SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE
Thursday, October 15th
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Registration/Check-in, Centre Square/East Tower, 1st Floor
Continental breakfast, Mezzanine Level
8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Intensive Training Sessions
10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Break
12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Boxed Lunch (included)
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Break
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
Friday, October 16th
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Registration/Check-in, Centre Square/East Tower, 1st Floor
Continental breakfast, Mezzanine Level
8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Intensive Training Sessions
10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Break
12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Boxed Lunch (included)
1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Intensive Training Session (see schedule below, for TIC session only)
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Break
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
Thursday, October 15, 2015
8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Intensive Training Sessions
(3.5 hours; 30 minute break at 10:30 a.m.)
Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration: Lessons Learned From the Trenches
The leading trend in health care is undeniably integration. Both SAHMSA and HRSA have dedicated significant resources to help health centers move in this direction. The purpose of this workshop is to provide an overview of integrated primary and behavioral health care in an outpatient homeless setting. Providing a blend of academic theory with real-world experience, the workshop presenters will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of health care integration, a description of what it looks like in practice, and an understanding of how to implement. With backgrounds in both behavioral health and primary care, the presenters will provide participants with useful practices that they can implement in their own agencies.
Presenters: Brian Colangelo, LCSW, CADC, CCS, Manager of Behavioral Health, Project HOPE, Camden, NJ; Dr. Lynda Bascelli, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Project HOPE, Camden, NJ
Room: A
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Enhancing Services by Building Successful Community and Academic Collaborations
In times of scarce resources, one way of enhancing service delivery is through collaborations with other agencies. This will be an interactive training session to help participants identify a broad array of potential collaborative relationships to enhance service delivery, from finding partners to finding a focus. Tools for identifying assets, writing the rules for engagement, managing risks, and assessing and growing community partnerships will be utilized to demonstrate essential components to successful collaboration. Multiple case examples of community and academic collaborations with health centers will be analyzed during the session. Participants will be encouraged to contribute their examples and to ask questions related to the details behind successful community and academic collaborations.
Presenters: Nancy L. Rothman, MSN, EdD, RN, Interim Chair, Independence Foundation Professor of Urban Community Nursing, Director Community-Based Practices, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; Andrew Johnstone, BSN, RN, RN Care Manager, PHMC Care Clinic, Philadelphia, PA
Room: C
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Improving Outcomes through Cultural Competency
Research has supported that effective service delivery must take into account the fact that people seeking assistance differ in terms of their communication styles and methods, their understandings of the role of service providers, their attitudes towards seeking help, their decision-making processes, their ideas about gender roles, and even their sense of personal space. Participants will learn about the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanian’s experience integrating cultural competence into every aspect of our service delivery to the immigrant population and what that has taught us more generally about working with diversity.
Presenters: Bahiya Cabral-Johnson, Deputy Director, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, Philadelphia, PA
Room: D-E
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
1 – 2:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
Accessing Supportive Housing for Your Patients: Understanding Coordinated Assessments
Supportive housing is a crucial component in helping people become successful in managing their mental health, physical health and substance abuse. Federal policy is currently mandating changes be made in the way that people access supportive housing by using a Coordinated Entry system. This session will provide an overview of Coordinated Entry/Coordinated Assessment, ways health centers can coordinate efforts with the local housing providers, and advocacy strategies to effect policy changes in supportive housing to help their patients.
Presenters: Rebecca Melang, Program Manager, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Minneapolis, MN; Liz Buck, MPA, Program Manager, Consulting and Training, Corporation for Supportive Housing, New York, NY
Room: A
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Empowering the Voice of Consumers
Individuals who receive services at HCH projects have a unique and important role to help make continual improvement in services and achieve the mission of the organization. There are understandable challenges to engaging in these activities for those who have been disenfranchised and are struggling to meet their basic needs; yet it is important for projects to facilitate feedback however possible. Consumer engagement in the feedback and decision making process is significant not only for the HCH project, but also demonstrates to consumers that their voice and participation provides a critical perspective to the work and can have an impact on decisions that affect their own lives. These experiences can empower consumers in their personal growth where they may choose to advocate beyond internal quality improvement and help push for broader social change in their communities.
Presenters: Katherine Cavanaugh, MSW, Consumer Advocate, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Baltimore, MD; Danielle Orlando, Peer Advocate, Project HOPE, Philadelphia, PA
Room: C
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Health Reform and Medicaid Expansion: Opportunities and Challenges for the HCH Community
This discussion will highlight the key aspects of the Affordable Care Act that impact low-income populations, with a particular emphasis on Medicaid expansion. Attendees will hear from national and state representatives about the current status of health reform in Pennsylvania, learn directly from HCH staff about the opportunities Medicaid has brought to both providers and consumers, and understand new challenges that have emerged. Time will be reserved for discussion and to identify needed actions to ensure better health and lower costs for both communities and families.
Presenters: Jim Willshier, Director of Policy & Partnership, Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers; Melissa Fox, Senior Managing Director of Health, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA; Corrie Tice, Health Network Social Services Manager, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
Moderator: Barbara DiPietro, PhD, Senior Director of Policy, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Baltimore, MD
Room: D-E
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Walking Workshop: Off-site: Project HOME – Stephen Klein Wellness Center
The Stephen Klein Wellness Center (SKWC) is our largest of 3 sites. SKWC provides medical, behavioral health and dental services for all ages. About 9 months ago, SKWC moved into its new facility which has 15 exam rooms, 4 counseling rooms, an on-site pharmacy, and 6 dental operatories. SKWC also has a food pantry for patients that are food insecure as well as a patient shower and laundry services. Besides SKWC’s standard clinical services, lawyers from the Legal Clinic for the Disabled are on-site who provide non-criminal legal support for patients and a group of community health workers who assist patients with navigating health services. SKWC is co-located with the YMCA which provides a full gym, exercise classes, child watching, and nutrition classes in our teaching kitchen. SKWC staff are blessed to be in this space and excited to share it with you!
Led by: Lucy Kibe, PA-C, DrPH, Director of Clinical and Wellness Services, Project HOME, Philadelphia, PA
3 – 4:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
Homeless Medical Respite: From Planning to Reality
Medical respite care is a critical health care service that provides people who are experiencing homelessness with a safe place to recover from an illness or injury while receiving clinical and supportive services. In Philadelphia, the PHMC & Depaul Medical Respite Program materialized a couple of years after a 2012 homeless death report, published by the City of Philadelphia and the Medical Examiner’s Office, recommended the establishment of a medical respite program. The new 8-bed program, located in a transitional housing facility, operates collaboratively by PHMC and Depaul USA. Please join program administrators, Melissa Fox and Deborah McMillan, to learn more about planning efforts leading up to the grand opening, start-up challenges and solutions, and key lessons learned in their first year of operation. This workshop will include a combination of lecture and facilitated discussion and will be of interest to administrators and advocates interested in starting a medical respite program.
Presenters: Melissa Fox, Senior Managing Director of Health, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA; Deborah McMillan, MSW, LSW, Medical Respite Director, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA
Room: A
Advocacy 101: How to Affect Policy Change at the Federal, State, and Local Levels
Homelessness is a direct result of failed policies. As health care providers, consumers, and members of the Health Care for the Homeless community you have the experience, expertise, and knowledge to affect policy change and ensure that the experience of homelessness is brief and rare. This workshop will provide an introduction to advocacy on the federal, state, and local levels, and detail how you can integrate advocacy into your daily activities. You will be provided with an update on current federal, state, and local policy that impacts the HCH community, and given tools and resources to strategize and engage in advocacy efforts.
Presenters: Matt Warfield, MSW, MUP, Health Policy Organizer, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Baltimore, MD; Sheila Quintana, Southeast PA Field Organizer, Put People First!, Philadelphia, PA
Room: C
View Part I of the slides from this presentation (PDF) | View Part II of the slides from this presentation (PDF)
Homelessness and Other Traumas Experienced in Childhood
The workshop will focus on issues related to youth homelessness. The workshop will provide an overview of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, which examined the effects of trauma experienced between ages 0-18. Presenters will discuss the study’s implication for working with individuals experiencing homelessness such as the effects of trauma on youth engagement. Presenters will highlight prevention strategies for decreasing risk factors for negative health outcomes. Presenters will discuss trauma-informed care practices and provide case studies. The workshop will provide an abundance of resources and additional educational material, including peer networks and local resources.
Presenters: Juli Hishida, MS-Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Project Manager, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Nashville, TN; Melissa Berrios Johnson, MSW, Social Work Trainer, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Homeless Health Initiative, Adjunct Professor, The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, Philadelphia, PA
Room: D-E
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Walking Workshop: Off-site: Mary Howard Health Center
As part of the Health Care for the Homeless Project, the Mary Howard Health Center, a comprehensive primary health care center for homeless people, opened on in 1997 with support from Philadelphia’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Independence Foundation, and other public and private funders. The Mary Howard Health Center is the only nurse-managed health center specifically for homeless people. It is based on the premise that comprehensive, continuous health care of homeless people is achievable. This level of care is possible because of the unique “community” developed over the past fifteen years by the Health Care for the Homeless Project and many other providers working in partnership with homeless people. Mary Howard Health Center provides health care to individuals experiencing homelessness at all points along of the continuum: from the street to shelter to transitional housing to self-sufficiency. Mary Howard Health Center has developed expertise in providing continuity of care to a transient population with limited support systems with services that include primary care, behavioral health services, family planning, medical case management, health counseling, assistance with benefits and physical exams. The health center staff welcomes a visit from you!
Led by: Andrea Vettori, CRNP, Licensed Nurse Practitioner, Mary Howard Health Center, Philadelphia, PA
Friday, October 16, 2015
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Intensive Training Session (Full Day)
(8.0 hours; 30 minute break at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.)
Building a Trauma-Informed Organization, The Biopsychosocial Paradigm
Recent research in neurobiology, physics, genetics, biology, psychology, sociology, and trauma gives those working with individuals experiencing homelessness a new paradigm within which to conceptualize their role in the healing process. The Coldspring Center’s Biopsychosocial Approach to the Trauma-Informed Paradigm challenges learners to take a fresh look at what it means to be a provider of homeless services. This training provides learners a theoretical base as well as tools and strategies to apply immediately to their work, their own self-care, and their organizations. Designed in an interactive and experiential format, Building a Trauma- Informed Organization lays out a roadmap for the integration of the Trauma Informed paradigm into Health Care for the Homeless settings. This powerful experience provides approaches and strategies that can transform individuals, systems, society, and the overall approach to helping those we serve heal and grow.
Presenters: Matt Bennett BA, MA, Chief Innovation Officer, Coldspring Center for Social & Health Innovation, Denver, CO
Room: A
8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Intensive Training Sessions
(3.5 hours; 30 minute break at 10:30 a.m.)
The Integrated Health Home: Coordination of Care Strategies
The integrated health home addresses behavioral health and primary care as well as coordinating care with specialty providers and other community resources. This interactive session will address coordination of care strategies for better health outcomes.
Presenters: Cheryl Holt, MA, Behavioral Health Integration Consultant, Behavioral Health Integration Consulting, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Room: C
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Understanding the Current Status of Opioid Dependence in Homeless Populations and Examining Treatment Options
Individuals experiencing homelessness are at a greater risk for developing an opioid use disorder, becoming dependent, and fatally overdosing. This presentation will examine the current increase in opioid dependence within the homeless population, including the migration from prescription drug misuse and abuse towards illicit drugs, predominantly heroin. Factors that contribute to the abuse of opioids and the switch to heroin will be discussed. Presenters will provide information on Naloxone toolkits to hopefully prevent fatal overdosing and other treatment options, including policy issues related to the use of naloxone toolkits. Available treatment modalities will be discussed. Issues related to treatment of opioid use disorders include detoxification methods and their usefulness and aftercare options and their success. Medications in the maintenance treatment of opioid use disorders include methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone and naltrexone. All medications will be discussed as well as which patients may be more appropriate for which medication modality. Information will also be presented on the management of pregnant opioid dependent patients and ther care of neonate at risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Presenters: Laura McNicholas, MD, PhD, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; Roland Lamb, M.A, Director, Office of Addiction Services, Philadelphia, PA
Room: D-E
View Part I of the slides from this presentation (PDF) | View Part II of the slides from this presentation (PDF)
1 – 2:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
An Advanced Model to Routinize Hepatitis C Testing and Linkage to Care for Homeless Patients in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
From 2010 to 2019, direct costs of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are likely to surpass $10.7 billion and indirect costs are projected to reach $54.2 billion. Certain sub-populations are disproportionately impacted by the disease, such as those experiencing homelessness. With the advent of new treatment options, and more coming soon, it is an important time to integrate HCV testing as part of routine care at health centers that serve the homeless. In this interactive workshop we will present a successful model of routine HCV testing and linkage to care from Mary Howard Health Center, a federally qualified health center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that treats an entirely adult homeless population. We will look at epidemiology, the benefits of universal testing and proven models of linkage and engagement to specialist care. There will be discussion about successes, barriers, and lessons learned while implementing testing. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to replicate the model in their own health care setting.
Presenters: Catelyn Coyle, MPH, MEd, Public Health Project Manager, National Nursing Centers Consortium, Philadelphia, PA
Room: C
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Planning for Improvement: Creating a Quality Improvement Plan that Drives Meaningful Change
Every health center is required to have a Quality Improvement (QI) plan in order to receive FTCA coverage, but how many of us have plans that are meaningful to our staff and relevant to the clients we serve? This workshop will teach participants how to write a QI plan that not only meets regulatory requirements, but also focuses on making life better for our staff and clients.
Presenters: Chuck Amos, MBA, Director of Performance Improvement, Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., Baltimore, MD
Room: D-E
View slides from this presentation (PDF).
Walking Workshop: Off-site: Mary Howard Health Center
As part of the Health Care for the Homeless Project, the Mary Howard Health Center, a comprehensive primary health care center for homeless people, opened on February 25, 1997 with support from Philadelphia’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Independence Foundation, and other public and private funders. The Mary Howard Health Center is the only nurse-managed health center specifically for homeless people. It is based on the premise that comprehensive, continuous health care of homeless people is achievable. This level of care is possible because of the unique “community” developed over the past fifteen years by the Health Care for the Homeless Project and many other providers working in partnership with homeless people. Located at 125 South 9th street, the Center provides health care to homeless people at all points along of the continuum: from the street to shelter to transitional housing to self-sufficiency. The Health Care for the Homeless Project and Mary Howard Health Center have developed expertise in providing continuity of care to a transient population with limited support systems with services that include primary care, behavioral health services, family planning, medical case management, health counseling, assistance with benefits and physical exams.
Led by: Andrea Vettori, CRNP, Licensed Nurse Practitioner, Mary Howard Health Center, Philadelphia, PA
3 – 4:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions
Medical-Legal Partnerships 101: The Benefits of Integrated Health and Legal Care
This presentation will feature a panel presentation about the need for Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLP) and the ways in which health care organizations can screen for health-harming legal needs. The presenters will also discuss how health care organizations can identify potential legal partners to set up Medical-Legal Partnerships, with specific examples from the National Nursing Centers Consortium and Rising Sun Health Center’s efforts to establish successful MLPs. Lastly, there will be a discussion on assessing the potential outcomes and impacts of the Medical-Legal Partnership approach to health.
Presenters: Bharath Krishnamurthy, MPH, Research Associate at the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, Washington, D.C.; Joel Teitelbaum, JD, LLM, Associate Professor, Co-Director, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, Washington, D.C.; Lydia Gottesfeld, JD, Independence Foundation Fellow, Staff Attorney, Community Legal Services, Inc., Philadelphia, PA; Sarah Rabin-Lobron, MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC, Clinical Director, Rising Sun Health Center, Philadelphia, PA
Moderator: Kristine Gonnella, MPH, Manageer, Technical Assistance and Consultation, National Nursing Centers Consortium, Philadelphia, PA
Room: C
View the MLP Performance Measures Handbook (PDF).
Population Health Management Systems 101: Using Data to Improve Health Outcomes
There are many definitions for population health, but the consistent theme is improving the health of every client, even the ones who don’t come to the clinic consistently. This introductory workshop will begin by discussing population health and why it’s important. We’ll look at the differences between EHR systems and population health management (PHM) systems, and share decision-making tools to help health centers determine if they’re ready for PHM, and if so, how to select the right system. We’ll then discuss how a systematic approach to population health can drive quality improvements. The workshop will include case studies and examples from health centers that have implemented PHM systems, including how centers have overcome challenges and failures.
Presenters: Chuck Amos, MBA, Director of Performance Improvement, Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., Baltimore, MD
Room: D-E