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MOLLY BRESNAHAN INTERVIEWS JIM HARTYE  

For this issue of Council News, Molly Bresnahan, MEd, LMHC, of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, MA, interviewed Jim Hartye, MD, a family physician in Raleigh, NC, with 30 years experience in community health centers and Health Care for the Homeless. Their conversation covered integrated care, the rewards and challenges of HCH work, and Jim's approach to self-care.

"Growing up in Louisville, KY, I was interested in community organizing as a teenager and read a lot of Gandhi at the time...If you're trying to change a person's mind on a given issue, confrontation is not the best way to do it, its really done better in the relationship. What better way to do that than in a medical relationship and family practice were you have an ongoing relationship?" FULL INTERVIEW 

FREE WEBINARS

Rural Health Centers: Wyoming's Story | September 14, 2011 | 2pm EDT

Coordinated Care for Homeless Populations | September 22, 2011 | 12pm EDT    

Managing Chronic Pain for Adults Experiencing Homelessness | September 26, 2011 | 1pm EDT 

Addressing Key Preventive Health Measures in Health Care for the Homeless Settings | October 27, 2011 | 12:30pm EDT

Patient Centered Medical Home Case Study Featuring Yakima Neighborhood Health Services | November 3, 2011 | 2pm EDT

Home Visiting Program for Underserved Families (for Administrators) | November 7, 2011 | 1pm EST

Home Visiting Program for Underserved Families (for Clinicians) | November 14, 2011 | 1pm EST  

Webinars are free of charge, but space is limited and advance registration is required.   MORE INFO

John Lozier, MSSW

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: HUMAN RIGHTS 

I'm writing this at the start of the Labor Day holiday and am reminded of those heroes who fought and sometimes died for the rights and privileges that many Americans now enjoy. We owe them our gratitude and our commitment to the struggle. In their names, we continue to work for jobs, and housing and health care--for fundamental human rights. FULL LETTER  

WELCOME NEW COUNCIL ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS 

The Council is pleased to welcome the following new organizational members who have recently joined:

• Montgomery Area Community Wellness Coalition | Montgomery, AL
• Harbor House Collaborative | Colorado Springs, CO   

Organizational members appoint a representative to take part in the annual fall planning retreat, where participants set the Council's priorities for the next year.  BECOME AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBER     

POLICY DIRECTOR TO DELIVER KEYNOTE AT COLORADO SPRINGS HOMELESSNESS CONFERENCE   

On October 3, Homeward Pikes Peak and the City of Colorado Springs will host the Ninth Annual Conference on Homelessness. Barbara DiPietro, PhD, Council Director of Policy, will present the keynote address on the Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness, as well as lead a workshop on the Affordable Care Act.  During a time of tremendous policy change where both service providers and consumers are being impacted, awareness and advocacy are critical to ensure these changes take into consideration the needs of those experiencing homelessness.  

COUNCIL PARTICIPATION IN NACHC COMMUNITY HEALTH INSTITUTE  Dan Rabbitt, Health Policy Organizer for the Council, presented Dan Rabbitt, MSW at the National Association of Community Health Centers Community Health Institute and Expo in San Diego on August 29th. The session, a panel discussion between Dan, Tahira Bazile from the California Primary Care Association and Tara McCollum Plese from the Arizona Association of Community Health Centers, focused on models of outreach and enrollment--needed now more than ever with the expansion of insurance coverage in 2014.  The well-attended presentation provided an excellent opportunity to educate a broad cross-section of the health center community on issues of homelessness.

SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR 2012 NATIONAL HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS CONFERENCE & POLICY SYMPOSIUM  The 2012 National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium will take place May 15-18 in Kansas City, Missouri, and we are currently accepting proposals for workshops and pre-conference institutes. Proposals are due by midnight PDT on October 31, 2011. FULL CALL FOR PROPOSALS 

WORKING TOGETHER: COUNCIL COLLABORATIONS    

Community Voice Mail and the Council collaborate on Health Connect, a demonstration project with six HCH programs across the country who have agreed to participate as demonstration sites: Lee Carroll of the HCH of Milwaukee, Inc.; Yvonne Buhlinger of the Grace Hill Health Centers, Inc.,  St. Louis, MO; Bob Donovan of the Cincinnati Health Network, Inc.; Brodes Hartley of the Community Health of South Florida, Inc.; Patrice Williams of the New Orleans HCH; John Bowls of the IM Sulzbacher HCH, Jacksonville, FL.  

The Council is also proud of its strong partnership with the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Division of Continuing Medical Education, which jointly sponsors and accredits many Council activities for CME, and Dr. Jule J. West, who serves as CME Course Director and provides guidance and expertise on many Council endeavors. 

RESEARCH DIRECTOR AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP TO EQUITY SUMMIT 2011  Darlene Jenkins, DrPH Darlene Jenkins, DrPH, Council Director of Research, has been awarded a scholarship to attend Equity Summit 2011: Healthy Communities, Strong Regions, A Prosperous America in Detroit, November 8-11, 2011. Dr. Jenkins, who seeks to ensure that those without homes are included in the health equity conversation, will join advocates, activists, policymakers, foundation officials, and equity leaders at this fourth annual summit.

UPCOMING PUBLICATION ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING 

In October, the Council will publish a policy and practice brief describing the clinical challenges in permanent supportive housing. This brief is the result of interviews with PSH providers and clients in programs nationally, describes the challenges they report, and outlines policy recommendations for both clinicians and policymakers.  As a proven mechanism for ending homelessness among those with multiple chronic conditions, HCH grantees are ideally poised to participate in and/or lead these projects.  

ADVOCACY UPDATE    

Congress returned from their August recess with a full agenda ahead of them, and HCH advocates will need to be busy as well. The so-called Super Committee, established by the recent Budget Control Act, has begun its work to find an additional $1.5 trillion in savings on top of all the other recently enacted cuts. Health center funding, Medicaid, and all manner of other safety net programs are in real danger and need your voice if they are to emerge from this debate unscathed. Additionally, the FY12 Appropriation process, which will determine funding levels for this year, is underway.

Get ready to stand up and speak out for what we do and what we believe in. The Council will be keeping a very close eye on the proceedings but cannot do it alone. If you are signed up for The Mobilizer, please act on those alerts. If you don't receive these updates, please sign up now. Thanks for all that you do.
 
To learn more about the budget situation, read the analysis in the August Mobilizer, or contact Dan Rabbitt, Health Policy Organizer.  

INTRODUCING THE ADVO-KIT   

Advocacy is essential to the mission of HCH projects. With millions living without stable housing, health care and housing becoming less and less affordable, and wages that fail to cover even basic needs, we understand that change is needed. The Advo-Kit is a toolkit designed to aid staff, clients, administrators, board members and other community members in advocating for policy change.

THANK YOU TO NETWORK LEADERS 

The HCH Clinicians' Network welcomes its 2011-2012 leadership and invites you to read more about the Steering Committee members and their work.  

Michelle Nance, NP, RN, MSN

The Council would also like to thank Michelle Nance, NP, RN, MSN, for leading the Multi-Morbidities Work Group (find more information about this effort in BHTalk), Greg Morris, PA-C, for leading the Core Competencies Work Group, and Mollie Bresnahan, MEd, LMHC, for conducting the "Stories from the Field" interview highlighted above in this newsletter.

INTEGRATING PREVENTIVE MEDICINE & PRIMARY CARE

Providing preventive health services in homeless health care settings can be challenging because of limited time and resources, especially when working with patients who have acute care needs. To help homeless health care clinicians betters integrate preventive medicine into primary care visits, the HCH Clinicians' Network developed a list of recommendations on key preventive health measures that can be addressed during typical clinic visits in resource-poor settings. These recommendations were based on US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations, clinical expertise of the Advisory Committee and key morbidities and mortalities in the population of individuals experiencing homelessness. The development of Health Care Delivery Strategies for Addressing Key Preventive Health Measures in Homeless Health Care Settings was led by Council intern Patricia Sergeant, MPH. The Council will host a webinar on the content of these recommendations on October 27, 2011, with Gregory Morris and Monica Bharel as presenters. Register for the webinar

IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS ON CHILDREN 

A team of clinicians at Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., in Baltimore, led by Lisa Stambolis, RN, CPNP, prepared a case report on the emotional and cognitive impact of chronic homelessness on a child. This report tells the story of one child and his family from pre-birth to about age six as he is diagnosed with various medical and behavioral health conditions and his family moves in and out of shelters. The story ends with a discussion of how the child and his family were assisted, what services were successful and what could have been done differently for improved outcomes. Thank you to the Children and Families Work Group and Communications Committee of the HCH Clinicians' Network for providing guidance on the development of Case Report: Emotional and Cognitive Impact of Homeless on a Child.   

PROMISING PRACTICES TO ELIMINATE TOBACCO-RELATED DISPARITIES: THE POWER OF COMMUNITIES  

The Health Education Council & Break Free Alliance National Tobacco Control Conference will take place April 17-18, 2012, in New Orleans, LA, to highlight promising strategies to reduce tobacco use and its impact on low socioeconomic status (SES) communities and other populations suffering from health inequities. Don't miss the only national conference focused specifically on innovative practice-based strategies in tobacco control to address health disparities among low SES and other disparate communities. A call for abstracts is now open.   

HUD RELEASES HOMELESSNESS PULSE REPORT  

Released in August, the First Quarter 2011 Homelessness Pulse Report is intended to provide a better understanding of the impact of the current economic crisis on homelessness. This report presents the quarterly Point-in-Time (PIT) counts of sheltered homeless persons, compares the most recent quarterly PIT estimate to previous estimates to gauge whether sheltered homelessness has changed and presents the counts of persons who were not previously homeless but became "newly" sheltered at any point throughout the quarter.

COMMONWEALTH FUND / HARVARD UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP IN MINORITY HEALTH POLICY 

Supported by The Commonwealth Fund and administered by the Minority Faculty Development Program at Harvard Medical School, this unique fellowship is designed to prepare physicians for leadership roles in formulating and promoting health policies and practices that improve the access to high-quality care at the national, state, and /or local levels for minority, disadvantaged, and most vulnerable populations. The application deadline for the 2012-2013 Fellowship is January 3, 2012. MORE INFORMATION

HCH DAY 2011  

On August 10, 2011, communities around the country celebrated HCH Day of Health Center Week. It was a day to thank those who serve the health needs of people experiencing homelessness and to tell the community about all of the services offered at HCH projects. Read two communities' stories: Worcester, MA, and Cincinnati, OH.  Submit your HCH Day stories to Katy Valesky.

HOMELESS PERSONS MEMORIAL DAY  

The National Coalition for the Homeless, in partnership with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and NCAB, is hosting the annual Homeless Persons Memorial Day on December 21, 2011. For more information, see the Coalition's organizing manual and a letter from NCAB Chair Amy Grassette.  NCAB will offer a webinar "Organizing Homeless Persons Memorial Day Events" on October 20th at 2pm EDT.   Join us then to learn more, and the webinar will be archived to view later. To seek help from NCAB or list your community's event with NCAB, please fill out this online survey.   

CONSUMER ADVISORY BOARD CENSUS

NCAB is conducting a census of CABs and consumer involvement in governance around the country. Technical assistance is available for projects needing support for their CAB at any stage. NCAB also appreciates knowing if your CAB has expertise to offer other CABs in your area so you can be paired with CABs who need assistance. If you belong to a CAB or attend CAB meetings as a staff member, please fill out this brief survey.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SITE VISIT  

NCAB Regional Representative Valarie Dowell will visit the Phoenix Health Center for the Homeless, part of Family Health Centers of Louisville, Kentucky, and conduct a half-day workshop with their consumer advisory board on September 15th. She will work with the CAB to develop operating procedures and a work plan, while staff will learn what they can do to support the CAB's work plan.    

VIOLENCE EXPERIENCED WHILE HOMELESS 

The National Consumer Advisory Board surveyed more than 500 individuals experiencing homelessness in five cities across the U.S., asking about experiences of violence while homeless. Results of this survey, including health practice and policy recommendations, were presented at a workshop during the 2011 National HCH Conference & Policy Symposium and a report will be published on the Council website in the coming months. Molly Meinbresse, National HCH Council Program & Research Specialist, and Amy Grassette, NCAB Chair, will present survey results this October during the American Public Health Association 139th Annual Meeting and Exposition.

COUNCIL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES 

The Collaboration Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) offers

Molly Meinbresse, MPH

research ethics education to all members of the research community. The Council has acquired an account with CITI and plans to offer the training to members of the Council who plan to conduct research on homelessness and health. There are 21 modules offered through the Council's online curriculum, some of which are optional. If you or your staff are interested in obtaining this training certification, please contact  Molly Meinbresse to enroll in the course.   

The Council has been approached by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) to participate in their Enabling Services Accountability Project. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) is also participating in an attempt to recruit Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) to join the study. Engaging in the Enabling Services Accountability Project will provide the Council an opportunity to document enabling services utilized by persons experiencing homelessness. Enabling services include, but are not limited to, outreach, transportation, health education, and interpretation services. The Council has recruited four HCH grantees through the HCH Practice Based Research Network to participate in this project, including:

• Charles Drew Health Center (Omaha, Nebraska)
• Peak Vista Community Health Centers (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
• Harbor Homes, Inc. (Nashua, New Hampshire)
• Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center (Jackson, Mississippi)

The Council Research Team will be traveling to each of these health centers to provide on-site technical assistance and assess readiness for project implementation. This project will continue to progress through the Spring of 2012.   ABOUT THE ENABLING SERVICES ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT

CALL FOR CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS 

Have you, your clinic, or organization been actively engaged in a research project relevant to the HCH Community? The Council would like to feature active research among our members and HCH grantees in this newsletter. Stories would highlight researchers that are actively conducting research relevant to individuals experiencing homelessness. To share details of your research project, please contact Patrina Twilley.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) seek Research Project (R01) grant applications for studies related to the Integration of Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment in Primary Care Settings. Efforts to prevent, detect, and treat drug abuse and addiction and its consequences can be improved by integrating existing evidence-based approaches into primary care settings. NIDA solicits translation and implementation research project applications to identify the most effective strategies and service delivery models for accomplishing this goal. Applicants should propose hypothesis-driven studies to achieve the integration of substance abuse prevention interventions and/or treatment services in public or private-sector settings where patients receive primary care services - including office-based practice settings, family practice, pediatric and adolescent medicine, obstetrics, general practice, and emergency departments. Application Deadline: October 31, 2011. MORE DETAILS