Resource Details

Addressing the Opioid Crisis:  Innovative Programs Serving People Experiencing Homelessness

Health center case studies for the Opioid Crisis.

Year Developed: 2020

Resource Type: Publication.

Primary Audience: Clinicians
Secondary Audience: Enabling Staff

Language(s): English

Developed by: Corporation for Supportive Housing (See other resources developed by this organization).

Resource Summary: Health centers are increasingly seeing individuals who are suffering from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and other Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), and many of these individuals are also faced with housing instability or are experiencing homelessness. Innovation is being driven at the ground level by providers including health centers, public health departments, harm reduction agencies and supportive housing agencies that are all concerned with the impact of OUD and other SUDs on the health of the people they serve. Essential in any innovative care model are the services needed to ensure people experiencing homelessness have access to evidence-based care, including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).

Resource Details: This brief will describe the evolution of three unique opioid treatment model programs addressing the needs of this most vulnerable population. All three programs are either a health center in their own right or are essential partnerships created with local health centers to offer evidence-based care. The description will include their successes as well as the barriers to success they are encountering.

Resource Topic: Emerging Issues, Promising/Best Practices, Special and Vulnerable Populations, Clinical Issues

Resource Subtopic: Substance Use Disorders, Behavioral Health, Patient-Centered Health Outcomes, Programs and Services, Patient-Centered Health Outcomes, Community, Health, and Housing Partnerships, Operational Feasibility, Implementation Feasibility.

Keywords: Opioids, Persons Experiencing Homelessness, Case Studies, Care Coordination.