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Cold Weather Pilot Project: Emergency Services for Homeless and … · 2019-12-12 · clients at...

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In late summer, Thunder Bay’s Shelter House saw an increased use of services by homeless individuals. The Executive Director, Patty Hajdu, thought ahead to the chilling temperatures that winter would likely bring. If the shelter’s 62 beds were filled in warmer months, what would be the demand for shelter when the cold weather set in? Calgary’s DOAP Team The Shelter House pilot project is modeled on Calgary’s Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership (DOAP) program. DOAP was created as a partnership between Alpha House and the Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS) and in consultation with city officials as well as police and emergency medical services (EMS). The program originated in response to the high demand for inner city emergency services among homeless and street involved people with addictions. DOAP redirects clients to appropriate services such as detox, treatment, and housing. The team consists of four full-time and two part-time staff members who provide outreach and case management services. They also offer harm reduction supplies to prevent communicable diseases. A CUPS nurse also works on hospital discharge services and medical follow-up. In 2009-2010 Alpha House calculated the social value created by the DOAP team for all of its clients at $1.18 million. Indicators in the calculation included reduced police and EMS attendance at call outs, reduced use of hospital Cold Weather Pilot Project: Emergency Services for Homeless and Street-involved People with Addictions February 14, 2014
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Page 1: Cold Weather Pilot Project: Emergency Services for Homeless and … · 2019-12-12 · clients at $1.18 million. Indicators in the calculation included reduced police and EMS attendance

In late summer, Thunder Bay’s Shelter House

saw an increased use of services by homeless

individuals. The Executive Director, Patty Hajdu,

thought ahead to the chilling temperatures that

winter would likely bring. If the shelter’s 62 beds

were filled in warmer months, what would be the

demand for shelter when the cold weather set

in?

Calgary’s DOAP Team

The Shelter House pilot project is modeled on

Calgary’s Downtown Outreach Addictions

Partnership (DOAP) program. DOAP was

created as a partnership between Alpha House

and the Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS)

and in consultation with city officials as well as

police and emergency medical services (EMS).

The program originated in response to the high

demand for inner city emergency services

among homeless and street involved people with

addictions.

DOAP redirects clients to appropriate services

such as detox, treatment, and housing. The team

consists of four full-time and two part-time staff

members who provide outreach and case

management services. They also offer harm

reduction supplies to prevent communicable

diseases. A CUPS nurse also works on hospital

discharge services and medical follow-up.

In 2009-2010 Alpha House calculated the social

value created by the DOAP team for all of its

clients at $1.18 million. Indicators in the

calculation included reduced police and EMS

attendance at call outs, reduced use of hospital

Cold Weather Pilot Project:

Emergency Services for Homeless

and Street-involved People with Addictions

February 14, 2014

Page 2: Cold Weather Pilot Project: Emergency Services for Homeless and … · 2019-12-12 · clients at $1.18 million. Indicators in the calculation included reduced police and EMS attendance

2 2

emergency rooms, fewer returns to hospital, and

lower incidence of hepatitis C or HIV.

Thunder Bay’s Cold Weather Pilot

Project

Shelter House’s Patty Hajdu approached the

Thunder Bay City Manager to discuss ways to

alleviate the bottleneck caused by the lack of

transportation services specifically between

shelters and medical services such as

withdrawal management services and

emergency rooms. She also asked Kathy

Christiansen, Executive Director at Alpha House,

to provide a presentation to the Thunder Bay

Withdrawal Management Steering Committee

about the DOAP team and the outcomes the

team realizes through their work.

Shelter House – like Alpha House – has a unique

advantage in that its staff members have pre-

existing relationships with the homeless

community and other community partners. Its

Board of Directors backed the Cold Weather Pilot

Project, and the organization sought financial

support from the City of Thunder Bay (which is

under deliberation until February).

The project began with monthly meetings

between Shelter House and Salvation Army. Both

organizations work with homeless clientele. The

Cold Weather Pilot Project has three

components: improve communication between

Shelter House and the Salvation Army; Street

Outreach Services (SOS); and Day Services for

people who are publicly intoxicated. The SOS

program was launched on December 27, 2013.

The program has a mobile van that goes looking

for homeless people in well-known gathering

areas. Staff offer to bring people to a warm

location or provide hot beverages and other

amenities. At the end of December, Shelter

House initiated the Day Services program that

offers a place to warm up, rest, and access food

in a respectful, client-centred, non-

confrontational setting.

Liability can be a concern for agencies that offer

this type of service. To reduce the likelihood of an

incidence Shelter House conducted several risk

assessments and consulted the Ministry of

Labour. The also looked at the risks associated

with working alone, using a mobile vehicle, and

patrolling high-crime areas. Solutions that

mitigated liability included using a GPS tracker,

providing thorough training, providing staff with a

long-range radio, and having staff carry

smartphones that have a regular check-in app

(SafetyLine). Staff were trained in de-escalation

techniques, and withdrawal protocols, and were

given an overview of services from Thunder Bay

Police, EMS, and Balmoral Centre withdrawal

management program.

Two outreach workers work 12-hour shifts from

2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and provide a response to

homeless individuals who are not medically

compromised or presenting with violence issues.

February 14, 2014

Page 3: Cold Weather Pilot Project: Emergency Services for Homeless and … · 2019-12-12 · clients at $1.18 million. Indicators in the calculation included reduced police and EMS attendance

3

Businesses and citizens are also encouraged to

call the team. Between calls and transfers,

outreach workers sweep known encampment

areas to offer their services.

In the first week of operations, with temperatures

bottoming out at -35ºC staff transported 70

individuals to facilities that included shelters,

withdrawal management services, and family

members’ homes.

The pilot project is now being evaluated and a

report will be provided to Thunder Bay city

council and the community on June 15, 2014.

For more information contact Patty Hajdu at

[email protected].

Author:

Kim Karioja

February 14, 2014


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