TRAINING IN OUTREACH

A Curriculum for Training HCH Outreach Workers This curriculum, Outreach to People Experiencing Homelessness, provides a comprehensive overview of the purpose and principles of outreach, and issues relevant to doing outreach in the Health Care for the Homeless context.  The National Health Care for the Homeless Council offers a training for outreach workers based on this curriculum. The workshop focuses on the purpose and principles of outreach, the Relational Outreach and Engagement Model, engagement and retention strategies, enhancing motivation, worker safety, personal and organizational wellness, ethical guidelines, working in the community, and advocacy.

Primarily intended for new and experienced staff of all disciplines involved in outreach, this workshop may also provide an opportunity to bring together outreach workers from other organizations in your community.  The training is available as a single, half-day or full-day workshop, and also in a train-the-trainer format.   See the training flyer for additional for information about workshops, fees, and minimum participation requirements.

Health Care for the Homeless: Outreach (Video) - a 21-minute videotape that looks at the essential components of HCH outreach teams, including where outreach is done, the purpose of outreach, who should do outreach, needed skills, and how to practice self-care.

Health Care for the Homeless: Introduction & Outreach (DVD) - includes material from the outreach videotape described above plus the 20-minute video, Health Care for the Homeless: An Introduction, a general overview of the causes of homelessness, health problems faced by people experiencing homelessness, and barriers that prevent them from accessing services. Interviews with HCH clinicians, administrators and formerly homeless clients explain the unique approach to care developed by HCH projects to more effectively respond to the multiple challenges faced by homeless people.

MOBILE HEALTH OUTREACH

Mobile Health Care for Homeless People: Using Vehicles to Extend Care May2007
Outreach, a hallmark of Health Care for the Homeless, is accomplished in many different ways. The use of mobile clinics and other vehicles is part of a continuum of outreach services that also includes outreach on foot and operation of clinics in nontraditional settings. Mobile health programs are but one response to the phenomenon of modern homelessness in the United States, which extends far beyond our cities and their suburban rims to sparsely populated areas in rural areas. This report is an attempt to capture the variety of programs that employ mobile medical units and other vehicles to extend health care to homeless people.

• Healing Hands | Dec 2004 | Keeping Homeless People Out of the Justice System: The HCH Role
• Healing Hands | Oct 2001 | Hard to Reach: Rural Homelessness & Health Care
• Healing Hands | Nov 1998 | Operation Safety Net: Outreach to Unsheltered Homeless People