Collaboration with Homelessness Sector

Homeless Healthcare strives to build effective and organic relationships with other service providers across the homelessness sector. The complex nature of homelessness demands a multidisciplinary and interconnected response to ensure people experiencing homelessness are not ‘siloed’ or passed between services. Homeless Healthcare works hand in hand with other homelessness service providers to ensure holistic wrap around support for patients.

Collaborative services we are a part of include:

• Royal Perth Hospital Homeless Team - collaboration with RPH, HHC and Ruah.

• After Hours Support Service - collaboration with HHC and Ruah.

• Street Health - collaboration with HHC, Uniting Care West. We also work in closely with Perth City and City of Fremantle rangers and local police.

• Medical Respite Centre - collaboration with HHC, Ruah and Uniting Care West.

Collaboration across services

The case study below highlights how the HHC team works alongside other providers to prioritise the overall health and wellbeing of patients experiencing homelessness in Perth.

Case Study:

Rory* is in his mid-thirties and has been homeless for six years. He has schizophrenia that has only been sporadically treated in the past. When he first came into contact with Homeless Healthcare’s Street Health Program, Rory was very disordered in his speech, and was reluctant to acknowledge any mental health issues. He was regularly using meth and his psychosis potentially drug-induced. Outreach workers from Uniting WA often accompany the HHC nurses on street outreach in the Perth CBD, and together they have built trust and rapport with Rory over the last year. To date he has been reluctant to accept assistance with accommodation or housing, indicating he ‘prefers to be outdoors’.

In April 2020 his mental health was observed to have deteriorated, and a case conference with MCOT and Inner-City Mental Health was held. Rory re-appeared on the streets in late July, and it transpired that he had been in a mental health unit for 2 months. The Street Health team explained that they can find him on the street and provide his monthly antipsychotic depot and he has been happy for this to occur. The team continues to look out for him as they walk around the CBD. They have informed Rory of food and accommodation options, and gently broached moderating the frequency of his drug use. The collaboration between Homeless Healthcare , the Uniting WA outreach team and many other homelessness support services is vital, as this further expands the network of people who are looking out for and supporting Rory while he continues to rough sleep.