
About us
Select a tab below to learn about the Health Care for the Homeless Network:
About homelessness and its impact in King County
On any given night in Seattle and King County, almost 12,000 people are experiencing homelessness, according to All Home's most recent Count Us In report. Poor health is both a cause and a consequence of homelessness. For a person living on the streets, in shelter, or otherwise without their own safe place to call home, the chronic instability and frequent chaos of daily life creates enormous barriers to health care access.
People experiencing homelessness often have trouble making and keeping medical appointments due to competing priorities in their lives-such as getting a shelter bed for the night. They often have no place to rest and recuperate, or to store medications. Too often the absence of stable, safe, and appropriate housing conspires with uncontrolled chronic illness to create a downward spiral of crisis after crisis from which recovery is extremely challenging.
As a population, people experiencing homelessness have a high prevalence of infectious diseases, mental illness, and co-occurring addiction disorders. For all of these reasons homelessness is a critical public health concern.
Learn more about homelessness and health:
Overview of the Health Care for the Homeless Network (HCHN)
HCHN collaborates with nine community-based partner agencies in serving homeless adults, families, and youth/young adults. These agencies send care providers to over 60 locations throughout King County. Our flexible model allows these providers to meet people where they are, both geographically and in terms of their readiness for appointment-based services. Service sites include shelters, day centers, transitional housing programs, meal programs, and clinics. Many services are provided on the streets by outreach teams. Interdisciplinary, interagency care teams integrate a broad range of medical, mental health, substance abuse, case management, and health access services. Stand-alone services such as dental care are also provided at some clinic sites.
HCHN's work is designed to align with the All Home Continuum of Care plan to make homelessness rare, brief, and one time. Our services also align with Public Health – Seattle and King County goals by promoting health among a particularly vulnerable population and by helping prevent the spread of disease. In addition to direct patient care, HCHN provides training and consultation services for homeless agencies to assist them in establishing appropriate health and safety protocols designed to protect both staff and clients by, for example, preventing the spread of communicable diseases that can occur when people live or sleep in close proximity to others.
HCHN is part of a national movement initiated in the 1980s and first spread throughout the country through a 19-city demonstration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trust. HCHN was part of the original 19-city cohort. In 1987, federal grant support was established for HCHN through the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Today, we are one of over 180 Health Care for the Homeless projects nationwide.
- Community Needs Assessment 2016-17: Excerpt to Inform 2018 Strategic Planning
- CNA Overview: HRSA 330h Needs Assessment Requirements
- Shelter Health Need Analysis Response
- Strategic Guidance for Public Health and Governance Council
- Selected Hours and Accessibility Review
- Recent sites and services added to HCHN scope: Process for determining location, hours of operation, and contractor involvement
- Looking back at 2017/2018, moving ahead in 2019
Our governing body: The Health Care for the Homeless Governance Council
The Health Care for the Homeless Governance Council provides strategic direction and community guidance to Public Health — Seattle & King County in effectively addressing the health needs of people experiencing homelessness. The Governance Council membership allows for continuous input from a broad range of experts, including people who are currently and formerly homeless, housing and medical providers, funders, and representatives of government agencies providing services to the homeless.
Meetings of the HCHN Governance Council take place on the third Mondays of each month, 4:15-6:15pm. Meetings will take place at the King County Chinook building (401 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104). Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities available upon advance request. Questions? Call 206-263-6975 or email Rekha Ravindran at rravindran@kingcounty.gov.
All meetings are open to the public and are subject to change. If you would like to be on the Council's Interested Parties Mailing List to receive an email prior to each meeting with the documents related to that meeting, or have any other questions, please email Rekha Ravindran at rravindran@kingcounty.gov.
Our values
Adopted by the Seattle-King County HCHN Planning Council:
- Access to high quality care for people experiencing homelessness
- Holistic approaches to care that integrate physical and oral health, mental health, addiction services, supportive housing, and social supports
- Improved health status and the prevention of disease among homeless people
- Flexible, respectful service models that are tailored to the needs of homeless people and work to link them to appropriate services and housing
- Diversity and the effort to eliminate racial and ethnic bias in our work and in access to health care:
- Effective relationships with organizations and systems with whom we partner
- A community-based governance structure for HCHN that is ethical and open
- Program staff who are committed to leadership development, customer service, and quality assurance
- Putting ourselves out of business by advocating for the social justice that will eliminate the need for our program
Download reports
Community partner agencies and services
Health Care for the Homeless Network programs and services are provided through contracts with the following organizations. Staff work in interagency, multidisciplinary teams to serve homeless sites:
- Catholic Community Services
- Federal Way Day Center, Kent Family Center, shelters, day centers, street outreach and transitional and permanent supportive housing sites in South King County.
- Behavioral health services for families on the coordinated entry priority list (SAMHSA F-SHARP grant)
- Country Doctor Community Health Centers
- Shelter-based services for families in central Seattle (YWCA Downtown, East Cherry, and South Myrtle locations)
- Homeless Youth Clinic (in partnership with University of Washington)
- Shelter-based services for families in central Seattle (YWCA Downtown, East Cherry, and South Myrtle locations)
- Evergreen Treatment Services – REACH Program
- REACH case management program for chronic public inebriates at the Dutch Shisler Sobering Center
- Outreach and case management conducted on the streets and at regular and other sites in Seattle including The Markham Building, Ballard Homeless clinic, ETS Methadone clinic, Dutch Shisler Sobering Center, and Navos Public Health Center.
- REACH case management program for chronic public inebriates at the Dutch Shisler Sobering Center
- Friends of Youth
- Redmond Youth Services Center, shelters, day centers, transitional and permanent supportive housing sites and street outreach in East King County and other areas.
- Redmond Youth Services Center, shelters, day centers, transitional and permanent supportive housing sites and street outreach in East King County and other areas.
- Harborview Medical Center
- Pioneer Square Clinic:
- Shelter-based services for single adults at St. Martin de Porres, Peter's Place, Markham Building, DESC Main Shelter, Compass
- Hygiene Center, Compass Cascade, Chief Seattle Club and Angeline's Day Center
- Robert Clewis Center Clinic (co-located with Needle Exchange)
- Medical Respite Program - for people too sick to be on the streets, but not sick enough to need hospitalization, beds at Edward Thomas House
- Third Avenue Clinic at YWCA Opportunity Place
- Shelter-based services for single adults at St. Martin de Porres, Peter's Place, Markham Building, DESC Main Shelter, Compass
- Boren Homeless Clinic at Dutch Shisler Sobering Center
- Pioneer Square Clinic:
- HealthPoint Community Health Centers
- Shelter-based services outside Seattle including Avondale Park, Burien Hospitality House, Domestic Abuse Women's Network, Lifewire, Hopelink-Kenmore, Hopelink Place, Katherine's House (Catholic Community Services), Kent Hope Day Center, Reach Center of Hope, The Sophia Way, The Landing (Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation), Titusville Station, The Landing (Friends of Youth)
- Nursing Services at Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) operated by Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation
- Shelter-based services outside Seattle including Avondale Park, Burien Hospitality House, Domestic Abuse Women's Network, Lifewire, Hopelink-Kenmore, Hopelink Place, Katherine's House (Catholic Community Services), Kent Hope Day Center, Reach Center of Hope, The Sophia Way, The Landing (Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation), Titusville Station, The Landing (Friends of Youth)
- Neighborcare Health
- 45th Street Youth Clinic
- Housing Health Outreach Team – Nursing services at 13 Downtown Seattle Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) buildings: Canaday House, Humphrey House, Kerner-Scott House, Lewiston, Morrison, Noel House, Ozanam, Plymouth on Stewart, Rose of Lima, Scargo, Simons, Westlake and Wintonia.
- Ballard Homeless Clinic at Nyer Urness Permanent Supportive Housing
- 45th Street Youth Clinic
- University of Washington Adolescent Medicine
- Medical services at Country Doctor Youth Clinic
- Medical services at Country Doctor Youth Clinic
- YWCA of Seattle/King/Snohomish Counties
- Health Care Access Project - Advocates work with homeless families to help them access health care insurance and many other services. Services provided at Hammond House, Elizabeth Gregory Home, Jubilee Women’s Center, Mary’s Place Downtown and North, Hope Place (UGM), YWCA Downtown and Willow sites.
HCHN receives support from the following organizations:
- City of Seattle
- King County
- Private foundations and individual donors
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
HCHN Governance Council Meeting agendas and materials
- Community Health Services Division Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance (QI/QA) Policy & Procedures
- 2019-2020 Review of Formal Grievances and Adverse Events
- Public Health – Seattle & King County 330h UDS Performance Measurement Dashboard
November 2021 meeting minutes
- Bolstering Equity Commitments in Contracts
- Roles and Responsibilities of the HCHN Governance Council
September 2021 meeting minutes
July 2021 meeting minutes
- HCHN Governance Council Strategic Planning Discussions 2022-2025, Part 3
- HCHN services
- HRSA 330h services, sites, activities
- Community Advisory Group Member Roster
- 2022-2024 HRSA Service Area Competition (SAC) 3 Year Scope of Project Spending Plan
- HCHN Governance Council Strategic Planning Discussions 2022-2025, Part 2
- 330h Performance Measurement and COVID Response Data Briefing
- Uniform Data System (UDS) submission and financial measures update
- HCHN End of 2019 Financial Update
- HCHN Governance Council Strategic Planning Discussions, 2022-2025, Part 1
- HCHN Current State of the Program Updates
- HCHN Network Success, Challenges, and Trends
- COVID Response Strategic Planning
- Health insurance enrollment flyer
- Seattle King County Mobile Medical Street Medicine Team
- Community Advisory Group Member Roster
- How will we know our sites are accessible & services are available?
- The COVID-19 Experience at Harborview Medical Center
- Medical Respite and COVID
- PHSKC Co-Applicant Agreement
- Bylaws of The Health Care For The Homeless Governance Council
- HCHN Presentation: Recommended Harborview Facility Improvements
- Decision Support Needs for Governance Council Members
- Board Skills Experience Chart
- FAQ: Program Evaluation Committee
- Hepatitis A Outbreak Response presentation
- COVID-19 Homeless Response Planning Meeting
- Overview of Budget Changes -2020 to 2021
- Community Advisory Group Member Roster
- GC-CAG/GC Committees Advocacy Policies & Procedures
- Interim Proposal for 330h Project Director
- COVID-19 Homelessness Response Planning Series: Part 3
- Community Advisory Group Member Roster
- 2021 HRSA Grant Renewal Scope of Project Spending Plan
- 2020 nominees skills experience chart
- COVID-19 Homelessness Response Planning Series: Part 2
- HCHN investments & Highly Impacted Communities Governance Council Update
- Potential Scope: HCHN Working Group on Racial Equity
- Communities most impacted by COVID-19
- Seattle Times articles
- Summary of King County COVID-19 homeless response
- Bylaws of the Health Care For The Homeless Governance Council
- 2020 Governance Council member terms and nominee list
- Council Membership Application (non-consumer)
- Council Membership Application (consumer)
- Community Advisory Group letter
- FAQ: Program Evaluation Committee (PEC)
- Bylaws of the Health Care for the Homeless Governance Council
- HealthierHere presentation
- HealthierHere detailed overview
- Community Listening Project
- End of 2019 HCHN Status
- UDS Financial Status update
- FAQ: Program Evaluation Committee (PEC)
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR NEW MEMBERS
For more information, please refer to the HCHN Governance Council Summary 2021.
If interested, please apply using the following form:
- Council Membership Application – Non-Consumer (if you have not experienced homelessness)
- Council Membership Application – Consumer (if you have experienced homelessness)
Please contact Rekha Ravindran: rravindran@kingcounty.gov, 206-263-6975, with any questions.