Circle the City has two Medical Respite Centers, each with 50 beds that provides a place for people experiencing homelessness to recover from illness or injury. Located in central Phoenix, the Midtown Respite Center has been open for six years and admits patients directly from other health care facilities and community partners. The Downtown Respite Center in south Phoenix is located on The Human Services Campus and serves those people experiencing homelessness staying at the shelter or on the campus.
Circle the City’s respite centers are among the nation’s leading models for holistic, integrated homeless health care. Men and women who have been discharged from hospitals or who have been living on the streets with acute conditions are admitted to Circle the City to recuperate in a clean and dignified environment where they are cared for by medical professionals, given their necessary medications, and receive hospice care when needed. With an emphasis on the whole person–body, mind, and spirit–Circle the City’s medical respite program includes case management, psychiatric evaluation, and any necessary physical and occupational therapies. The respite centers also feature a variety of patient activities, including monthly Phoenix Symphony performances, piano and voice lessons, arts and crafts classes, résumé writing and job skills assistance, tutoring, and pet therapy visits.
By giving patients a time and a place to heal, Circle the City has helped hundreds of men and women experiencing homelessness recover, discharging approximately 70% of those individuals to living situations other than the streets or emergency shelter systems.
Site Visit Schedule:
Midtown Respite Center: 10-11:30 a.m. each day on Oct. 1st and 2nd
Downtown Respite Center: 1-2:30 p.m. each day on Oct. 1st and 2nd