From Our Perspective – Jasmine Abramson
Outreach Fort Collins serves some of our community’s most vulnerable population, including a disproportionate number of individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. These people, who are consistently exposed to the elements, have a heightened risk of morbidity and mortality. According to data collected in 2022, 65% of OFC clients have a physical disability and 53% have a chronic health condition. OFC works hard to help reduce barriers to care and to connect our clients to the most appropriate resource.
Although there is a higher mortality rate amongst individuals experiencing homelessness, access to health care is still lower than that of the general population. Physical health is our clients’ #1 immediate need, accounting for 25% of all resources provided. So far in 2023, we have addressed clients’ physical health needs 262 times. Once we have met a client’s immediate need, we work to connect them with long term solutions. Our staff is equipped with a variety of resources, including referrals to free medical clinics and health care case management. To make our services easily accessible, our team holds open office hours at the Old Town Library where we can support clients with medicaid applications and other government benefits to meet our client’s health care needs.
We often encourage our clients to connect with a primary care provider, which can also be a challenge. Common barriers include long waiting lists, the difficulty of keeping appointments that are days, weeks, or months in the future when someone is focused on survival, or feeling stigmatized in traditional health care spaces. For these clients, we often take on an advocacy role, including scheduling appointments, coordinating with providers, and calling in prescriptions.
I am currently working with a client who suffers from extreme kidney disease and regularly visits the hospital. I was able to work closely with his case manager at Homeward Alliance to create a preventative care plan that includes our team holding on to catheters and frequently checking in with this individual. The hope is to support the client in caring for himself, preventing recurrent infections and reducing hospital visits. For me, supporting our clients’ unmet medical needs is a particularly impactful aspect of outreach. Sometimes, something as simple as antibiotic ointment is enough to save lives and limbs.