Substance screenings now standard
We are making substance use screenings a standard and regular part of our care. They are strengthening our client relationships and better positioning us to provide them with high-quality, whole-person care. They are a case study here at Health Care for the Homeless in performance improvement.
In April, 2015, Health Care for the Homeless providers began administering a substance use screening process called SBIRT to clients. This is a simple set of questions that identifies people who might be abusing alcohol or drugs and offers opportunities for an intervention. This screening process presents a huge—and important—opportunity in our work with people experiencing homelessness:
It can be administered by almost any health care professional; at Health Care for the Homeless, our medical, mental health, case management, housing and outreach providers all use the SBIRTscreen with clients.
It creates the opening for providers and clients to have difficult conversations about substance use, a topic many find uncomfortable.
By the end of 2015, 79% of eligible clients were receiving the SBIRT screen each month, a number that far exceeds the rates at most other health centers in the Mid-Atlantic.
Our goal in 2016 is to continue to improve our screenings for substance use and ensure that all our clients receive help when they need it.
More Recent News
Health care doesn’t always happen in clinics. Spend the day with Baltimore’s Street Medicine Team as they take care to the tents, encampments and other places people are staying.
Our housing services team works with more than 60 landlords in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. These relationships help clients not only find housing but have the support they need to maintain safe, stable homes. Meet two landlords with a commitment to permanent supportive housing.
A new HPV self‑collection test is helping people take more control over cervical cancer screening. Learn how this approach is reducing barriers and empowering clients.
Meet Dre, a 25-year-old artist and advocate whose reflections offer a powerful reminder: homelessness can happen to anyone, and speaking up can create change.