en illm ulf ds l f- F e e Se N
dvocating
Very often, we are moved to help others—we donate goods, we pledge funds, we join a cause—but sometimes these ‘fixes’ can only treat an immediate need, and are not always enough to make a long-term difference. When a person or a family becomes homeless, they suddenly find themselves thrust into a world of need that many of us can’t even imagine. When you don’t know where your next meal is coming from or where you will sleep at night, there is not much motivation left to plan ahead. Most do not have the tools necessary to begin to turn their lives around—computer, Internet access, e-mail or a phone to make or receive calls—all of which are critical today to conduct job searches and set up interviews. So how do they transition from homelessness to productive members of society if they cannot get back on their feet? Once a person has reached this point, it’s very difficult to climb above it without assistance.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow, an American behavioral psychologist, defined the needs of people on an ascending scale of importance. His five-tiered hierarchy of needs has been widely-used in many fields of study, from psychology to sales and marketing. Maslow’s theory suggests that an individual’s most basic level of needs must be met before he/she will focus on higher level needs. Often displayed as a multi-level pyramid, in ascending order, these needs are:
Love/Belonging Needs Safety Needs Physiological Needs
s ed Ne sic Ba
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses … Send these, the homeless … to me.” —excerpted from The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty
al gic olods ych e Ps Ne
Esteem Needs
t
SelfActualization
When assessing the needs of the homeless, our first considerations are physiological needs—survival. Food and shelter are the most basic of needs, without which a person cannot survive. Since those needs are immediate, many community organizations focus on providing meals, warm clothes or a place to sleep for the night. After all, it is only once these needs are met that a person can be motivated to satisfy a greater need. But this temporary ‘fix’ doesn’t alleviate the ongoing, increasing problem of homelessness. The homeless population is more likely to have difficulty finding and holding down a job, and getting their lives back together, if they don’t have a permanent, safe place to live. So one way to stop the cycle of homelessness and to help them transition back into society is an approach that combats homelessness starting at Maslow’s first tier—housing first!
Housing First “Give a man a fish; you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; you feed him for a lifetime.” —Chinese Proverb Since the colonial era there has always been a segment of the American population living without permanent housing. In the late 1860s, after the Civil War, and during the Great Depression of the 1930s, these numbers spiked. But it wasn’t until the 1970s, when a startling increase of people were forced to live on urban streets, that the term “homeless” entered the mainstream lexiconi.
Self-Esteem: Sense of personal worth and respect.
In response, the first and only federal legislation to address homelessness was signed into law in 1987. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act included a number of provisions for the homeless that remain today—emergency shelters, transitional housing, job training, health care and education. The Act has been reauthorized over the years, most recently in 2009 with the signing of Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act.
Self-Actualization: Achieving your full potential.
Homelessness is one of the nation’s most serious social problems. Recent data reveals an
Physiological: Warmth, shelter and food. Safety: Protection from danger of threat. Love/Belonging: Relationships with others.
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Catholic Health East Community Benefit Annual Report 2010
estimated 643,067 people experience homelessness in the U.S. each night; and an estimated two million were homeless at some point during the year. Thirty-seven percent are families—defined as at least one adult with at least one childii. While it is often the result of interwoven systemic and personal problems, the primary cause of homelessness among families is the growing gap between housing costs and income. The homeless are not just people we see living on urban streets. In fact, 44 percent of people who are homeless work at least part timeiii. Oftentimes, those who find themselves homeless are single mothers, women escaping domestic violence, or families who have fallen on hard times. Unfortunately, many families are just one paycheck away from losing their homes. Unemployment could leave them living in their cars, in garages or moving from place to place, staying with friends and family. Emergency shelters aren’t equipped for long-term solutions and landlords aren’t clamoring to offer a lease to a family who has lost their home. Housing First, sometimes called rapid re-housing, is an alternative to emergency shelters and transitional housing. Akin to Maslow’s theory, the methodology behind Housing First is premised on the belief that vulnerable and at-risk homeless families are more responsive to interventions and social services support after they are in their own housing, rather than while living in temporary facilities or housing programsiv. Even a short period of homelessness can lead to depression, mental illness and child neglect, creating a cycle that leads to an increasing number of families being homeless for months and sometimes years. With permanent housing, these families can begin to regain the self-confidence and control over their lives they lost when they became homeless.
CHE Ministries Seek to Prevent Homelessness Across CHE, our ministries are doing what they can to help individuals and families who find themselves facing homelessness. All of our facilities have programs and services for the homeless, the uninsured and underinsured and other at-risk populations. Service to the poor and underserved is rooted in the heritage of our original founding Sisters. Caring for the sick and economically poor has been the calling of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas since Sr. Catherine McAuley founded the House of Mercy in 1831 to shelter, feed and educate women and children in Dublin. In 1843 the Sisters traveled to Pittsburgh to care for area immigrants, and went “into the streets” to care for the homeless. In 1880, they purchased a farmhouse on Terry Farm in West Hartford which later became Saint Mary Home. In addition, the sisters founded St. Peter’s Hospital, an orphanage and an industrial school for poor children in Albany. The Sisters of Providence tended to children, the elderly and sick immigrant laborers and mill workers in Holyoke, Mass. Within one week of their 1873 arrival from Canada, the Sisters welcomed an 11-year-old orphan boy into their newly established House of Providence. Young, single girls coming to work in the mill city had few safe places to stay and the Sisters began caring for the many orphaned children, a work that grew into Brightside Orphanage. The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany opened its first school in 1860. In 1883, they were called to Boston to staff St. Elizabeth Hospital. As their ministry spread, they began to open “settlement houses” for the immigrant poor, and became the first congregation of women religious to send Sisters to foreign missions. The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine traveled from France to Georgia in 1866 to care for African-Americans who were without work, shelter, health care or education.
By 1910, the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary opened 31 missions in Scranton, Pa. In 1888, they started St. Joseph Center, an orphanage. The Sisters ministered to breaker boys—
youngsters 10-14 years old who worked in the mines separating slate from coal—providing education in the evenings*. The Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill have always had a special abiding concern for the poor. Their work is rooted in faith and performed in simplicity and charity. Founded to create and staff schools, today they provide health and social service care to those in need. As we move toward a society that is rid of homelessness altogether, and there is a home for every person, our RHCs and JOAs continue to provide health care, meals and housing to those in need. A sampling of the outreach programs and services provided throughout CHE are highlighted on the next few pages. St. Anthony’s Health Care, part of BayCare Health System (Clearwater, Fla.), leased property to Boley Centers for Behavioral Health Care to provide affordable housing for the homeless. In September 2010, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded BayCare Behavioral Health a $1.75 million grant to launch the Veteran and Inebriate Program (VIP), which provides mental health and substance abuse treatment, medication management and crisis counseling for homeless veterans and chronic inebriates with behavioral health disorders. Catholic Health (Buffalo, N.Y.) has supported the Food Bank of Western New York as part of a three-year commitment program to assist the homeless. Catholic Health associates have collected more than six tons of non-perishable food items at site collection stations across the system. In addition, associates donated a total of $20,000 to the Food Bank. Holy Cross Hospital (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) began providing primary care services for the homeless through its mobile screening unit in 2010, providing more than 1,800 screenings and exams. In addition, Holy Cross also provided community support services through Meals on Wheels and in partnership with various Catholic charities, including The Shepherd’s Way, which provides housing solutions and family services to the homeless. Lourdes Health System (Camden, N.J.) participates in a monthly program at Joe’s Place—a space that Lourdes developed—which provides dinner for area homeless. Colleagues collected winter hats, scarves and gloves for a clothing drive to benefit Joe’s Place clients. Lourdes’ Intensive Care Nursery staff donated packages filled with toiletries, as well as coats, hats, scarves and gloves to the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers for distribution to the city’s homeless. Maxis Health System (Carbondale, Pa.) collected 550 pounds of food for its Thanksgiving Food Drive and invited colleagues
to participate in the Giving Tree at Christmas by bringing in winter items for the homeless. They collected coats and jackets, warm socks, hats, scarves and gloves. Maxis also participated in health fairs, providing screenings and flu shots for the uninsured. The Healthcare for the Homeless Clinic at Mercy Hospital, part of Mercy Health System of Maine (Portland, Maine), provides ancillary services and pharmaceuticals for the city’s homeless center. The HOME Team—Mobile Van Unit reached out to hundreds of homeless persons on the street, engaging them in services and programs to help get them off the streets. Mercy also expanded its McAuley Residence, which provides transitional housing for women and children.
Residents and colleagues of The McAuley, a retirement community, and Saint Mary Home, a skilled nursing facility, at Mercy Community Health (West Hartford, Conn.) prepare, deliver and serve meals at Saint Elizabeth House, a ministry of Mercy Housing & Shelter. In addition, colleagues provided education on flu vaccines, blood pressure/hypertension and diabetes. The goal is to continue building a bridge between Mercy Community and Saint Elizabeth House so that they each can teach, socialize with, motivate and inspire each other. Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital and Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, part of Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania (Conshohocken, Pa.), held bi-monthly health screenings at the Life Center of Eastern Delaware County and Reed House, The Salvation Army’s housing for disabled homeless persons. Mercy Fitzgerald colleagues prepared, delivered and served meals to Life Center residents as well. During the City’s Code Blue weather alert, Mercy Philadelphia provided food, blankets and clothing to homeless individuals who took refuge in its emergency department waiting room. Mercy Suburban Hospital established new partnerships with the
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Norristown Hospitality Center, as well as local churches and schools, to address the needs of the homeless through education and health screenings. Mercy Medical (Daphne, Ala.) provided meals and educational programs to homeless women at McKemie Place, a shelter for single homeless women. Classes included interviewing skills, managing personal finances, self esteem and nutrition education. Mercy Medical also provided snacks for children’s lunches and backpacks filled with supplies for the homeless on Mercy Day in September.
Photo by: Renee Rosensteel
Operation Safety Net®, a ministry of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System (Pittsburgh, Pa.), served 1,307 persons during 6,278 visits in 2010. Its Severe Weather Emergency Shelter opened 64 nights, averaging 88 individuals each night. OSN connected 135 persons to ongoing clinical case management and/or made referrals for health care services, housed 172 individuals, and broke ground on apartments to house 16 homeless persons as part of Mercy Behavioral Health’s medical home to open in late 2011. Project HELP provided pro bono legal assistance to individuals through a corps of volunteer attorneys and paralegals, netting and returning more than $100,000 in disability payments. As part of its educational mission, OSN also served as a clinical rotation for 60 residents and students. Mercy Care Services, part of Saint Joseph’s Health System (Atlanta, Ga.), provides preventive and primary dental services for the homeless, persons of low income and HIV-positive individuals. Mercy Care also provides resource referrals, supportive services, case management and mental health assessment at its mobile and fixed clinics, homeless shelters and various other sites. In addition, Mercy Care’s 19-bed recuperative care unit provides a safe place for homeless men to heal after hospital discharge. In 2010, Mercy Care provided medical and dental services to more than 10,300 people. Saint Michael’s Medical Center (Newark, N.J.), along with Goodwill Rescue Mission and
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Project Homeless Connect, provided rapid HIV testing to more than 1,500 homeless individuals at various shelter sites. Saint Michael’s also provided breast and colorectal cancer education and prostate and breast cancer screenings at shelters throughout Newark. Colleagues collected donations for the Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, benefitting over 150 families, and collected clothing for Saint Michael’s Homeless Closet. In addition 200 sets of sheets were donated to the Goodwill Rescue Mission to aid in their expansion program. Mercy Health Care for the Homeless, part of Sisters of Providence Health System (Springfield, Mass.), provides onsite primary care services at 46 shelters, soup kitchens, job placement sites and transitional programs. In 2010, Mercy Health Care for the Homeless cared for more than 2,300 homeless individuals through 12,900 encounters. The team provided assessments, intervention, referrals, follow-up and education. They also provided street outreach for those hardest to serve. The goal is to reach those who avoid any contact with the mainstream health and social service system and who may never had received services before.
on a particular day of the year. St. Francis staff, including nurse practitioners and volunteers, evaluated patients for hypertension and provided education in areas of medication and nutrition. They also distributed items, including toothpaste, soap, deodorant, socks and reading glasses. A St. Francis nurse practitioner also provided medical care and education at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen on a weekly basis. St. James Mercy Health System (Hornell, N.Y.) initiated a pilot program with the Hornell City School District to address the issue of students without health insurance. Along with school district officials, St. James Mercy enrolled 65 students. The Sr. Rene Dental Center received a grant for equipment and space renovation to treat the growing number of uninsured and underinsured—approximately 60 percent of patients qualify for Medicaid and 10 percent qualify for Charity Care. Additionally, St. James Mercy held nutrition classes for clients of its Aquinas Day Treatment Program, and collaborated with Catholic Charities’ Kinship Youth and Family Services on various community and residential programs.
The St. Clare Medical Outreach Van at St. Francis Hospital (Wilmington, Del.) is a full service doctor’s office on wheels. It visits dining halls that feed the hungry, homeless shelters and Ministry of Caring sites around Wilmington. St. Francis also began a new collaboration with the Ministry of Caring by providing medical care for its House of Joseph II, a permanent residence for people with AIDS.
St. Francis Medical Center (Trenton, N.J.) participated in a Project Connect survey event which determines the number of homeless persons in a region at a particular point-in-time
Catholic Health East Community Benefit Annual Report 2010
St. Joseph of the Pines (Southern Pines, N.C.) launched an extensive homeless awareness campaign throughout the community. The focus was to educate the public and change the perception of homelessness. The campaign resulted in numerous donations, offers of volunteer assistance, letters of support, and an increased number of people seeking shelter.
St. Joseph of the Pines was recognized with the North Carolina Association of Non-Profit Homes for the Aging’s 2011 Social Responsibility Award for the campaign. St. Mary’s Health Care System (Athens, Ga.) provided a $60,000 donation to Athens Area Habitat for Humanity to cover the complete cost of renovating five apartments in a 16-unit complex. In addition to providing funds, teams of volunteers from the System assisted every Saturday for several months working on the homes. St. Mary’s departments also held a fundraiser to supply household items, such as dishes, flatware, cleaning supplies, curtains, pillows, etc., for incoming families.
apartment units through a rent subsidy program. In addition, 51 men were discharged to permanent housing after completing drug treatment at the Men’s Community Residence. With the help of a federal grant, St. Peter’s also developed an ARCH (Addiction Recovery Center for Healing) program to assist homeless families affected by substance abuse and mental illness. Allegany Franciscan Ministries (Palm Harbor, Fla.) had 23 active grants totaling $1.44 million that provided services to homeless individuals or those at high risk of homelessness. Among them was a $200,000 grant for the Homeless Emergency Project (HEP) to provide housing, food, clothing and support services; a $400,000 grant to the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County for its Outreach for Life project, which provides underserved populations with health screenings, case management and education; and a $5,000 grant to Mercy Community Health for its Outreach to the Homeless Initiative. AFM also provided a $434,000 grant to BayCare Health System to operate a medical respite program in collaboration with Catholic Charities. This program provides recuperative care to BayCare patients who are too medically frail to return to the streets but do not require further hospitalization or skilled nursing facility care. The goal is to decrease readmission rates by 50 percent and decrease length-of-stay by one day. Global Health Ministry’s (Newtown Square, Pa.) mission takes volunteers to the Latin American and Caribbean region to provide health care and education to the neediest populations. In 2010, after the earthquake in Haiti, GHM assisted in any way they could to help provide medical care and supplies to individuals and families who lost their homes.
Partnering with the Family Service Association, St. Mary Medical Center (Langhorne, Pa.) began an eviction prevention program in April 2010. Families on the verge of eviction were identified and provided intensive case management as well as emergency funds. St. Mary also provided transitional housing to 20 families in Bucks County and implemented the Shelter Nutrition Action Plan (SNAP) program to improve the nutritional status of homeless families. St. Peter’s Health Care Services (Albany, N.Y.) operates a homeless shelter that provides temporary, emergency housing to 200 men and women each year. In 2010, St. Peter’s helped 70 homeless individuals move into subsidized apartments and located permanent housing for 47 men and women. They also helped to fill 30
Catholic Health East System Office colleagues donated over 70 backpacks filled with coats, blankets, hats, gloves, scarves and toiletries for distribution by Project Home to area homeless. Through St. Anastasia Parish, CHE collected and donated Thanksgiving turkeys to the Life Center, which operates three shelters in the area. Colleagues also served Thanksgiving dinner to Life Center clients. In addition, CHE partners with Philabundance to collect food for the hungry throughout the Delaware Valley.
An End to the Homelessness: the Road to Self-Actualization Self-Actualization: To fully develop and realize one’s own potential. The foundation of Catholic Health East is our Core Values. We are committed to living by them in everything we do. They define us as a ministry and guide us in our mission of being a transforming, healing presence in the communities we serve. Each one of our Core Values is represented in these examples from around our System. We have Reverence for Each Person, because no matter the circumstance, no one should be without a safe, stable place to call home; we show a Commitment to Those Who Are Poor and who need a helping hand to find their way again; Community and Stewardship are expressed through the many examples of colleagues donating supplies, food and their own time to help build or rebuild their communities; Courage and Integrity are demonstrated as we stand up and take the lead in developing new initiatives and partnering with new groups as part of our promise to the community; and above all, we are committed to Justice—to a society in which all people can realize their full potential and achieve the common good.
iHomelessness, Not Helplessness in the U.S., Share International Archives. www.share-international.org. iiState of Homelessness in America, January 2011. www.endhomelessness.org. iiiNational Coalition for the Homeless. www.nationalhomeless.org ivHousing First, Ending Family Homelessness. www.beyondshelter.org. *Photo of Breaker Boys, Pittston, Pa., 1911 by Lewis Wickes Hine.
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