About the Health Care for the Homeless Network

The Health Care for the Homeless Network collaborates with twelve community-based partner agencies to send care providers to work with homeless people in over 60 locations throughout King County, including selected shelters, day centers, transitional housing programs, and clinics. Interdisciplinary, interagency HCHN teams provide a broad range of medical, mental health, substance abuse, case management, and health access services for homeless adults, families, and youth. Our work is designed to help meet goals in the community's Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County.

HCHN's services help meet important public health goals by promoting health among a particularly vulnerable population and by helping prevent the spread of disease. In addition to direct patient care, HCHN provides training and consultation services for homeless agencies to assist them in establishing appropriate health and safety protocols designed to protect both staff and clients.

HCHN is part of a national program developed in 1985 through a 19-city demonstration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trust. In 1987, federal support was established for HCHN through the Steward B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Today, over 180 Health Care for the Homeless projects exist nationwide.

Health Care for the Homeless Advisory Planning Council

The Health Care for the Homeless Network (HCHN) Planning Council provides strategic direction on HCHN programs and budget. The Council is advisory to Public Health - Seattle & King County and the King County Board of Health. The Planning Council membership includes broad representation from the community, including currently and formerly homeless people.

Members:

Carole Antoncich
King County Dept. of Community and Human Services
Maureen Brown, MD
Swedish Family Practice Residency Program at Downtown Public Health Center
Letitia Colston, MSW
Mark Dalton
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
Jerry DeGrieck
City of Seattle Human Services Department
Sinan Demirel
Rising out of the Shadows
Charissa Fotinos, MD
Medical Director, Public Health - Seattle & King County
Ronald Johnson
Consumer Advocate
MJ Kiser
Compass Center
Sandy Olson
Pioneer Square Clinic
Linda Rasmussen
South King County YWCA
Susan Rogel
Friends of Youth
Eva Ruiz
Community Member
Sheila Sebron
Consumer Advocate
Debbie Thiele
King County Housing Authority
Alfred White
Consumer Advocate
Charles Winrow
Consumer Advocate

Our values

Adopted by the Seattle-King County HCHN Planning Council

Access to high quality care for people experiencing homelessness.
Holistic approaches to care that integrate physical and oral health, mental health, addiction services, supportive housing, and social supports.
Improved health status and the prevention of disease among homeless people.
Providers of care and support for their well being and development.
Flexible, respectful service models that are tailored to the needs of homeless people and work to link them to appropriate services and housing.
Diversity and the effort to eliminate racial and ethnic bias in our work and in access to health care.
Effective relationships with organizations and systems with whom we partner.
A community-based governance structure for HCHN that is ethical and open.
Program staff who are committed to leadership, development, customer service, and quality assurance.
Putting ourselves out of business by advocating for the social justice that will eliminate the need for our program.

Funding

HCHN receives support from the following organizations:

United States Department of Health & Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care.
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
City of Seattle
King County
Private foundations and individual donors

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