Monday, December 02, 2013

50 Ways to End Homelessness by Using the New Healthcare Options

Stop Talking About Homelessness and Start Helping the Homeless Help Themselves

Many, if not all of us, are "one serious accident", "one serious illness", "one economic downturn" away from being homeless.


 Imagine yourself having Alzheimer's and homeless. You might or might not know you need medical help. Even if someone told you that healthcare was now available, you might not even understand him or her or have the physical ability to enroll in this new health option.

This is the plight of many homeless. They might know about the new health options, but do not know how to enroll. Some homeless are "so out of it", for whatever reason, they cannot understand or comprehend they have new healthcare options.

Thus, creates a service opportunity for average people to help the homeless help themselves. Most homeless do not choose their lifestyle. Many are afflicted with physical or mental conditions that restrict their choices in life. Maybe they want to do better in life, if only they had the health they so long wanted, but was out of reach to them.

Below are 50 suggestions for people, just like you and me, to help implement Affordable Health Care for homeless people. Your efforts might very well end or prevent homelessness for one or more persons. Even your tiniest effort will probably help.

Tips:
  • Do not try to go it alone. Some homeless people might be very desperate, and maybe dangerous. Work with a team of some sort.
  • Try not to re-invent the wheel, e.g. creating your own flyers, etc. Find out what others are doing and maybe volunteer your time, efforts, and expertise.
  • Ask first before you do something. Your best-contrived efforts might not help at all and maybe even hurt. Bounce your ideas off like-minded people and see what they think.
  • Do not get discouraged. There is a lot of opposition to this new health care option. Do not let them get you down. You are working for the homeless and they do not have many options. You can make a positive difference in someone's life. Try it and see how it goes. Your reward might be the smile on someone's face as the person light up with renewed hope.
50 Suggestions - Pick one or more and start today!

1. Maybe first learn about the new healthcare options in the U.S. The links below might be enough to get started. Your local library can help you "find more like this". In addition, your local library can offer additional suggestions how you could help locally where you live.

2. Become familiar with the existing tools to aid in enrollment. 
  • Check out the "Enroll America" link below. 
  • Review the "Affordable Care Act Resource Kit", especially the section on "Take Action in Your Region, State and Community".
  • Review the "Official Resources" to find appropriate tools to inform the homeless. Especially see "Other Partner Resources" to find promotion materials.
  • Ask government officials how you can help the homeless get the new Affordable Health Care. 
  • Build on the work of "Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program". Collaborate with them and learn their best practices. Even if VA covers veteran's healthcare, spouses and dependents generally are not covered by VA benefits. Hence, the rest of the family still needs healthcare coverage.

3. Ask at your local Homeless Shelter how you can help with the Affordable Care rollout. Tasks might include providing transportation, making and distributing flyers, informing the homeless of their new health care option, etc.

4. See how your place of worship is "helping the homeless help themselves" with this new healthcare option. Join an existing group or start a group to assist the homeless in enrolling. Some pastors, priests, etc. are using their sermons to suggest actions, like the suggestions in this article.

5. Spread the word on your Social Media, e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Let others know where they can go for more information or assistance. The procedure might be a little different in each state, but there is help in registering in every state.

6. Teach your children and/or students about how the new Health Reform has great potential to end or prevent homelessness. Maybe they want to help in some way and need adult supervision. The students, themselves, might be in a homeless situation or know of someone who is. Teaching resources have been developed and are included in the references below.

7. Post flyers where homeless gather informing them that health care is now within their reach. Local radio stations could make public service announcements. Pay phones could have a flyer nearby.

8. Retirees could find a new purpose in life, "helping others help themselves". Who knows, a well-off retiree today could be a homeless retiree tomorrow.

9. Speak to the homeless in their native language about Health Reform, e.g. Spanish, Hmong, even "Street Language". Have an information session at a local shelter. Tailor your communication to reach people on their own level of understanding. You are there to inform and encourage, not to preach what people should or should not do.

10. If you are a famous or well-known person, promote Health Reform, especially using communication methods to reach the homeless. Encourage your fans to help others less fortunate.

11. If you have a business in an area frequented by the homeless, inform and promote their new health options. Homeless people might not come in to shop, but rather to warm themselves. Thus, any store has the potential of having homeless people in the store.

12. Ask on your Social Media how you can help the homeless get the new Affordable Health Care. There might be great suggestions that are not considered here. Tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. can be great collaboration and networking resources to work with others.

13. "Soup Kitchens", "Meal Sites", Food Assistance Programs, Clothing Banks, etc. could include informative flyers. These programs could even restrict assistance to only those that show proof of healthcare coverage.

14. Those who give cash donations to anyone could include an informative flyer, along with those donations. If you give money to panhandlers, give them a flyer too and ask them to help spread the word. The flyers could be the same size as money and would easily fit into a wallet or purse. Consider giving money only to those who show proof of their health coverage.

15. Check Cashing Services could post the new health care options.

16. Liquor Stores could include a flyer in the "brown paper bag".

17. Public Workers, especially Park workers, could have information on their uniforms.

18. Post announcements in rural community gathering places, e.g. post office, general store, local gas stations, etc. Many homeless are in remote places, where news travels slowly.

19. Make enrollment a condition of release for prisoners. Maybe even offer enrollment as a condition for early release. It is known that many homeless were incarcerated. For those already paroled from prison, the parole officer could insist on proof of health care coverage, as a condition of continued parole.

20. Ask addiction support groups or agencies to help spread the word to the homeless, e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous, halfway houses, AODA counselors, rehab hospitals, etc.

21. Enlist the local police to give flyers to those who are homeless or who "look like" they might become homeless soon.

22. Make enrollment a condition of release from mental hospitals. Maybe even offer enrollment as a condition for early release, since now they will have access to ongoing care.

23. Fix up an old bus to go where homeless are known to congregate. There could be facilitators onboard to assist people in registering. The bus could be equipped with computers, Wi-Fi, and/or phone access. Paper forms could be available too. Give them a dollar if they register on the bus or bring a friend to register. Maybe this is something the U.S. government would consider.

24. Ask the "runaway" or "street children" agencies to help homeless children register, even if the children do not actually go home. Even if children have no home, they can at least have healthcare. Examples of such agencies are "National Runaway Safeline”, “StandUp For Kids", etc.

25. Enrollment information could be printed on the back of public documents such as bus transfer tickets, library cards, meal/travel vouchers, etc.

26. Stores could include registration information on the bottom or back of receipts. Sometimes homeless just come in to buy a cup of coffee to warm themselves. The information on the receipt, along with the coffee, could give them renewed hope to help themselves.

27. Temporary employment places could inform workers of their new healthcare coverage. Construction crews, farms, clean-up crews often hire day laborers. Minimum wage employers, e.g. fast food restaurants, day labor services, etc. could post announcements near the "time clock". "Shadow Workers" such as peddlers, street vendors, etc. could only continue their activities if they have proof of health care coverage.

28. Organizations that help the disabled could insist on enrollment for continued assistance. One such agency that benefits the homeless disabled is HUD's "Shelter Plus Care" (S+C) program.

29. Plasma donation centers could inform participants of their new health care coverage.

30. ATM machines could have the "Welcome Message" inform where to register locally.

31. Hotels, especially those that offer, "single room occupancy (SRO)", could include a flyer with the transaction.

32. Humanitarian or service agencies could help spread the word when dealing with patrons. Examples of such agencies are the Red Cross, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Salvation Army, United Way, etc.

33. Free/low-cost food places could restrict food until the recipient is registered. Examples of this could be soup kitchens, SHARE, Second Harvest, etc. Healthcare registration could be a pre-requisite for the SNAP "food stamp" program.

34. Free clinics, emergency rooms, urgent cares, etc. could restrict ongoing treatment until registered. Of course, emergencies would be taken care of, as usual.

35. Travel-related organizations, such as Travelers Aid, could inform those who look like they might be homeless of their new options.

36. Travel places could be an opportunity to inform. Such places might include airports, bus stations, train stations, etc. Public Transportation Services could have a billboard.

37. Courts could reduce fines for those who have proof of health insurance coverage.

38. Foster care organizations, orphanages, etc. could insist on enrollment before placement or continued foster care.

39. Brainstorm "Incentives" as well as "Sanctions", encouraging the homeless to register for their own sake, as well as to benefit the community.

40. Some homeless groups publish newsletters to support themselves. You could write an article telling of the new benefits. Advertise within the newspaper, "street sheets", etc. informing the homeless and others of this new option. Buy papers only from those that show proof of their coverage.

41. Some homeless do indeed work but live out of their cars. In those cases, try to let them know they now have health care, if they only register.

42. Government offices could all have posters, flyers, etc. related to the new health care options. Examples of this would be post offices, police stations, courts, jails, welfare offices, etc.

43. Truck trailers, train cars, etc. could have a poster attached, since many homeless congregate in such areas.

44. Post flyers above dumpsters, trash barrels, etc. since many homeless search for food, cans to recycle, etc.

45. Post flyers above public drinking fountains, toilets, etc.

46. Post flyers near the Over-The-Counter Medications in stores, since many try to fix themselves with medications they can afford with little or no income.

47. Post an announcement on the online classified advertisement sites, e.g. Craigslist, eBay Classifieds, etc. In the announcement, ask others to spread the word to the homeless that they now have healthcare, if they only register for it and then use it.

48. Share your experiences with others, so others can learn from you. You might find better ways to Enroll America. You might not end homelessness, but at least you know you have done all you can to provide an opportunity for others to receive affordable healthcare.

49. On an ongoing basis, encourage people to use their healthcare opportunities. Show them how to help themselves. Suggest they get the help they need. If their health improves, maybe their homeless situation will take care of itself. When people feel better on the outside, they feel better about themselves on the inside, and want to help themselves. Someday those same people might help others help in similar situations.

50. Write an article on this, as I did. Promote the new health care options. You never know who reads your writings!

Takeaways:
  • The "Affordable Care Act" and newly expanded Medicaid have great potential to decrease homelessness.
  • Average people like you and me, can help Homeless Americans learn about their new health care options, help them enroll, and encourage them to participate in their own health care. By doing so, you are helping others help themselves.
For more information:

Homeless Healthcare - Past, Present, and Future
How to Prepare and Take Action to Help the Homeless with Healthcare
Disclaimer - Article is for information only and is not medical or legal advice. Seek professional assistance as needed or wanted.


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