Clinical and Support Options Receives Health New England Where Health Matters Grant
Posted on December 17, 2020
Health New England is proud to announce that Northampton, MA-based Clinical and Support Options (CSO) has been awarded a Where Health Matters Grant of $150,000 in support of their Friends of the Homeless – Care Coordination support program. This program is a three-year grant running through 2023 that aims to develop and implement medical prevention and response strategies, coordinate medical care and create greater access to behavioral health care for individuals who are homeless while improving individual capacity for self-efficacy.
At Health New England, we put the health and lives of the people who live in our local community first. As part of this commitment, we stand in support of CSO core mission to provide compassionate care for all human beings. Over the course of the multi-year grant, CSO aims to improve health status and increase self-efficacy in managing health for 300 individuals.
According to CSO, the Where Health Matters grant will be used to establish a triage nursing service located at the Friends of the Homeless shelter in Springfield, providing health assessment, care coordination and triage of acute problems during evening shelter hours, when medical incidents most commonly arise. Care coordination will include on-site care to help avoid unnecessary 911 calls and emergency rooms visits, monitoring guests with chronic health conditions and supporting communication between providers and the city’s Health Services for Homeless.
Additionally, care coordinators will review medical and medication history of those at-risk or presenting with an acute issue, conduct triage of the individual in crisis, address minor problems and work with Friends of the Homeless staff to direct guests to appropriate resources ranging from behavioral health to immunizations. This staff will also be able to screen for COVID-19 symptoms, refer for COVID testing, and monitor results.
Medical triage and navigation will help ensure that guests to Friends of the Homeless receive the necessary care to improve their health outcomes while working towards goals such as education, employment and reconnecting with family members. With the goal of fostering self-efficacy, staff will also screen, assess and provide services to participants using computer and web-based tools, assisting in using the tools as part of their personal health care plan.
Thank you, CSO, for your ongoing efforts to provide equitable and quality care to vulnerable individuals and families across Western Massachusetts. We are confident that Friends of the Homeless will positively influence the health and quality of life of the shelter’s guests.
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