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Q&A
Efforts to improve coordination between street outreach teams and public hospitals
3:18:52
ยท
149 sec
Commissioner Park discusses efforts to improve coordination between street outreach teams and public hospitals. Key points include:
- Close collaboration between DSS and Health + Hospitals (H+H)
- Consistent coordination between streets teams and the DSS medical office
- Deputy Mayor Ann Williams Isom's leadership in building strong relationships and engagement
- The challenge of addressing situations where individuals no longer meet hospitalization criteria after substance use effects wear off
- The focus on housing as the long-term solution, including supportive housing placements for those who experienced unsheltered homelessness
Molly Wasow Park
3:18:52
So we work really closely with H and H.
3:18:56
We're in very close contact with them, our streets team, the DSS medical office.
3:19:04
So that coordination happens on a really consistent basis.
3:19:09
I think that was one of the things that Deputy Mayor Ann Williams Isom really took the lead on was making sure that that coordination occurred.
3:19:19
And while we will certainly miss her, I think there's been very strong relationships and engagement that has been built on that we will continue to support.
3:19:31
Think something that is important to recognize is that there are some number of people who will be taken to the hospital who when whatever substances that they might be using are out of their system no longer meet the qualifications for hospitalization.
3:19:55
That is absolutely an issue, and it is an issue that I don't think our system has good tools to address, but that's something that is incumbent on all of us to find some answers for.
3:20:08
But I want to come back to this question of where do people go and what should the long term solution be?
3:20:15
The long term solution should be housing.
3:20:17
Sure.
3:20:17
Right?
3:20:18
And We used to say that when we got somebody off the streets or subways and into a shelter that like check, we were done.
3:20:28
Administrator Carter and I have really been rethinking that and bringing our streets team into the conversations around housing, making sure that we're seeing all the way through the continuum.
3:20:42
We have really good numbers on our supportive housing placements for those who had experienced unsheltered homelessness, and I think a lot of this is the ongoing partnership that we're going to need with HPD and with the state housing agencies to make sure that we continue to produce supportive housing as they have been.
3:21:02
They are also terrific partners so that the end goal is not more I'm highly supportive of the safe haven model.
3:21:10
I think it does a lot of good work, but ultimately the goal should be let's have the safe havens and then quickly connect people to permanent housing.
3:21:18
And in that case the 4,900 number should be
Diana Ayala
3:21:20
a good number.