IMPROVING THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM THROUGH HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN
Through funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region (CHIR) and the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness (NMCEH) have embarked on 3 projects that will improve the coordination of services between health care providers and the homelessness service sector.
The work we’ve done together has resulted in fundamental changes to the physical/behavioral health and homelessness prevention systems. See the evidence of these changes in our Systems Story Catcher.
Connecting Systems
The work of the NWCEH and the Coordinated Entry Policy and Procedures alone is not enough to end homelessness in any community. An effective end to homelessness includes a community that has resources, plans, and system capacity in place to prevent and quickly end experiences of homelessness for any identified individual or family. Coordinated efforts among all service delivery systems within a community are critical to ending homelessness. Service systems that have been identified as critical partners in the work to end homelessness include but are not limited to the healthcare system, the justice system, substance use treatment providers as well as the Department of Health and Human Services.
This is a summary of the policies and procedures that have come out of our research and engagement processes with the two identified organizations.
Munson Healthcare Cadillac
Discharge policies and procedures including shelter diversion model script for training.
Decision tree for ED, Social Worker and inpatient assessments.
Addiction Treatment Services
Discharge policies and procedures including diversion model script for training.
BELT AND PULLEY SYSTEM
How does the homeless response system actually work? We're using a metaphor we're calling the Belt and Pulley to illustrate the ways that clients navigate the system, and identify gaps that exist in hand offs between healthcare and housing providers.
CATHERINE’S STORY
A true story of a 67-year-old woman, Catherine (not her real name) and her caregivers had to go to extraordinary lengths to help bridge the gaps in the systems she'd experienced.