Many students have a passion and commitment to working with those experiencing homelessness but lack clear opportunities to engage directly with individuals and collaboratively with community organizations serving the homeless. Concurrently, these organizations are often understaffed and lack the capacity to accompany homeless individuals and address all the barriers affecting them. Despite the valiant efforts of these organizations, people fall through the cracks. They need more assistance and support to overcome barriers and address individual concerns.

We are grateful for funding from the Innovia Foundation and the Kalispel Charitable Fund in support of this program.

Many students have a passion and commitment to working with those experiencing homelessness but lack clear opportunities to engage directly with individuals and collaboratively with community organizations serving the homeless. Concurrently, these organizations are often understaffed and lack the capacity to accompany homeless individuals and address all the barriers affecting them. Despite the valiant efforts of these organizations, people fall through the cracks. They need more assistance and support to overcome barriers and address individual concerns.

HEC’s Spokane chapter’s Homeless Accompaniment Program addresses these issues by developing a program for future health professionals from three universities to work with local homeless organizations, giving them the resources they need to address the non-clinical medical and social needs of homeless individuals. Students are working weekly at the largest shelter in Spokane as extenders of care, developing relationships with individuals, assisting them in overcoming barriers and ensuring they do not fall through the cracks.  Students have also been volunteering with CHAS health in support of its harm reduction program.

On-the-ground education provides a way for students to overcome bias and incorporate care of people experiencing homelessness into their professional training. As the students progress in their clinical capacity, they will be able to work in a clinical setting with CHAS Street Medicine, further expanding their ability to support the needs of both homeless individuals and the community organizations.

Part of changing systems is hearing stories which change the narrative. An important element of this project is gathering narratives from ten homeless individuals. These stories of homelessness will be recorded to develop counternarratives around homelessness and combat bias. They will also be shared with a cohort of creative and educational professionals, developed in collaboration with Spokane Arts and Terrain, working to develop counter-narratives for health education curriculum and artistic engagement.

 

We are grateful for funding from the Innovia Foundation and the Kalispel Charitable Fund in support of this program.