Resource Details

Strategies for Using PRAPARE and other Tools to Address Homelessness

Quick Guide and Recommendations

Year Developed: 2018

Resource Type: Publication.

Primary Audience: Clinicians
Secondary Audience: Outreach Staff

Language(s): English

Developed by: National Health Care for the Homeless Council (See other resources developed by this organization).

Resource Summary: Social determinants of health are an important piece of the health care continuum, and identifying what social determinants patients are experiencing is key to addressing their health care needs. The Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE) tool is one screening method used to assess the needs of individuals seeking care. The National HCH Council and the Corporation for Supportive Housing recently conducted a learning collaborative that identified key challenges and strategies from state and local health center perspectives. Emerging from these discussions, our new publication provides recommendations for addressing these challenges and lessons learned from the project.

Resource Details: Over the last few years, the social determinants of health (SDOH), including housing stability, have been gaining recognition as an important piece of the health care continuum. To best address patients' needs, providers must first identify the social determinants individuals are experiencing. Screening tools, like the PRAPARE tool, 1 have been developed to assess the needs of individuals seeking care. CSH and National Healthcare for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) organized a learning collaborative to understand 1) how social determinants data are being collected, 2) how the data collected inform individual care planning, 3) and how health center staff use data to build partnerships and programs, and 4) the learning collaborative also surveyed how health center staff use the information collected to support fundraising and efforts at the local, state, and federal levels to support services and resources specifically focused on housing status. Through a series of listening sessions conducted with six Primary Care Associations (PCAs) and one focus group session, key challenges and strategies were identified that provide state and local health center perspectives.

Resource Topic: Special and Vulnerable Populations, Health Equity

Keywords: Persons Experiencing Homelessness.