Integrating Care for People Experiencing Homelessness

A growing number of people are experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County, a common challenge across California and the United States. Those who are chronically homeless can have complex physical and/or mental health conditions which inhibit coordination of care among traditionally siloed service sectors (i.e., housing, medical care, behavioral health care, social services support, etc.). Like many communities, Sacramento spends millions of dollars annually on community supports and health care for people experiencing homelessness. To promote more effective service integration and improve outcomes, local leaders need first to sketch and assess the complex web of services operating in their communities, evaluating detrimental gaps as well as existing program assets. In this brief, we highlight a method for such assessment and describe our results.