The Health on The Streets (HoTS) team, established in 2020 to provide care to people experiencing homelessness, celebrates its second birthday this month.
The team, funded as a pilot by the Federal Government and managed by Coast and Country Primary Care (CCPC), is seeing first-hand the impact of low housing supply, high rents, and property prices on homelessness on the Central Coast.
“Over the past two years the HoTS team (members) have become a well-known part of the Central Coast community, as they drive from one end of the (region) to the next,” CCPC CEO, Kathy Beverley, said.
“Our HoTS team has continued to provide this service to our community through the current health pandemic and through the challenges of the recent weeks with heavy rain and flooding.
“The team (has) certainly (experienced) an increase in referrals in recent weeks, and over the past two years our outreach workers have assisted 112 individuals to be permanently or temporarily housed.”
Beverley said the team is nurse-led, supported by outreach workers, and provides culturally respectful holistic care, helping people with their immediate health needs, but also providing referrals to GPs and other services including Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol.
“We work in partnership with NSW Police, NSW Ambulance and NSW Health,” she said.
“We also support people sleeping rough with referrals to local housing services, refuges, NDIS and other outreach support services.
“No one day is typical for the team, who can move quickly to respond to referrals mainly from Central Coast Council rangers, various community organisations, businesses, and community members.”
Beverley said team members build rapport and trust with clients and have regular hubs at Mary Macs at Woy Woy and Coast Shelter in Gosford.
“At the hubs our Registered Nurses provide comprehensive health assessments including primary health, public/sexual health, mental health and drug and alcohol,” she said.
In its two years, the HoTS team has engaged directly with 475 people, put in more than 2,700 hours of outreach, helped house 112 people and performed a host of other services.
Source:
Media release, Mar 23
Central Coast Primary Care