HEALTH OUTREACH
Introduction
Since 1998, the London InterCommunity Health Centre has offered health and social service to people who are homeless, as well as those at risk of homelessness. Our interdisciplinary care team operates within a health promotion framework and values inclusivity, relationship building, and harm reduction.
We recognize that people who are homeless experience barriers to receiving health care resulting from a lack of identification, poverty (ie the lack of choice of diet), attitudinal barriers of providers, institutional environment of shelters and harsh weather, and conditions on the streets that promote the spread o disease. In addition, there are many psychological effects of homelessness, including a lack of self-respect, lack of respect from others, feelings of worthlessness and vulnerability.
Nursing, social work and the services of our advocate/outreach worker are available to both registered and non-registered clients. Primary health services provided by our nurse practitioner and our physician are available to registered clients only. To register, individuals who are homeless and who do not already have a family physician participate in an intake process with one of our social workers or our outreach worker.
Our nursing staff offer community outreach at Streetscape’s Safe Have. Their services include nursing care, harm reduction education and support, addiction assessments and referrals to treatment and referrals for foot care and diabetes care. Our nurse practitioner offers similar services at the Youth Action Centre. At At^Lohsa Native Family Healing Services, our outreach worker offers a regular identification clinic and general information about available local services.
Hours
Monday 9 – 3:30
Tuesday 9 – 3:30
Wednesday 9 – 3:30
Thursday 12 – 3:30; and evenings by appointment
Friday 9 – 3:30
Our identification (ID) clinics run on Tuesdays from 10 until noon and Wednesdays from 1:30 until 3:30.