Request for Applications
Applications are due Tuesday, December 5, 2017; a link to the online form is below.
Overview Information
Health centers providing services to people experiencing homelessness have tremendous potential to directly affect clients’ health status and influence numerous underlying societal inequities that contribute to health disparities and poor health. Over the next three years, the National Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Council will develop Learning Collaboratives targeting health centers to improve their performance and practice in areas including trauma, behavioral health and addressing the social determinants of health.
People without homes often have multiple chronic health conditions and face numerous barriers to care. Integrating behavioral health (mental health and substance use) care and primary care can help improve health care delivery and access for this population. In collaboration with partners at The Fenway Institute, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, School Based Health Alliance, Community Health Care Association of New York State, Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Mississippi Primary Health Care Association, and the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, the National HCH Council invites clinicians at health centers and organizations serving people without homes to take part in our Behavioral Health Integration Learning Collaborative to learn best practices and share experiences in implementing integration.
The goals of this Learning Collaborative are to:
- Create a shared learning environment with peers and experts on behavioral health integration for people experiencing homelessness.
- Learn and implement best practices for behavioral health integration.
- Measure the impact of behavioral health integration on clients’ health outcomes.
In order to achieve these goals, the Learning Collaborative will meet via webinar for monthly learning sessions on the second Wednesday of each month from January through June 2018. The one-hour learning sessions will take place at 11 a.m. Eastern / 10 a.m. Central / 9 a.m. Mountain / 8 a.m. Pacific Time. Participants will also be invited to meet face-to-face during the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference, May 16-18, 2018, in Minneapolis.
The six webinar sessions in Year 1 (January through June 2018) will focus on sharing best practices in behavioral health integration. After Year 1, participants will have the opportunity to continue in subsequent learning collaborative sessions later in 2018 and 2019, which will focus on implementing best practices and measuring outcomes.
Participation in the Behavioral Health Integration Learning Collaborative is free. The Council will select clinicians from ten (10) health centers for Year 1 of the Learning Collaborative.
Key Dates
- Deadline for Applications: Tuesday, December 5, 2017, by midnight CST
- Kick-off & Virtual Learning Session 1: Wednesday, January 10, 2018
- Virtual Learning Session 2: Wednesday, February 14, 2018
- Virtual Learning Session 3: Wednesday, March 14, 2018
- Virtual Learning Session 4: Wednesday, April 11, 2018
- Virtual Learning Session 5: Wednesday, May 9, 2018
- Face-to-face Meeting: during National Health Care for the Homeless Conference, May 16-18, 2018, Minneapolis, MN
- Virtual Learning Session 6: Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Who Should Participate?
Clinicians at health centers receiving 330(h) funding (or who can demonstrate that the health center provides services for homeless populations) are eligible to be part of the Learning Collaborative. Up to two clinicians per health center may participate. Applicants must have supervisor permission to fulfill the participant expectations below.
Participant Expectations
Project participants will be expected to do the following:
- Participate in all six of the monthly learning sessions.
- Actively participate in all learning sessions, sharing experiences, challenges, and lessons learned.
- Complete evaluations after each learning session.
- Attendance at the 2018 HCH National Conference is encouraged, but is not required. Travel to the conference is not provided.
Application and Submission Information
Clinicians from the same health center (up to two) should apply via a single application. Applications are due on Tuesday, December 5, by midnight CST. To apply, complete the online application.
Questions about eligibility, participant expectations, or the application can be directed to Lily Catalano at the National HCH Council, lcatalano@nhchc.org.