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California leads the nation in homelessness. To tackle this critical issue, county stakeholders, health care, and homeless care organizations across the state are partnering across sectors to enhance the coordination of health and social care for people experiencing homelessness. These collaborative partnerships are facilitated in large part by CalAIM, California’s Medicaid transformation initiative.

Over the past two years, eight cross-sector teams in California have piloted new strategies to improve the health and well-being of people experiencing homelessness through the Partnerships for Action: California Health Care & Homelessness Learning Collaborative, made possible by the California Health Care Foundation and led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). This webinar spotlighted the experiences of two pilot teams that brought together health care and homeless services partners to better serve people experiencing homelessness. A panel discussion, including pilot team members and national experts, highlighted key takeaways on cross-sector collaboration and shared practical insights on sustaining partnerships to support individuals who are unhoused.

Agenda

I. Welcome and Overview of the Partnerships for Action

Speaker: Meryl Schulman, Senior Program Officer, CHCS

M. Schulman welcomed participants, introduce the Partnerships for Action initiative and today’s speakers, and described the value of cross-sector collaboration to improve care for people experiencing homelessness.

II. Pilot Team Insights: The Impact of Health and Homeless Services Organization Partnerships

Speakers: 

  • Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties Pilot Team: Amelia Grover, Manager of Social Work, Marian Regional Medical Center; Christy Nichols, Program Development Specialist, CenCal Health; and Janna Nichols, Executive Director, 5Cities Homeless Coalition
  • Tuolumne County Pilot Team: Mark Dyken, Executive Director, Resiliency Village; and Jasmin Rice, Director of Operations, Mathiesen Memorial Health Clinic

Two pilot teams that participated in Partnerships for Action described their partnership efforts, highlighted the strengths and challenges they faced, and explained how they addressed barriers to implementing cross-sector partnerships to address homelessness within their respective communities. They also discussed their work’s impact and opportunities for future collaboration.

III. Panel Discussion

Panelists: Mark Dyken, Resiliency Village; Jasmin Rice, Mathiesen Memorial Health Clinic; Amelia Grover, Marian Regional Medical Center; Christy Nichols, CenCal Health, Janna Nichols, Executive Director, 5Cities Homeless Coalition; and Lauran Hardin, Chief Integration Officer, HC2 Strategies

Moderator: M. Schulman

Participants of Partnerships for Action participated in a panel discussion to share their perspectives on the benefits of cross-sector partnerships to address homelessness.

IV. Audience Q&A

Moderator: M. Schulman