Calalus Charities

Veteran Service Organization "VSO" - 501c3 Nonprofit Organization 

Services

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Food Security

The consequences of food insecurity are significant and potentially life-threatening. One study documented the inherent risks from low blood sugar among elderly people with diabetes who have other significant illnesses and don’t have a stable source of food. Integrating public health practice into clinic settings by incorporating social determinants of health in screening and interventions related to broad needs, such as housing insecurity and food insecurity, is an important opportunity that can improve health.

 

Health 

Many homeless Veterans have negative experiences with primary care communication, care coordination, medical decision-making, and self-management support than non-homeless Veterans. These experiences may make homeless Veterans more likely to avoid mental health and substance use treatment, according to the research team. They conclude that homeless Veterans may need more specific services aimed at encouraging them to continue with primary care services.

 

­Community Involment

Whether living in shelters, on the street, or couch-surfing, homeless people exhibit high rates of disease and disability, reduced access to treatment, and poorer prognoses relative to their housed counterparts. Many of the health conditions common among people experiencing homelessness, such as tuberculosis, are comparatively rare within the general population. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders are also strongly associated with homelessness and poor physical health. Disparities widen as homeless individuals struggle to satisfy basic needs, such as accessing adequate food. 

 

Transitional Services

Permanent supportive housing and especially Housing First models, medical-legal partnerships, and mobile health outreach programs are among the promising policy and programming interventions to reduce health disparities for homeless populations. In sum, given that housing and health are so closely linked, achieving health equity for homeless populations is closely tied to strategies to improve housing stability and address the most upstream social determinants of health.

 

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