrace (Oct 2000) Protecting the Mental Health of Homeless Children & Youth (Feb 2000) Spirituality as a Clinical Tool: Care for the Homeless Mentally Ill (Dec 1998)	Depression Mental illness resources
Substance Use Disorders	Addiction on the Streets: Clinical Interventions (Oct 2006) A Comprehensive Approach to Substance Abuse and Homelessness (Oct 2003)	Substance abuse resources Street Drug resources
Trauma	Traumatic Brain Injury: Emerging Tools for Assessment and Care (Feb 2008) Homelessness & Family Trauma: The Case for Early Intervention (May 2003) Trauma & Homelessness (Apr 1999)	Traumatic Brain Injury Among Homeless Persons Other Trauma resources
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SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Children & Youth	Engaging Adolescents Who Are Homeless in Care (October 2009) Mitigating Homeless Children's Risk for Developmental Delay (Apr 2009) Pediatric Oral Health: What Every HCH Provider Should Know (Oct 2007) Preventing Chronic Homelessness among Youth (Nov 2005) Homelessness Challenges Infants' Social-Emotional Development (Jun 2005) Protecting the Mental Health of Homeless Children & Youth (Feb 2000) Health Care for Homeless Children: A Clinician's Perspective (Oct 1998)	Homeless Children & Youth
Elderly	Aging on the Streets (Apr 2008)	Older Homeless Adults
Hispanic/Latinos	Paso a Paso: Step by Step Toward Cultural Competence (Jan 2002)	Cultural and Linguistic Competence
Rural populations	Hard to Reach: Rural Homelessness & Health Care (Oct 2001)	Rural Homelessness & Health Care (monograph)
Sexual Minorities	Crossing to Safety: Transgender Health & Homelessness (Jun 2002)	Meeting the Health Care Needs of Homeless Youth
Single Males	Single Males: The Homeless Majority (Jun 2001)	Realities of Homelessness
Women	Pregnant and Homeless (Aug 2001) Women's Health Care: Show Me the Way to go Home (Aug 2000)	Adapted clinical guidelines:Reproductive Health Care
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SERVICE DELIVERY/ PROGRAM EVALUATION
Case Management	Case Management For Homeless Clients Who Are Not Obviously Disabled (Feb 2007)	Case Management resources
Chronic Disease Management	Health Disparities Collaboratives: Closing the Gap Between Knowledge & Practice (Sep 2002)	Health Disparities Collaboratives Chronic Medical Diseases in Homeless Populations
Discharge Planning	Tools to Help Clinicians Achieve Effective Discharge Planning (Oct 2008)	Discharge Planning resources
Emergency Preparedness	Disaster Planning Requires Time, Resources, Collaboration (Aug 2004)	Disaster Planning for People Experiencing Homelessness
Information Systems	Electronic Information Systems in Homeless Health Care (Apr 2002)	Using an EMR to Support Diabetes Collaborative Reporting
Integrated Services	Integrating Primary & Behavioral Health Care for Homeless People (May 2006) Integrated, Interdisciplinary Models of Care (Aug 1999)	Interdisciplinary Models of Care
Medical Respite Care	Medical Respite Care: An Integral Part of the Homeless Care Continuum (Apr 2007) Respite Care: A Safe Place to Heal (Jun 1999)	Medical Respite Care for People Without Stable Housing Respite Care Providers Network
Outcomes Measurement	Are We Making a Difference? (Feb 2001) Measuring Outcomes, Step by Step (Aug 1999)	Developing Outcome Measures to Evaluate HCH Services Clinical performance improvement measures
Outreach	Operation Safety Net: Outreach to Unsheltered Homeless People (Nov 1998)	A Curriculum for Training HCH Outreach Workers Mobile Health Care for Homeless People Shelter Health Other Outreach resources
Research	Research in HCH Settings: Advancing Quality in Primary Care (Jun 09)	HCH Practice-Based Research Network PBRN Research Proposal Form
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PEER SUPPORT
Avoiding Burnout	Coping with Stress, Creating & Maintaining Hope (Dec 1999) Renewal & Resiliency in Our Work (Feb 2002)	Caring for the Caregiver
HCH Clinicians’ Network	The HCH Clinicians' Network: Eight Years and Counting (Dec 2002)	About the Network
Staffing	HCH Staff Recruitment & Retention: Unique Problems, Innovative Solutions (Jun 2007) The Challenges of Supervision in HCH: Helping Staff Succeed (Feb 2006) Nurses: On the Front Lines of Health Care for Homeless People (Apr 2005)	Credentialing and Privileging Clinical Volunteers
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ADVOCACY
Housing	Relationship between Housing and Health Care (Aug 2009)	Advocacy and Policy Resources Policy Statement on Housing and Homelessness Program Helps Reduce Hospital And Emergency Department Use Among Homeless Adults With Chronic Illnesses Organizational Change: Adopting a Housing First Approach
Incarceration & Homelessness	Keeping Homeless People Out of the Justice System: The HCH Role (Dec 2004)	Relationships between HCH Projects and Jails Incarceration, Homelessness & Health
Integrating Service & Advocacy	Clinicians as Advocates (Apr 2000)	Advocacy & Policy Resources
Managed Care	Managing to Care for Special Needs Populations (Aug 1999)	Can Managed Care Work for Homeless People? Guidance for State Medicaid Programs Searching for the Right Fit: Homelessness & Medicaid Managed Care
Preventing & Ending Homelessness	Closing the Door to Homelessness: How Clinicians Can Help (Nov 2005) Supportive Housing Helps Break Cycle of Homelessness (Dec 2003)	Defining and Funding the Support in Permanent Supportive Housing
Chronological Index of "Healing Hands"