Healthcare Agency Serving Vulnerable Population: An Essay Analysis

This essay examines the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, an agency dedicated to providing healthcare and support services to vulnerable populations, particularly homeless individuals. The essay highlights the agency's mission to eliminate homelessness by establishing healthcare models and securing housing. It details the various services offered, including primary care, mental health treatment, and supportive housing, and the diverse healthcare workforce involved. The essay emphasizes the role of nurses in providing care through programs like medical respite and community outreach. It concludes by addressing the benefits provided to the vulnerable population and how nurses can utilize their expertise within this agency to improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness, referencing the agency's training and empowerment initiatives for healthcare providers.

Agency serving a vulnerable population
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

Introduction
Homelessness is one of the most common issues with problem in America. During 1857
the economic depression forced the condition of homelessness due to insufficient needs among
the people of growing cities but government was incapable of intervene solutions for the
situation. According to report 552830 people are homeless in United States as per the count till
2018 (Pratoomchat, 2019). This is a will focus on a specific agency and its services towards
homeless people and how a nurse can help vulnerable community through this agency.
Discussion
National Health Care for the homeless Council is one of the oldest organization which
aims to provide services to the vulnerable homeless people. This agency works for betterment of
healthcare support among homeless people though training assistance, researching and provision
of best practices and giving real legal solutions to end their problems (Nhchc.org. 2020). They
work for regaining the rights and support the homeless people to uplift their opinion.
This organization has been working for gathering health care professionals or healthcare
providers for medical respite care and the people who are survivors of homelessness. The
organization has more than 200 members engaging them in some programs for example health
care for the homeless program, housing and social service program and mental health support
program (Doshani et al., 2019). 300 people with legal advocacy collaborating with National
consumer advisory board to support the people of target population with different legal
assistances.

The mission of this agency is to eliminate homelessness from USA by establishing proper
healthcare provision model and securing housing for every citizen. They deliver the services in
public hospitals, community health centre, local healthcare departments through mobile van
shelter based clinics, street outreach and drop-in centers for the Healthcare Homeless program
grantees. They provide primary health care, mental health treatment, substance abuse disorder
treatment, benefit assistants, supportive housing services, health education, translation services
and preventive care to the homeless people. The clinical support and service workforce includes
doctors, nurse practitioners, certified midwives, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, mental health
therapist, counselors, outreach workers, community health workers and laboratory experts with
pathologist(Chatterjee et al., 2017). They provide client centered care with trauma informed and
harm reduction approach. They also invest in supportive housing programs and medical respite
programs. In supporting housing programs medical service providers treat people of vulnerable
community and in respite care they ensure safe hospital discharges after treatment.
Consumers of HCH programs are devoid of jobs, clinical assistance, proper food and
clothing with their socio-economic barriers. The services endeavor to provide finest quality with
comprehensive and culturally competent outpatient care to the population struggling with daily
lives to get basic needs (Petrovich et al., 2020). Nurses can support vulnerable people with
homelessness in different ways through this agency. Respite healthcare program, primary health
care and mental health support programs, community health care programs are some better
opportunities for a nurse to support homeless people with his or her expertise. This agency trains
the Healthcare providers with additional skills to educate and empower the vulnerable
community.
Conclusion

The essay concludes with addressing the benefits given to the people of the vulnerable
population by the selected agencies. The essay also discussed how a nurse can help the people
with homelessness with his or her field of expertise.

References
Chatterjee, A., So, M., Dunleavy, S., & Oken, E. (2017). Quality Health Care for Homeless
Families: Achieving the AAP Recommendations for Care of Homeless Children and
Youth. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 28(4), 1376.
Doshani, M., Weng, M., Moore, K. L., Romero, J. R., & Nelson, N. P. (2019).
Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for use of
hepatitis A vaccine for persons experiencing homelessness. Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report, 68(6), 153.
Nhchc.org. (2020). National Health Care for the Homeless Council | Quality. Access. Justice.
Community. Nhchc.org.
Petrovich, J. C., Hunt, J. J., North, C. S., Pollio, D. E., & Murphy, E. R. (2020). Comparing
Unsheltered and Sheltered Homeless: Demographics, Health Services Use and Predictors
of Health Services Use. Community mental health journal, 56(2), 271-279.
Pratoomchat, P. (2019, July). Homelessness and Housing Market Condition in the United States.
In Proceedings of the 13th International RAIS Conference on Social Sciences and
Humanities (pp. 9-17). Scientia Moralitas Research Institute.