State of street medicine in California

State of street medicine in California

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Series Title(s):
Issue brief (California HealthCare Foundation)
Author(s):
Buller, Robin, author
Contributor(s):
California HealthCare Foundation, issuing body.
Publication:
[Oakland, CA] : California Health Care Foundation, June 2023
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Delivery of Health Care
Health Care Surveys
Ill-Housed Persons
Vulnerable Populations
California
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Street medicine is one of several critical pieces that compose the continuum of medical outreach for California’s unhoused population. Defined by the Street Medicine Institute as the delivery of patient-led health and social services to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in their own environment, street medicine comprises teams that deliver care directly to patients in riverbeds, under bridges, and on the streets, thereby removing the need for patients to transport themselves to a place of care. Depending on the nature and scope of the program, direct street-based care may be offered instead of, or in addition to, care delivered in a clinic, shelter, or mobile RV (recreational vehicle) setting. Now is a critical time for street medicine in California. The number of new street medicine programs has increased in recent years, while policy developments at the state level have opened new doors for expansion and sustainable development. Yet until now, not much has been known about the current state of street medicine programs in California. To better understand the depth and breadth of street medicine programs operating in California, a team of researchers at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California’s Division of Street Medicine conducted a landscape analysis of street medicine in the state. Conducted in the spring of 2022, The California Street Medicine Landscape Survey and Report captures a snapshot of how these programs have been operating within a fast-changing and evolving policy environment, presents best practices for the operation of successful and sustainable street medicine programs, and draws connections to the policies that can improve care quality and accessibility for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness across the state.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (9 pages)).
NLM Unique ID:
9918645976406676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918645976406676